South Carolina Connections Academy - HS Principal

School Summary

South Carolina Connections Academy (SCCA) is a tuition-free, K–12 online public school. The school was launched in 2008–09 under contract to the South Carolina Connections Academy Charter School. SCCA is South Carolina’s very first virtual charter school, authorized by the Institute at Erskine The school serves students in grades K–12 from anywhere in South Carolina. 

Position Summary

From your home office in South Carolina, the Principal will support the Executive Director and the Chief Academic Officer in the overall school operation of a team of professional certified staff working with parents, students providing teacher-directed instruction in a virtual home-based student instructional program. Additionally, the Principal will work closely with key Connections Academy departments including Enrollment, Technical Support, Materials Management, and Fulfillment. The Principal will report to the Chief Academic Officer, under the direction of the Executive Director/School Leader. The Principal will support grades 9-12, so high school experience is preferred, but for the right candidate, it is not required.  

Responsibilities

• Assist with supporting the Connections Academy Mission Statement, school goals, and School Improvement Plan;
• Oversee student data accounting functions including attendance and reporting with dual reporting systems;
• Provide data management for continuous school improvement in a team setting;
• Use multiple sources of data to assess student achievement and school improvement;
• Monitor enrollment requirements and communicate requirements to the CA Enrollment Department;
• Work collaboratively with the administrative team in implementing, monitoring, and supervising the Connections Academy School Year Cycle;
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the staff in a performance-based environment;
• Provide leadership to Master Teachers who are evaluating the effectiveness of the staff in a performance-based environment;
• Collaborate with stakeholders for the purpose of serving as a liaison and resource for the development of dropout prevention, intervention and recovery support opportunities for students;
• Educate parents, students, and staff regarding compulsory attendance and truancy laws;
• Investigate absences, interpret and enforce state attendance laws, issue warnings to violators, file complaints to appropriate agencies, and, if necessary, participate in court hearings with repeat offenders;
• Adhere to and supervise teachers in the Standards for Teaching at Connections Academy
• Respond to all Learning Coach inquiries within 24 hours, including responses in WebMail, email, telephone, and message board postings, as appropriate;
• Develop and supervise processes for Welcome Calls and Registrant Mailings;
• Document all interactions in user logs;
• Work with Learning Coaches to keep students on track;
• Supervise escalation systems and Escalation Action Plans;
• Supervise and support state requirements such as PGP and SSI requirements;
• Communicate and support caretakers/Learning Coaches in successfully supporting their student in a state-aligned curriculum that is accessed from home or any place where internet is accessible;
• Support  the professional development of Career Ladder staff;
• Support college-readiness;  
• Supervise the review of student transcripts and the entry of credits into the online transcript system;
• Develop and implement procedures to ensure that transcripts are accurate and up-to-date;
• Supervise efforts to secure complete and maintain the accuracy of student records;
• Authorize official transcripts for families upon request;
• Counsel families through the school withdrawal process, assisting with data collection regarding withdrawal;
• Lead school teams in identifying school and community resources and maintain an up-to-date list of those resources, making them available to school teams and to families;
• Design and implement professional development activities for teachers and school staff members;
• Support the Executive Director in managing the school’s budget and various grants;
• Provide local support for facilities acquisition and maintenance as requested;
• Provide state testing support including logistics for scheduling, monitoring, tracking participation, and contracting for testing facilities;
• Manage and support the implementation of a state testing plan for a “virtual hub” within the state;
• Monitor and track all school-based assets;
• Support the Marketing Department with student outreach, marketing, and public relations;
• Stay current on the state’s policies, procedures, and legislation;