Job Description

Organization: German School of Connecticut

Date Posted: 4/28/2025

Date Needed: 8/1/2025

City: Stamford & West Hartford

Location: Connecticut

Country: United States

Primary Category: Saturday School

Type of Position: Part-Time

Education Requirement: Master's

Experience Requirement: 5-7 years

Description & Details

Vacancy: President & Principal, Part-Time Position, German School of Connecticut (GSC), Saturday Language School

The President and Principal is the lead educator and the head of administration of two campuses: Stamford & West Hartford. The President & Principal leads a part-time staff of assistant principals, teachers and volunteer staff to fulfill the GSC mission of providing high quality German language and cultural education for Pre-K - 12 students as well as adult students. The President & Principal reports to the GSC Board of Directors and provides annual school budgets, monthly school status reports, annual school reports and ad hoc reports as directed by the Board.

Starting Date: 8/1/2025

Minimum Qualifications and Experience:

● Fluency in German and English.

● Excellent written communications, oral communications and interpersonal skills in both German and English.

● Demonstrated understanding of education standards, curriculum development, general and differentiated language instruction, faculty assessment and evaluation, responsive classroom practices, faculty supervision and support.

● A minimum of 5-7 years of experience in the field of foreign language instruction and curriculum development.

● A minimum of 2   years of experience supervising administrative staff in areas such as recruitment, enrollment, marketing, document management, budget and payroll management.

● Demonstrated knowledge and experience in the development and management of a budget $250K-$500K is preferred.

● Demonstrated   experience with the identification of synergies and management of expectations across a diverse set of stakeholders (e.g. children, parents, teachers, administration, volunteers, sponsors, Board of Directors and governmental agencies.

● Demonstrated knowledge of standard German performance tests and experience improving student participation and performance in tests of German (AATG’s, IVA 1/ 2 , DSD A1/2, DSD B1, DSD C1   , other).

● Master’s degree (e.g., M.A., M.Ed.) in German, Education or other appropriate area. Doctorate is preferred. (e.g., Ed.D., Ph.D.)

● Candidates must agree to and pass a formal background check.

● Candidates must be legally allowed to work in the United States.

● The German School of Connecticut will NOT be able to sponsor candidates for work authorization in the United States.

Compensation : Commensurate with a part-time President & Principal position.

Reports to: Board of Directors, German School of Connecticut

Responsibilities for the role of School President & Principal:

● General responsibilities:

o The President and Principal supports the mission of the school adopted by the board of directors and periodically will propose amendments as the school evolves.

o The President and Principal is accountable to the Board of Directors recognizing that the Board of Directors is ultimately responsible to students, parents, teachers, donors, and the general public. The Board of Directors appoints the President and Principal, approves compensation for the President & Principal, and dismisses the President & Principal, as needed.

o She/He ensures that both campuses are safe learning environments for students and staff. Minimum requirement is compliance with policies laid out in the insurance policies (e.g., around background checks, building safety, harassment training, etc.) but tighter procedures can be deployed, if needed to ensure the safety of students and staff.

o As lead educator and head of administration of the GSC as one school with two campuses the principal has to be cognizant of the needs of each campus and its respective community. Meeting the diverse needs of the campus and furthering the identity and community of the GSC as one school is one of the core responsibilities of the principals.

o The President and Principal needs to be a strong leader to staff and volunteers, a fair hiring agent for new teachers and aides, an advocate to students, and able to discipline/dismiss staff when necessary.

o The President & Principal is the public face of GSC, to the parents and third parties, in particular governmental agencies and professional organizations.

o The President & Principal is generally expected to be present each Saturday during the school year at one campus and ought to allocate such time to each campus in accordance the number of enrolled students and as needed.

o The President & Principal of GSC maintains ongoing and strong relationships with government entities, especially the German Consulates in New York and Boston, the Auswärtiges Amt (AA) in Berlin, and other entities, as needed.

o The President & Principal of GSC represents the GSC at the German Language School Conference, at Weltverband Deutscher Auslandsschulen (WDA) and other organizations, furthers the interests, mission and work of the GSC.

o As needed, the President & Principal will engage with donors in a manner that is conducive to positive and productive donor relations.

o Coordinates the development and distribution of the annual academic and cultural event calendar.

o Coordinates fundraising activities to meet or exceed annual goals set by GSC Board.

o The Principal is the lead educator on both of its campuses. 

▪ As the lead educator, the principal needs to guide curriculum development and execution.

▪ She/He strategically allocates teaching resources to areas of need, to manage suitable classroom sizes, and to enable an environment of high-quality learning.

▪ The principal, in consultation with the assistant principals, hires teachers and teachers’ aides, oversees their performance, and disciplines/dismisses them, if needed.

▪ The Principal monitors teaching and learning quality.

▪ She/He uses data to reflect upon and improve classroom and organizational practices.

▪ She/he is able assists teachers to improve student participation and performance in tests of German (AATG’s, IVA 1 and IVA 2, DSD 1 and DSD 2, other).

▪ The Principal advises the Board of Directors on and proposes candidates to Board of Directors on the appointment of an assistant principal for each campus.

▪ The Principal designs and executes yearly parent surveys at the end of the academic year and student exit surveys when appropriate.

▪ She/he will also encourage student involvement in cultural events in the German/Austrian/Swiss community (e.g., participation in the annual NYC Steuben Parade, annual Weihnachtsfeier and Maifeier).

▪ Develops and maintains ongoing and productive relationships with area colleges and universities to foster cooperation and joint cultural events

o The President is the head of administration of the school.

▪ The President needs to ensure all administrative tasks are completed in an orderly manner and consistent with Board approved policies and guidelines.

▪ The President is responsible for organizing, delegating and supervising paid and volunteer staff to accomplish the administrative responsibilities assigned by the Board of Directors.

▪ The President is responsible to present the Board annually at the end of a school year a budget for the next school year and operate the school within the framework of the approved budget.

▪ The President of the GSC needs to be both visionary when it comes to the future of the school and pragmatic when it comes to managing the daily affairs of its administration.

▪ The President will also be available for marketing purposes of the school and will respond to inquiries from current and prospective parents, as and when needed.

▪ The President works closely with the administrative team and needs to be able to engage, motivate, and organize volunteers to maximize their effectiveness.

▪ Responsible for executing the Marketing Strategy defined by the GSC Board.

▪ Responsible for the design and maintenance of GSC social media channels and website.

▪ Coordinates and ensures required annual training is completed by all faculty and staff.

▪ Coordinates and ensures background checks are completed for all faculty.

▪ Creates and maintains a document archive for all required legal, insurance and regulatory requirements.

● Approximate time commitment and compensation

o The approximate weekly time commitment will be 20 hours per week with a majority of the time being spent on Saturdays while school is in session. However, at times it could be more (during peak times) or less (during semester break).

o The annual compensation reflects the responsibilities and time commitment in light of the non-profit status of the GSC.

o Travel reimbursement for required travel to campuses in Stamford and West Hartford.

How to Apply / Contact:

For more information and to submit letters of interest, résumés, and professional credentials write to: search@germanschoolct.org

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