Middle School Principal (FY28) at Woodland School District 50 in Gurnee, IL

Job description

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Position Type: Administration Applicants are instructed to address in their application/resume their experiences directly related to each section noted in the posting. Only completed/submitted online applications with supporting documents will be screened. POSITION TITLE: Middle School Principal (Grades 6-8) DATE POSTED: October 16, 2026 LOCATION: Woodland Middle School DATE AVAILABLE: July 1, 2027 REPORTS TO: Superintendent of Schools PRIMARY FUNCTION: To provide strategic, collaborative, and educational leadership for students in grades 6 through 8 by utilizing administrative and supervisory skills to ensure the academic, social, emotional, and physical development of every young adolescent. The Middle School Principal serves as the chief educational and administrative leader of the school, charged with creating a responsive, challenging, empowering, equitable, and engaging learning environment. The principal spends the majority of their time on curriculum, instruction, and staff development to maximize student growth and teacher effectiveness. QUALIFICATIONS: 1. License: A. Required: Professional Educator License (PEL) with a General Administrative Endorsement (K-12). Qualified Illinois Teacher and Administrator Evaluator. 2. Education: A. Required: Master's Degree in Educational Leadership or School Administration B. Preferred: Doctorate in Educational Leadership or related field 3. Experience: A. Required: Five (5) years of school leadership experience and four (4) years of teaching or school support personnel experience in a public-school setting (preferably at the middle school, junior high, or upper elementary levels). B. Preferred: Five (5) years of principal experience in a public middle school, demonstrated expertise in middle level philosophy, and Spanish proficiency. ESSENTIAL PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES: The Principal will adhere to the following Illinois Performance Standards for School Leaders, integrated with the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) core attributes: Living a Mission and Vision Focused on Results -Works with staff, students, families, and community members to build a shared, student-centered middle school vision that ensures all learners are on the path to high school, college, and career readiness. -Ensures that the distinct identity and developmental needs of young adolescents drive all school decisions and goals. -Conducts timely conversations with staff based on academic and social-emotional performance data to enhance learning outcomes. Leading and Managing Systems Change -Creates and maintains a safe, welcoming, inclusive, and orderly learning environment that proactively addresses school safety and student discipline. -Develops and monitors schoolwide goals allocating personnel, time, and budgetary resources to support middle-level instructional priorities. -Oversees organizational structures, master scheduling (including team teaching, advisory, and interdisciplinary blocks), and modern educational technologies. Improving Teaching and Learning -Serves as the primary instructional leader, establishing a rigorous, exploratory, integrative, and standards-based curriculum tailored for middle school learners. -Evaluates instruction and teacher performance through frequent observations, providing timely feedback aligned with district evaluation systems. -Evaluates support staff and provides timely feedback. -Establishes a continuous cycle of improvement using multiple assessment forms to differentiate instruction and support Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and special education needs. -Facilitates relevant, job-embedded professional learning community (PLC) experiences for instructional teams. Building and Maintaining Collaborative Relationships -Engages families