K8 Assistant Principal (Culture/Climate)
Platte River Academy
Reports to: Executive Director
Overview
The K–8 Assistant Principal of Culture and Climate is responsible for assisting with administrative leadership, behavioral management, staff and student supervision, daily operations, staff development, accountability, evaluation, and data analysis.
Specific duties include upholding the school’s mission and vision; creating partnerships and resolving confl icts among parents, students, and staff; overseeing behavioral expectations and discipline policies; assisting the Executive Principal in conducting ongoing formal and informal evaluations; assisting in developing school-wide schedules; and consistently implementing school-wide discipline, supervision, safety, and emergency protocols.
Responsibilities
Duties include but are not limited to:
Strategic Leadership
- Executive Support: Execute full operational and cultural authority in the Executive Director's absence, ensuring continuity of the school vision and safety.
- Systems Design: Collaborate with K–8 administrators to design school schedules and instructional aide support structures that center equity and meet students’ needs, aligned with the school’s culture and climate.
- Strategic Planning: Serve as a core member of the Lead Team to design and implement the Strategic Plan and School Improvement Plan (UIP), focusing on the intersection of academic rigor and school wellness.
- Data Stewardship: Lead the coordinated gathering and review of school-wide information about school culture and climate, such as staff and student well-being surveys, sense-of-belonging measures, safety and behavior trends, and community feedback to inform building-level decisions and improve the daily environment for stakeholders.
- System Integration: Enable expert use of Project Ed, Infi nite Campus (IC), and Schoology to transform raw data into clear, actionable insights for students, staff, and families.
- Mission Advocacy: Champion and articulate the K–8 mission of Platte River Academy, serving as a primary ambassador to the broader community.
Culture and Climate Leadership & Staff Development
- Special Education Leadership and Support: Oversee the Student Support Services department, including 504 coordination, English Learner support (ELD), Gifted & Talented programs (GT), and the paraprofessional team.
- Supervise related service providers, including occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, school counselors, and school psychologists.
- Partner with the Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction to plan and facilitate the iMTSS process and address system-wide intervention priorities to support positive student outcomes.
- Behavioral Coaching: Use coaching and modeling to build positive classroom behavior systems, support consistent behavioral expectations, and coach teachers in proactive, restorative, and trauma-informed strategies that improve student conduct and classroom climate.
- Curriculum Alignment: Support K–8 curriculum mapping by ensuring behavior expectations, routines, and social-emotional supports are vertically aligned so students experience consistent classroom management and a coherent culture across grade levels.
- Staff Culture: Lead and mentor the instructional aide team and assigned staff to create a shared classroom management approach; design targeted professional development that translates academic data into practical strategies for improving student behavior, engagement, and classroom tone.
- Communication: Streamline internal communication with weekly staff updates that connect school-wide behavior goals, classroom management practices, and expectations so daily routines consistently reinforce the desired school climate.
Culture, Climate, & Student Support
- Restorative Leadership: Uphold school discipline procedures by championing restorative practices that prioritize student accountability, growth, and reintegration.
- Climate Oversight: Proactively cultivate a safe, inclusive, and caring-first environment; lead conflict resolution efforts and facilitate conferences among staff, students, and parents.
- Equity & Character: Intentionally integrate universal core values into daily practice, leading the school’s character education and equity initiatives.
- Supervision & Safety: Ensure robust supervision during non-instructional periods, maintaining a visible and supportive presence for the student body.
Professional Responsibilities:
As full-time, salaried employees, you are expected to contribute to our organization's success outside of the school day. This may include:
- Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all operations meet the standards of the Platte River Governing Board, Douglas County School District, and State of Colorado guidelines.
- Talent Management: Actively participate in the recruitment, hiring, and onboarding of staff who align with the school’s cultural and academic standards.
- Community Presence: Serve as the Administrator on Duty for after-school events and represent the school on various subcommittees.
- Serving on committees or task forces (minimum once a month).
Your involvement enhances our community and supports our mission, making it vital to our collective success.
Experience and Knowledge
- Master’s degree in Education required.
- Certified or eligible for Principal License. (or pursuit of)
- Minimum of three years of teaching experience required.
- Leadership experience in a school setting required.
- Demonstrated experience in instructing students with varied learning styles and levels of mastery.
- Expert-level written and oral communication skills.
- Excellent interpersonal, conflict management, problem-solving, and demonstrated leadership abilities.
- Ability to work collaboratively and to apply superb judgment.
Physical Demands
- Frequent lifting of five (5) to twenty (20) pounds.
- Occasional lifting of twenty (20) to fifty (50) pounds.
- Constant bending, squatting, standing, reaching, sitting, walking, kneeling, crawling, stooping, repetitive motions, and overhead work.
Reporting Relationship
- This position reports to the Executive Principal.
- Direct reports: Assigned certified and classified staff members.
Evaluation, Compensation, and Employment Cycle
- Annual Evaluations: Winter / Spring / Summer
- Contract Period: August 1 - July 31
- Job Classification: Exempt
- Sick leave: 49 hrs
- Personal leave: 3 days per year that accrue up to 9 days
- Contract length: 210 days (211 days depending on if a new hire)
- $81,305 - $128,010 based on experience
Application
Please submit a resume and letter of interest to [email protected] with “Principal of Culture and Climate” in the subject line. You may also mail documents to:
Platte River Academy
Attn: Kera Pratt
4085 Lark Sparrow Street
Highlands Ranch, CO 80126
To learn more about Platte River Academy, visit: https://www.prak8.org
Equal Employment Statement
Platte River Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, gender, religion, or sexual orientation.