Director of School Leadership

Primary Function

The primary function of the Director of School Leadership is to provide strategic leadership, coaching, supervision, and evaluation of school principals to strengthen instructional leadership and improve student achievement across all elementary and secondary schools.

The Director is directly responsible for principal supervision and evaluation; accreditation and accountability oversight; monitoring and improving on-time graduation rates; and ensuring the development, implementation, and progress monitoring of school improvement plans.

The Director oversees division-wide leadership development and mentorship initiatives, including teacher mentorship and principal support systems, and supervises key leadership pipeline programs such as the Teachers for Tomorrow program and the Administrative Leadership Program.

The Director provides oversight of specialized programs, including Summer Academy, virtual learning, and English Learner (EL) services, ensuring equitable access and improved outcomes for all student populations.

The Director manages and ensures compliance for federal programs, including the Title II and Title III grants, aligning resources to support instructional quality, leadership development, and services for English Learners.

The Director oversees the collection, analysis, disaggregation, and dissemination of instructional and performance data to monitor progress, inform decision-making, and support targeted interventions aligned with state accreditation standards and federal accountability requirements.

Minimum Qualifications

• Five years of teaching experience.
• Three years of demonstrated principal experience (multiple levels preferred).
• Possesses an active Virginia PK-12 Administration and Supervision Endorsement.
• Demonstrated successful performance management experience.
• Knowledge of statutory and regulatory requirements of state assessments.
• Knowledge of statutory and regulatory requirements of state and federal accountability.
• Doctorate preferred.
• Must possess budget planning experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Thorough knowledge of evaluation principles, practices, and procedures.
• Thorough knowledge of the principles and methodology of effective teaching.
• Superior oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills to include conflict management and resolution.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships.
• Ability to promote and follow Virginia Department of Education guidelines and mandates as well as Division policies, building and department procedures.
• Ability to communicate, interact and work effectively and cooperatively with all people including those from diverse ethnic and educational backgrounds.
• Excellent professional learning presentation skills with knowledge of adult learning styles.
• Understands and uses adult learning theory to develop, supervise, and evaluate school leaders.
• Demonstrates a deepening understanding of why taking a teaching approach in their one-on-one work with principals matters.

Performance Responsibilities

• Coaches and supports principals in goal setting, planning, development, implementation, and monitoring of action plans that will guide school leaders in meeting their instructional leadership objectives and for their schools to meet performance targets.
• Directs principals and assistant principals to set specific and challenging, but attainable goals for higher performance that result in improved student learning.
• Supervises and evaluates school principals, ensuring alignment with division expectations for instructional leadership and student outcomes.
• Regularly engages principals in the formal district principal evaluation process in ways that support principals’ growth as instructional leaders.
• Leads and monitors accreditation and accountability processes, ensuring all schools meet state and federal performance standards.
• Monitors and supports on-time graduation rates, including the development and implementation of intervention strategies for at-risk students.
• Supports principals in the implementation of school improvement plans and ensures ongoing monitoring of plan effectiveness and alignment to division priorities.
• Generates timely school observation reports to inform leadership and school improvement progress.
• Provides feedback on successful leadership practices, such as effective management of instructional staff, use of data, and establishment of school culture.
• Provides staff development programs consistent with program evaluation results and school instructional improvement plans.
• Oversees, coordinates, and supports a principal mentorship program.
• Oversees division-wide teacher mentorship programs, ensuring support for new and developing teachers and alignment with instructional goals.
• Plans, leads, and coaches shared decision-making processes for principals and assistant principals.
• Assesses factors affecting student achievement and directs change for needed improvements.
• Supports the development and implementation of the district’s strategic plan priorities and areas of focus.
• Attends school-based meetings and events to provide timely and appropriate coaching to principals.
• Oversees and coordinates specialized programs, including:
  • Virtual Learning
  • English Learner (EL) programs
• Oversees and administers the Title II Grant ensuring compliance and effective use of funds to support instructional quality and professional learning.
• Oversees and administers the Title III Grant, ensuring effective services and compliance related to English Learner programs.
• Plan for, monitor, and evaluate the implementation of the PreK-12 Summer Academy Program
• Supervise the division’s leadership pipeline program for emerging teacher leaders.
• Supervise the Division’s Teachers for Tomorrow program, supporting teacher vacancies and hard-to-fill positions.
• Supervises the Administrative Leadership Program, ensuring development of future school and division leaders.
• Provides strategic leadership across mentoring systems, including both teacher and administrator development pipelines.
• Manage and provide appropriate oversight of budgets for virtual learning and Summer Academy.
• Collaborates with personnel in Human Resources, Instruction, Special Education, and Student Services to ensure optimal resources are available to support schools and specialized programs.
• Displays willingness to make decisions.
• Exhibits sound and accurate judgment.
• Supports and explains reasoning for decisions.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Chief Academic Officer.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

Must have the ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time; exhibit manual dexterity to dial a telephone, to enter data into a computer terminal; to see and read a computer screen and printed material with or without vision aids; hear and understand speech at normal classroom levels, outdoors and on the telephone; speak in audible tones so that others may understand clearly in normal classrooms, outdoors and on the telephone; physical agility to lift up to 25 pounds to shoulder height; to bend, stoop, climb stairs, walk and reach overhead.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Duties are normally performed in a school/classroom environment. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

---

Position Type: Exempt

Reports to: Chief Academic Officer

Terms of Employment: Twelve months a year. Salary according to School Board Pay Plan.

Evaluation: Performance on this job will be evaluated in accordance with School Board policy and administrative regulations on evaluation of administrative personnel.

Revised: 8/26/2026