Principal Fellow (SY 25-26)

Who We Are

District of Columbia International School (DCI) is a public charter school serving over 1600 racially and economically diverse students in grades 6-12 from across the District of Columbia. We aim to provide our students with a world-class education that empowers them to follow their passions and change the world. DCI’s education centers on an International Baccalaureate curriculum, advanced language learning in Chinese, Spanish, and French, and a culture focused on student agency supported by 1:1 technology.

Position Overview: DCI is hiring a Principal Fellow. The Principal Fellow role is designed as a dual support and development role. The role is designed to provide the Principal Fellow with a significant opportunity to have a positive impact on the day-to-day aspects of the school, while also learning extensively about DCI, its leadership and operations. The role is designed for those who have previous experience as a Principal or Instructional leader and who have an interest in the principalship at DCI.

Salary Range:  $106,820 - $131,323 (Starting salary is determined by education and years of relevant experience)

Structure

The Principal Fellow will take on a meaningful leadership role at DCI that includes instructional, cultural, and broader organizational leadership opportunities. Their work will be overseen by the current Principal and other senior leaders to ensure consistent support and development through reflection and feedback.

The Principal Fellowship is designed to prepare the fellow to succeed in either of the DCI Principal roles. A Principal Fellow will have the first opportunity to become a DCI Principal when/if those roles become vacant. The process will be such that the Principal Fellow will have an initial interview process that will determine if they are selected to become the Principal, selected to participate in a broader interview process with other candidates, or are not yet ready for the position.  

The specific roles and responsibilities of the Principal Fellow will be crafted to balance the dual nature of the role as support for DCI and development for the fellow. The Executive Director, with support from other senior leaders, will align the specific role to the needs of DCI and the developmental interests of the Principal Fellow. The role will have significant ownership of a certain area of the organization or school and clear goals and metrics to assess impact.    

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• Master's Degree in education or similar field preferred.
• Experience in urban education/diverse environments.
• At least 2 years of teaching experience, preferably at the secondary level.
• At least 3 years of instructional leadership is preferred.
• Proven track record of student achievement as a teacher and / or leader.
• Strong organizational and strategic planning skills; ability to balance multiple priorities in a fast-paced work environment.
• Experience/training in the IB MYP/DP/CP/inquiry-based curriculum framework is preferred.
• Experience in a language immersion environment. Bilingualism in Spanish, Chinese, or French is highly preferred.
• Demonstrates knowledge of how to use instruction to reach student achievement goals.
• Able to identify and describe effective instructional practices and how to provide feedback, coaching, and professional development to teachers to improve the quality of instruction throughout the school.
• Demonstrates knowledge of educational theory and practices, focusing on standards-based instruction.
• Knowledge of adult learning theory, and experience facilitating professional learning communities and professional development sessions.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills, both orally and in writing.
• Exemplary interpersonal skills.

Key Qualities & Skills:

• Articulates a clear instructional vision alongside the Principal, with a school-wide focus on data-driven, standards-aligned teaching and learning rooted in a belief that all students can achieve at high levels.
• Attends professional development meetings, training, and all events on and off campus. 
• Embrace Chinese, Spanish, and French cultures by leading and participating in cultural activities for faculty and students.
• Model the skills and attitudes of a global citizen by upholding the IB Learner Profile Traits in alignment with the DCI Agreements.
• Demonstrates a key commitment to helping foster a Socially Just Community through the support of diversity, equity, and inclusion systems and structures to ensure all community members can thrive, especially those historically marginalized.
• Other duties as assigned.

Faculty and Staff Development/Benefits: DCI is committed to the principles of servant leadership and to providing faculty and staff with the resources and training they need to provide an excellent education experience for every student and family. 

• We have a benefits package that includes health and disability insurance and paid leave.  
• We offer teachers daily planning time, professional development, and reasonable class sizes.
• Teachers and staff have the appropriate technology and support to do their work.

DC International School is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse faculty and staff committed to teaching and working in a multicultural and multilingual environment.