Classical School Principal
Independence Classical Academy
Classification: Certified/Licensed
Terms of Employment: 12 Month / 240 Days
Annual Salary: Between $85,000 and $110,000 - based on education and experience
Benefits: Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) and Medical, Dental, and
Vision Insurance
Anticipated Start Date: Immediately (July 1, 2025)
Location: Elizabeth, Colorado
A Classical School Leader:
A classical school leader is an important figure in a school and its surrounding community. He or she
is entrusted with the education and well-being of its students and the academic reputation of that
community, acting as a steward of substantial public or private funds and, ultimately, a contributor to
the future viability of the nation through the passing on of wisdom and virtue to its future citizens.
The leader of a classical school knows that he or she is shaping young men and women for lives of
virtue, and that a classical education is a training for both the mind and the heart. The leader is
equally attentive to the school's curriculum, pedagogy, and culture, because he or she knows that
ethical and intellectual living is practiced in and outside of the classroom. The school leader is an
example of virtuous living and the love of learning for its own sake to the students and his or her
community. He or she understands the value of a liberal arts education and can articulate that clearly
and effectively. As a proponent of American classical education informed by the Western tradition,
the school leader builds a culture focused on principled self-government and civic responsibility.
Position Summary:
Independence Classical Academy is seeking a passionate and industrious principal with an
entrepreneurial spirit to oversee the foundation and operation of a K-5 school at the start, with plans
for expansion to K-8, and later possibly K-12. As the leader of the school, he or she will be entrusted
with the education and well-being of its students and the academic reputation of that community. The
principal must undertake the responsibilities of prudently stewarding substantial public and private
funds and ultimately impart to posterity students willing and capable of sustaining America as a
unique beacon of freedom and liberty.
The principal reports directly to the Board of Directors (the “Board”) and works closely with the
Board, the staff, and its external partners in three ways. 1. To create and implement everything
necessary in Year Zero that is required to open the school. 2. To satisfy the compliance requirements
and the charter contract with the Elizabeth School District with fidelity. 3. Most importantly, to
implement ICA’s mission, vision, core virtues, education and business plan as outlined in its founding
documents and board policies.
In Year Zero, the Principal will work on a part time basis with the Board to achieve its goals, its
strategic direction in all its educational, operational, financial, managerial, and programmatic aspects
of the organization. After the school is opened, the Board will transition its involvement to a
governance role. Year Zero will require the principal to help with planning the needs of the physical
building and grounds, carefully hiring an excellent staff and teachers, participating in curriculum
development, and participating in the recruitment of students. The goal of the principal in Year Zero
is to open in August 2025 with a full enrollment and hire a high performing team while meeting all
the CDE compliance requirements.
Once open, the principal is responsible for continuing to hire as needed and manage teachers and
staff. The principal will eventually assume the day-to-day operations responsibility for the school.
The principal will have strategic and administrative responsibility for the overall organization
including fidelity to the mission, vision and goals of the school, academic integrity, financial
management, compliance and regulatory matters, school facilities and growth, community relations,
and fundraising. The principal will set and maintain a successful school culture.
Qualities and Characteristics:
● Leadership. Specifically, the ability to discern the ends that fulfill the nature and purpose of the
organization, and to chart a course to reach those ends; the ability to inform and inspire people to
follow, to commit, to take responsibility, to perform, and to cooperate in an effective manner. The
ability to raise up leaders in an organization.
● Intellectual depth and serious understanding of the life of the mind befitting of the leader of an
academic institution with a love of learning demonstrated by the ongoing personal pursuit of
knowledge and the desire to share that knowledge with others.
● A commitment to school reform, energized with courage and governed by prudence.
● A generator of trust and confidence from others within his or her leadership by exhibiting
unwavering personal integrity, honesty, and decisiveness.
● A person of excellent moral character.
Knowledge and Skills
● A broad understanding of the classical liberal arts, its roots in the Western tradition, and its
historical presence in American education prior to the 20th century.
● An understanding of the ills that plague contemporary primary and secondary schools and the
root causes of those problems.
● Knowledge of the craft of the educator, and the ability to teach well.
● The ability to coach teachers to greater degrees of effectiveness in the classroom.
● The ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written forms.
● The ability to maintain a high degree of energy and personal productivity, and to effectively
manage the yield of others. The ability to prioritize and get things done.
● A general understanding of personnel management principles, including recruiting and hiring,
supervising, and evaluating, and individual and organizational development.
● The intellectual and emotional strength to have difficult conversations.
● A general understanding of financial management principles, including planning a budget and
managing it throughout a school year, the needs and expectations of regular auditing, and a
system of sound fiscal controls.
● An understanding of the school's respective state accountability or accreditation system for public
or private schools, as appropriate, and laws relevant to same, and validly qualified to possess the
appropriate school leader credentials as required by law.
● A working and up-to-date knowledge of Colorado state law as it pertains to education, or the
proven ability to learn such state laws pertaining to education.
Duties and Responsibilities
● Provide incubation year operations, including staff hiring, work with Educational Support
Provider on procurement, schedules, and general start-up and enrollment marketing needs.
● Provides general management of all school operations, including academic, financial, personnel,
regulatory, and facility areas.
● Observes teachers at defined intervals, documents results, and provides feedback as mentor and
supervisor.
● Reports at regular school board meetings on the status of operations and plans for upcoming
activities.
● Represents the school as the senior executive leader in interactions with the public, the school
constituencies, the authorizer or accreditor, and other government agencies.
Other Expected Characteristics of a Classical School Leader
● The school leader is well-organized and takes responsibility for everything that occurs within the
school, carrying out his or her charge with humility and flexibility with a willingness to take on
any task even if it seems menial. He or she is keen on delegation with clear direction, yet
accountable for every facet of the school.
● The school leader is pleasant, engaging, personable, and empathetic-important traits as he or she
interacts with parents, community members, teachers, students, and others. The school leader
knows how to build trust through excellent communication, which oftentimes means only
listening, and by being consistent with expectations and follow-through. The school leader
is firm and kind, prudent and just.
● The school leader can build an administrative team. He or she knows the mission and knows how
to hire well to support that mission. A school leader knows his or her own strengths and
weaknesses and will hire assistant principals and deans who will offset those weaknesses.
● The school leader is rooted in the classical tradition and has an appreciation for the art of
teaching, with a clear vision for his or her own classroom, having experienced it firsthand.
● The school leader understands and communicates with the broader classical movement to
promote better education in our country and is committed to the larger network of schools of
which he or she may be a part.
● The school leader regularly coaches each teacher on classroom management, instruction, and
culture.
● The school leader has a clarity of focus, and yet is open to ideas and implements the best of them
from his or her community, not just from personal preferences.
● The school leader is public-spirited, ambitious about the school and its effect on the wider
community, state, and nation. He or she is committed to the local community as an active
participant, an energetic advocate for classical education as being good for all learners.
● The school leader likes interacting with children and believes that classical education leads them
on the path to true happiness.
● The school leader has a recognizable executive aptitude for the business and operational aspects
school leadership. He or she can put first things first and has the capacity to multi- task.
Work Environment:
Strength: Sedentary/light - Exert force to 10 lbs., occasionally.
Physical Demands: Frequent sitting, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, carrying, reaching,
handling, and repetitive fine motor activities. Hearing and speech to communicate in person, via
video conference and computers, or over the telephone. Mobility to work in a typical office setting
and use standard office equipment. Stamina to remain seated and maintain concentration for an
extended period of time. Vision: Frequent near acuity, occasional far acuity, and color vision. Vision
to read printed and online materials.
Environmental Conditions:
Climate-controlled office setting with temperatures ranging from mild to moderate cold/heat.
Exposure to noise levels ranging from moderate to loud for occasional to frequent time periods.
Hazards: Furniture, playground/office equipment, communicable diseases, chemicals and fumes (as
related to specific assignment), and power/hand-operated equipment and machinery (as related to
specific assignment).
Required skills, experience, and abilities:
● Master’s degree preferred.
● Candidates must have a solid understanding of classical education and a dedication to the liberal
arts.
● Experience of progressively responsible positions in school leadership.
● Teaching experience in K-12, preferably a classical school.
● Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to write for publication and
to speak to groups.
● Strong research and judgment skills.
● Possesses the ability to attract families to enroll their students in the school.
● Possesses professional manners in both actions and dress.
● Strong financial and business background: ability to read, understand, and manage financial
statements and budgets.
● Ability to build a capable, high-performing team within the school and with other partners and
constituents of diverse backgrounds in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
● Ability to manage multiple priorities and tasks simultaneously.
● Ability to use MS Office including MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Desirable skills, experience, and abilities:
● Principal Licensure
● Ph.D.
● Experience leading or being a part of a start-up school or other organization.
● Ability to develop and execute three- to five-year strategic plans.
● Experience in engaging with underserved communities and minority populations.
Salary plus benefits:
Pay is competitive and commensurate with experience and qualifications. Benefits include health
benefits (health, dental, vision), personal days, sick days, enrollment in the Colorado Public
Employees Retirement Association (PERA). Initially, the principal will be hired on a part-time basis,
which will allow for the currently employed candidate to finish out the 2024-2025 school year.
To Apply
Candidates interested in applying for the principal position at Independence Classical Academy
should submit the following materials by email to: [email protected]
● Cover letter stating why you are interested in the job position and why your skills, knowledge,
and experience are a good match for the job.
● Resume
● A one-page reflection on the mission of classical education
Applicants may be asked to submit additional information such as work or educational verification,
references, credit, and/or samples of their portfolio during this process.
Applications Due Before: January 7, 2025
Submit Application to: [email protected]
Initial Interview Schedule: January 8-24, 2025
Independence Classical Academy is an equal opportunity employer. The organization is committed to
providing equal opportunity for all individuals in all areas of recruitment, selection, placement,
training, assignment, transfer, compensation, benefits, discipline, retention, and promotion. The board
commits itself to the policy that there shall be no unlawful discrimination against any person because
of race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identification, national origin, or disability. All decisions
regarding employment shall comply with applicable state and federal laws.