South Carolina Connections Academy - Assistant Principal

School Summary

South Carolina Connections Academy (SCCA) is a tuition-free, K–12 online public school serving students anywhere in South Carolina. SCCA is authorized under state law by the Charter Institute at Erskine and governed by an independent Board of Directors. The school is operated by South Carolina Connections Academy Charter School, a nonprofit corporation, through a contract with Connections Academy, LLC, to provide its educational program and other services. Launched in 2008, SCCA is South Carolina’s first virtual charter school. Connections Academy, a division of Connections Education, is accredited by AdvancED, and SCCA is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement.

South Carolina Connections Academy strives to create an inclusive environment that welcomes and values the diversity of the people we serve. We foster fairness, equity, and inclusion to create a workplace environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.

Position Summary and Responsibilities

Working from your home office, the Assistant Principal will support the Principal in the operation of a team of professional certified staff, working with parents and students, providing teacher directed instruction in a virtual home-based student instructional program. Additionally, the Assistant Principal will work closely with key Connections Academy departments including Enrollment, Technical Support, Materials Management, and Fulfillment.

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;
• Assist the principal and work collaboratively with the administrative team in implementing, monitoring, and supervising the Connections Academy School Year Cycle;
• Assist the principal in supervising and evaluating 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 development of dropout prevention, intervention and recovery support opportunities for students;
• Manage process of contacting students within ten days of withdrawal and again 20 to 30 days later for the purpose of ensuring that the student engaged in another schooling option;
• 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 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 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 families;
• Design and implement professional development activities for teachers and school staff members;
• Support the School Leader in managing the school’s budget and various grants;
• Provide local support for facilities acquisition and maintenance as requested;
• Act as the technology liaison for teachers and administrative staff;
• 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;
• Be able to handle all emergencies; and
• All other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• Master’s in Education, Principal Certification
• Minimum of three (3) years of successful teaching experience, prior virtual school administrative experience preferred
• Operational or logistics experience and/or administrative or management experience
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
• Customer focused approach
• Demonstrated ability to work well in a fast-paced environment
• Team player track record with demonstrated leadership skills
• Strong technology skills (especially with Microsoft Office products and Google Suite)
• High degree of flexibility, excellent attention to detail, and superb organizational skills
• Willingness to travel for marketing events, field trips, and state testing
• Ability to work remotely during state testing and at other times, if necessary
• Ability to work extended hours
• Must be able to use a personal electronic device and email address for 2-step authentication.