Academy Del Sol is hiring a Principal for our Tucson K-8 charter school.
ABOUT ACADEMY DEL SOL
Academy Del Sol (ADS) is a tuition-free, K-8 public charter school serving more than 650 students across two Tucson campuses: Roger Road and Star Valley. Founded on the belief that every child deserves a rigorous and personalized education regardless of background, ADS has built its identity around the integration of strong academics, fine arts, and practical life learning.
The school's mission is to provide a rigorous and superior academic, social, and behavioral education for dedicated and committed students, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, or ethnicity. ADS extends its school day by approximately 45 minutes beyond the state minimum so that academic instruction is never shortened to accommodate the fine arts program, which includes dedicated art and music coursework.
ADS proudly serves a primarily Hispanic student body, and Spanish-language family communication is a core part of daily life at the school.
THE OPPORTUNITY
We are seeking an experienced, mission-driven Principal to lead one of our Tucson campuses through a season of strengthening, growth, and renewed academic ambition. The Principal is the senior on-site leader at their assigned campus. The Principal is the face of the campus to staff, families, and students and holds accountability for academic outcomes, student culture, and day-to-day operational excellence at the site.
The Principal reports directly to the Executive Director of Academy Del Sol. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who believes the most important leadership work happens in classrooms and hallways, not behind a desk.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Instructional Leadership
- Own the instructional vision and academic outcomes for the campus, with particular attention to grade-level proficiency, instructional consistency, and measurable year-over-year growth.
- Implement curriculum, pacing guides, assessment cycles, and instructional coaching frameworks aligned to Arizona state standards.
- Lead the implementation and monitoring of the campus academic improvement plan, with a near-term emphasis on accelerating student outcomes.
- Conduct regular instructional walkthroughs, classroom observations, and post-observation coaching conversations using the ADS evaluation and observation rubric.
- Use benchmark, AASA, and formative assessment data to drive grade-level and individual student intervention decisions.
- Protect and strengthen the integration of fine arts and practical life instruction alongside core academics.
Student Culture and Climate
- Establish and uphold a safe, orderly, and joyful campus climate with clear, consistently applied behavioral expectations.
- Oversee student discipline in a manner that is fair, documented, and compliant with school policy and applicable federal and state law, including protections for students with disabilities.
- Monitor attendance and chronic absenteeism, and lead targeted interventions to improve daily attendance rates.
- Build trust and visibility with students through daily classroom visits, hallway presence, and carline.
Staff Leadership and Development
- Recruit, hire, evaluate, and retain high-performing teachers and campus staff in coordination with the Executive Director and Achieve Education Group (AEG) human resources support.
- Supervise, coach, and develop instructional leads, teachers, and campus operational staff.
- Design and deliver campus-based professional development, and support network-level professional development initiatives.
- Lead a culture of accountability paired with care: high expectations, clearly communicated, with the supports staff need to meet them.
- Conduct timely performance evaluations, develop growth plans, and address performance concerns promptly, professionally, and in accordance with school policy.
Family and Community Engagement
- Serve as the primary point of contact and public face of the campus for current and prospective families.
- Lead campus family engagement: regular communications, family conferences, campus events, and proactive outreach in both English and Spanish.
- Respond to family concerns promptly and professionally, escalating to the Executive Director where appropriate.
- Support enrollment and retention efforts, with focused emphasis on growing enrollment.
Campus Operations and Compliance
- Oversee day-to-day campus operations, including student safety, arrival and dismissal, food service, facilities, transportation coordination, and emergency preparedness.
- Ensure full compliance with special education (IDEA), English Learner, and Section 504 services at the campus level, in coordination with the school's specialized services leadership.
- Oversee state testing logistics, accommodations, and proctor certification; ensure no testing compliance violations.
- Maintain accurate student information system (SIS) records, attendance, grades, and state reporting.
- Support campus budget execution, purchasing requests, and inventory in coordination with the Executive Director and AEG finance.
- Provide timely, accurate campus data and status updates to the Executive Director, and support any audit, inspection, or authorizer site visit.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Valid Arizona Principal, PreK-12 certificate issued by the Arizona Department of Education or documented eligibility for the certificate, with the certificate obtained within twelve (12) months of hire.
- Master's degree in Education, Educational Leadership, Educational Administration, or a closely related field.
- Documented track record of leading measurable academic improvement, including gains in student proficiency.
- Experience supervising, evaluating, and developing teaching staff.
- Working knowledge of Arizona K-8 charter school regulations, ASBCS oversight, ADE requirements, and authorizer compliance expectations - or the demonstrated ability to come up to speed quickly.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Valid Arizona Department of Public Safety IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card, or the ability to obtain one prior to the first day of employment.
- Valid Arizona driver's license and reliable transportation; ability to travel occasionally between campuses and to district, authorizer, and community meetings.
- Ability to pass a background check and meet all Arizona charter school employment requirements.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- A minimum of three (3) years of campus-level leadership experience (principal, assistant principal, dean, or comparable role) in a K-8 public, charter, or private school setting.
- Experience running a PreK program. Direct experience opening, operating, or supervising a preschool or PreK program including staffing, curriculum, licensing, and family enrollment and/or an Arizona Early Childhood Education, Birth-Grade 3 certificate or endorsement.
- Bilingual in English and Spanish or demonstrated experience leading a school that serves a primarily Spanish-speaking family community.
- Experience leading a campus through significant growth, restructuring, or turnaround.
- Familiarity with the Tucson community, the southern Arizona charter landscape, or comparable urban, community-rooted school environments.
WHO YOU ARE
We are looking for a leader whose presence calms a room, whose decisions are grounded in what is best for children, and whose work ethic sets the standard. The ideal candidate is:
- Mission-driven - motivated by the opportunity to give every ADS child the education they deserve, regardless of background.
- Visible and present - believes leadership happens in classrooms, hallways, and at carline, not behind closed doors.
- Steady under pressure - able to lead through difficult moments without losing perspective, and to make hard calls without losing relationships.
- Academically uncompromising - holds a clear instructional vision and the courage to coach toward it.
- Operationally rigorous - takes pride in clean systems, clear processes, and accurate reporting, and understands those things make the work of teachers easier.
- A strong communicator - in person and in writing, in English and ideally in Spanish, with families, staff, and school leadership.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Academy Del Sol offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience and credentials, including health, dental, and vision insurance; paid time off; participation in the Arizona State Retirement System; and ongoing professional development. The posted salary range reflects the good-faith range for this position; final offers are determined by experience, certification, and internal equity.
HOW TO APPLY
Apply through this posting and include:
- A current resume documenting campus leadership experience.
- A cover letter (no more than two pages) describing your interest in Academy Del Sol, your leadership philosophy, and the most significant academic results you have personally led.
- Copies of relevant Arizona certifications, advanced degrees, and administrator credentials.
- Three professional references, including at least one supervisor and one direct report, with current contact information.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and the position will remain open until filled. Initial screening interviews are conducted by Academy Del Sol in partnership with Achieve Education Group; finalists meet with the Executive Director before a final hiring recommendation is made.
Academy Del Sol is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a staff that reflects the diversity of the families we serve, and we welcome applicants of all backgrounds.
This position description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed and is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications. Duties may be modified at the school's discretion. Employment with Academy Del Sol is at-will and this description does not constitute an employment contract or a guarantee of employment for any specific term.
Pay: $60,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
