Principal

Green Street Academy (GSA) is a powerful force in the Baltimore City public education ecosystem. Founded in 2010, GSA is a 6-12 public charter school Founded in 2010, Green Street Academy is a 6-12 public charter school located in West Baltimore. Now serving 875 students annually, GSA was designed to transform how scholars prepare for college and careers in the 21st century through the lens of environmental, human, and personal economic sustainability.

GSA invites nominations and applications for a student-centered, instructional leader to serve as its next Principal starting with the 2024-2025 academic year.

THE HISTORY OF GREEN STREET ACADEMY

In response to a significant citywide gap between the college and career preparation programming available in Baltimore City’s public high schools and the growth of jobs in the city for which its graduates were unprepared, GSA’s founders, Larry Rivitz and David Warnock, imagined a new kind of high school in Baltimore City that would focus on 21st century career education, including the creation of a world-class academic facility that would enable city students to achieve their full potential and graduate with the tools they would need for career success.

In 2009, the founders began working with the Baltimore City school system to determine the process that would make the school a reality. They first established a non-profit organization, Green Street Academy, Inc., that would serve as the school’s operator. They then joined the Superintendent’s school reform initiative by creating a “learning-to-work” transformation school for grades 6-12, expanding the original idea beyond high school to include grades 6-12, absorbing existing students from West Baltimore Middle School, and recruiting new ones for a total of 127 students with twelve teachers.

In the past 14 years, GSA has benefited from the seasoned and charismatic leadership of celebrated educators like Ed Cozzolino, a school turnaround specialist, and Maryland’s first Distinguished Principal Fellow; Dr. Crystal Harden-Lindsey, a dynamic leader, educator, and leadership coach, who served GSA as its Principal and, later, as its CEO; and current GSA Trustee Dr. Dan Schochor, a school transformation leader and veteran of Baltimore City’s public, public charter, and independent schools. Today, Green Street Academy enrolls almost 900 6th to 12th grade students operating in a 140,000 SF, LEED Platinum, iconic 1920’s era school building on an eight-acre campus. Green Street Academy is home to an urban agriculture and aquaculture program including a 3,000 SF hydroponic greenhouse and a comprehensive internship program with partners like Johns Hopkins University Medical System, Constellation Energy, Whiting Turner, Boys and Girls Club of Central Maryland, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Green Street Academy has an impressive group of passionate partners, funders, and supporters in the philanthropic, business, government, education, and non-profit sectors creating opportunities for scholars including access to a brand new, state of the art, community recreation, and athletic center adjacent to campus in partnership with the Baltimore Ravens. Most importantly, students and families share that the community is warm and welcoming; students are challenged academically and have opportunities to grow their sense of self and possibility.

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

Ms. Denisha Logan serves as GSA’s Executive Director and CEO. Her responsibilities include working with the Board, building external partnerships and support, as well as partnering closely with GSA’s principal to support students, families, faculty, staff, and the GSA community. Ms. Logan served as a founding teacher at GSA, served two principalships in Baltimore City, and is now proudly leading GSA as the Executive Director and CEO. She brings a deep passion for all things Green Street Academy. Her management expertise and interests in technology, entrepreneurship, and the arts, will ensure that GSA will continue to grow as a beacon of innovation and student success in Baltimore City and beyond.

Green Street Academy is governed by a Board of Trustees composed of members from various sustainability-related industries, professions, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions who bring a wide array of skills, experiences, and perspectives. The Board is responsible for ensuring that GSA’s mission is relevant and vital to the students GSA serves, and for monitoring the success in fulfilling that mission. To this aim, the Board takes the lead in strategic planning efforts and in stewarding GSA’s financial resources.

THE ROLE OF PRINCIPAL

The Principal serves as the instructional leader of Green Street Academy, focused on supporting and supervising instructional and school support staff. The Principal has dual reporting to Baltimore City Public Schools and the Trustees of Green Street Academy, Inc. Key responsibilities for the Principal include:

• Leading Teacher Learning and Development
• Managing Talent
• Creating and Sustaining Conditions for Learning that Focuses on Instruction and Equity

DESIRED QUALITIES

• Demonstrates skill in building, managing, and developing a team by distributing leadership and leveraging each person's talent and skill
• Demonstrates a firm understanding of Baltimore City Schools' strategic plans, goals, and theories of action
• Demonstrates ability to apply theories of and effective practices for: student learning, growth and development; differentiated instructional strategies; and academic standards and accountability systems
• Demonstrates effectiveness in using data from multiple sources, qualitative and quantitative, to support academic and personal student outcomes
• Operates with a nuanced understanding of how school-level operations and systems are implemented and interact to achieve school and student goals
• Approaches complex issues and decision making as a "systems thinker" - showing strong analytical and problem-solving skills and offering innovative solutions to challenges
• Effectively prioritizes and responds quickly to competing demands, especially in times of crisis
• Demonstrates capacity for highly relational and charismatic leadership, communication, and engagement with all stakeholders
• Engages in, and seeks engagement with, diverse stakeholders to build consensus and effectively address challenges
•  Approaches their role with a personal sense of accountability for the success of the larger group
• Actively listens to and effectively interprets others' motivations and perceptions
• Acts with cultural competence and responsiveness in their interactions, decision making, and practice
• Motivates, inspires, and moves others to action and to achieve ambitious goals
• Establishes clear goals, expectations, deliverables, deadlines, and metrics for success
• Sets clear agendas and facilitates effective school-based meetings
• Brings a high standard of ethics, honesty, and integrity in all professional matters
• Performs and promotes all activities in compliance with equal employment and nondiscrimination policies; follows federal laws, state laws, school board policies and professional standards

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated interest in Green Street Academy’s key mission – practicing and promoting environmental and personal sustainability
• Master's degree in education or a related field from an accredited college or university
• Maryland Advanced Professional Certificate with a Principal/Superintendent or Administrator I and II endorsement
• At least five years of leadership experience, including teacher leader roles, OR completion of City Schools' Principal Residency Program or an equivalent principal preparation program
• At least two years of supervisory/managerial/ evaluation experience
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and exercise swift decision-making, grounded in sound judgment and understanding of nuanced circumstances focused on an unwavering commitment to the diverse learning needs of students
• Demonstrated success in implementing culturally relevant pedagogy and ability to support instructional and school support staff in leading a diverse learning population
• Track record of achieving measurable gains in student achievement resulting from effective leadership
• Demonstrated success in identifying, growing, and leveraging the potential of staff and teams
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; including proficiency in the use of computer applications (including Microsoft Office products), email, and mobile technologies

The salary range for this role is $115,230 - $134,196. This position is eligible for benefits and is affiliated with both the Public School Administrators and Supervisors (PSASA) bargaining union and with the State Retirement Plan. To review the available options please see the information relevant to the union for this position by viewing the following link: http://www.baltimorecityschools.org.

The Principal of Green Street Academy will also receive access to professional development and professional learning communities. Travel to professional development and professional development tuition and fees will be supported on an annual basis.