Position: Watertown Middle School Principal

Reports to: Superintendent of Schools 

Salary: Salary Range Regionally Competitive  

Work Year: 12-Month Position            

 

About Watertown Public Schools

Watertown Public Schools (WPS), located in Watertown, Massachusetts, serves a diverse and dynamic student population across its three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. With a mission to inspire, empower, and challenge all students, the district is committed to fostering academic excellence and inclusivity. As of the latest data, WPS serves approximately 2,700 students. The district embraces its rich cultural and linguistic diversity, with students representing a broad spectrum of backgrounds, including a significant percentage of multilingual learners. This diversity is a key strength, contributing to a vibrant educational community. 

Watertown students explore and shape the world around them through a variety of innovative learning experiences and opportunities in a public school setting. Our student body is diverse, reflecting the ever-changing demographics of our community and our nation. Watertown serves a racially, ethnically, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse population.  Our largest historically marginalized student group is Latinx (19.1%), and over 45 languages are represented among our families.   Providing opportunities and removing barriers through our commitment to equity and inclusion serves as the foundation of our core values: Equity, Excellence, and Community.  The next Principal at Watertown Middle School must have a strong equity focus, a strong belief that all students can and will succeed, and that our students’ opportunities must be limitless.  

 

About the Watertown Middle School (WMS) 

The Watertown Middle School is a caring and inclusive community that is home to approximately 560 students in grades six through eight.  Our equity-driven mission to provide the best possible education for all of our middle school students is demonstrated throughout our academic program.  Our diverse community expects a leader who will respond to the unique needs of our students and who will ensure that all students receive what they need to be successful.  Watertown Middle School offers a dynamic learning environment with very favorable class sizes, a rigorous curriculum, and a wide variety of interesting and enriching learning opportunities. WMS has a full athletic program and a rich performing arts program. 

 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

The Watertown Middle School, through the collaboration of staff and parent community, seeks to provide a supportive learning environment, which fosters academic excellence, encourages individual and collaborative endeavors, and promotes social responsibility and respect for diversity. 

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: The essential functions or duties listed below are illustrations of the type of work that is performed and are not an exhaustive list of the duties performed by this position. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. Other duties may be assigned. 

 

Responsibilities: The Principal shall…

• Serve as the instructional leader of the school, the primary evaluator of the school's staff, and the overseer of the operation of the building
• Develop and maintain positive relations with parents, parent groups, school volunteers, and outside agencies
• Model and promote trust, enthusiasm, rapport, respect, and openness among faculty, staff, students, and members of the community. 
• Celebrate successes and recognizes the achievements of the larger school community both individually and collectively
• Focus on student learning while nurturing and sustaining a reflective and respectful school culture based on high expectations and continuous learning for all students and staff members
• Develop and sustain focus on a shared mission and clear vision for improvement of learning and teaching.  Engage stakeholders in essential conversations for ongoing improvement
• Facilitate collaborative processes with the Instructional Leadership Team to actualize the vision and mission of the school and the larger school district.  Create opportunities for shared leadership within the school.
• Promote a school community that provides a supportive and challenging learning environment where every student feels safe, respected, and valued
• Lead a school through a construction/renovation project, including utilizing swing space.  There is the potential for a building project at WMS beginning in April of 2026- pending final approval from the City after the completion of a Feasibility Study. 
• Keep the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent abreast of school goals, happenings, and needs. 
• Collaborate with the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment and the Superintendent to leverage the strength of curriculum coordinators and assistant principals to focus on academic and SEL priorities while attending to and implementing the school’s mission and vision. 
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of excellent teaching and learning practices, educational law, IDEA regulations, culturally responsive teaching, supervision and evaluation, RETELL, and data-informed decision-making
• Collaborate closely with special education and ESL coordinators to improve content-area learning for student subgroups
• Work in concert with the Director of Student Services on the successful implementation and maintenance of special education programs and services within the building as well as the Multi-Tiered System of Support and the District Curriculum and Accommodation Plan. 

• Lead Watertown Middle School through the implementation of a robust, inclusive educational program that prepares students for life through problem-based learning, authentic assessments of understanding, and real-world application and demonstrations of learning. 
• Manage the daily impact of construction on the middle school  and Moxley Field for up to two years
• Promote a school culture focused on high levels of academic achievement and social-emotional learning (SEL) in conjunction with other administrators, faculty, and staff.

• Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of a data-driven plan for increasing student achievement, including the use of multiple student data elements.  Recognizes, analyzes, interprets, and seeks out multiple data sources to inform school-level improvement efforts.  Implements the data-driven plan for improved teaching and learning.

• Demonstrate strong instructional leadership.  An effective middle school principal is knowledgeable about and deeply involved in the design and implementation of the instructional program and prioritizes effective teaching by visiting classrooms regularly and working with teachers on instructional issues. 

• Participate in and maintain an effective and culturally responsive learning environment among the entire school community.  

• Partner with the school community to promote student learning.  Understand the greater community and work to establish a genuine partnership model between home and school. Align school and community efforts and values as a work in progress that must be nurtured, sustained, and monitored, and is able to influence others to adopt the same understanding. Community engagement decisions are made that result in improved teaching and learning. 
• Consistently demonstrate high moral, ethical, and professional standards of performance and personal integrity, which includes addressing problems and issues in an open, honest, and timely manner. Serves as a champion for the school and the district.
• Value and enact both ownership and accountability for student outcomes
• Assist in the development, revision, and evaluation of the curriculum along with district coordinators as well as oversee the school assessment plan, including all formative, summative, and standardized assessments. 

• Responsible for recruiting, hiring, training, assigning, and evaluating staff.  The principal shall delegate duties and responsibilities to the assistant principals and other members of the staff under the principal's supervision, as the principal deems necessary, to effect the optimum function of the school. 
• Create a professional environment by assuring that interactions with others in the school, community, and School Committee are conducted with utmost respect and professionalism. 
• Actively participate in meetings, workshops, and conferences that involve decisions affecting the district and/or the school. Advocate for the school’s needs by providing input to the decision-making process of the district. Respect, support, and implement decisions once made, and act to ensure that staff are equally supportive.
• Participate in school academic, athletic, and co-curricular activities to supervise and support all students beyond the school day. 
• Responsible for the safety and administration of the school facilities including any safety-related drills and procedures. 
• Maintain high standards of student conduct and enforce discipline as necessary, according to due process and the rights of students, with a focus on restorative practices.  
• Ensure careful use of the buildings, grounds, equipment, and other property under their jurisdiction. 
• Manage human and fiscal resources in transparent ways to instill confidence in the community that the principal makes decisions that are fiscally responsible and responsive to demonstrated needs.  Decisions are made about resources that result in improved teaching and learning.
• Discharge such other permanent and temporary duties as the Superintendent may assign. 

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Master's Degree from an accredited college or university, with advanced graduate work in the area of educational administration
• Valid Massachusetts License as a Principal/Assistant Principal, 5-12  to include Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) endorsement;
• Teaching and/or administrative experience in a secondary setting totaling a minimum of five (5) years
• Strong computer skills with the ability to utilize technology in all facets of the position 

• Demonstrated highly effective leadership as a middle school administrator, at least three (3) successful years as a principal preferred
• Proven ability to promote the learning and growth of all students
• Strong character, impeccable integrity, firmly held ethical beliefs
• Effective interpersonal and leadership skills, strong written, verbal, and listening skills
• Strong organizational skills, creativity, and a belief that all students are able to achieve and grow academically and personally
• Citizenship, residency, or work visa, required

 

The position offers a highly competitive compensation package. Please apply online at School Spring to complete an application and upload a resume, transcripts, three current letters of reference related to leadership experience, and DESE principal licensure by January 17, 2025.

Watertown Public Schools is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws.

 

WPS is especially interested in qualified candidates who can contribute through their teaching or practice to the diversity and excellence of the WPS community.

 

WPS is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Members of underrepresented groups and all persons committed to diversity and inclusive excellence are strongly encouraged to apply.