Denver Public Schools - Manual Renewal

Principal Opportunity Profile

Position Title: Principal, Manual High School

Reporting To: Michael F. Bennet, Superintendent

Location: Denver, CO

The Organization: Denver Public Schools (www.dpsk12.org)

THE OPPORTUNITY:

The Denver Public Schools (DPS) District seeks an exceptional, dynamic, and accomplished leader to assume the position of school principal at Manual High School in Denver, Colorado.

Manual High School has a rich tradition and proud history as one of Denver's flagship urban high schools. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for an excellent candidate to help rebuild Manual from the ground up and create a premier high school in the heart of Denver. The school is closed for the 2006-2007 school year and is scheduled to re-open its doors in fall of 2007 with only a freshman class. One grade will be added each subsequent year to ensure a culture of high expectations, rigor, and strategic interventions.

Candidates should have an unwavering belief that all children can learn; demonstrated success educating students in an urban school environment; significant urban teaching and secondary/junior high school leadership experience; and must enthusiastically share the District and community's vision for Manual as a school that challenges and prepares all students for higher education and personal success.

The successful candidate will immediately participate in key decision-making regarding the new design for the school and will begin full-time employment as the school principal of Manual in June 2007. It is also expected that Manual's new principal will be a leader in the District's broader reform efforts as well.

With a new, reform-minded superintendent leading the District, 300 days of Colorado sun year-round, a thriving Denver community hungry for a high-performing urban high school, and the full support and commitment of the School Board and District, Manual is a highly visible and unparalleled opportunity for an experienced, committed, and relentless leader dedicated to the reform of urban education.

ABOUT MANUAL HIGH SCHOOL

Manual High School has been a cornerstone of the Denver community since 1892. It has a rich tradition and a proud history, but in recent years has suffered low academic performance, declining enrollment, high attrition, and a lack of available resources for students. Historically, Manual was well known in Denver as a diverse and academically successful comprehensive high school. Manual's distinguished alums include former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb; former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice; the late political activist and community organizer, Corky Gonzales; and Denver City Council members Elbra Wedgeworth and Michael Hancock. In addition, Manual boasts many top-notch graduates working in diverse fields across the city and throughout the world.

After court-ordered bussing ended in Denver in 1995, new attendance boundaries shifted Manual's student population to serve almost exclusively minority and low income students. In 2001, $1 million in grant money (more than half from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) provided the seed money for the high school to be reconfigured into three smaller schools. During that time, academic achievement plummeted. For a number of complex reasons, the small schools reform did not succeed at Manual and in February 2006, the School Board made the decision to close the three high schools and reopen the school in the fall of 2007 with a freshman class only, and add grades 10, 11, and 12 one year at a time.

Since the announced closing, the District has been doing everything possible to help former Manual students transition to higher performing high schools. On June 1st, the Manual Academic Resource Center (MARC) was opened at Manual to assist students. Its services include:

Tracking all 558 Manual students with mentoring, phone calls, and home visits to ensure they successfully transition into their new schools;
Providing mentors to all interested students;
Assisting all students with course selection and new school registration;
Engaging in an eight week door-to-door campaign led by the Superintendent to ensure all students are prepared for their new schools;
Supporting dropouts and dropout recovery services to keep all students in school; and
Providing access to academic and college information for the next four years

These efforts reflect the District's commitment to rebuilding relationships and trust with these students, families, and community and neighborhood leaders. To date, over 92% of the former students have registered in school and a dropout prevention and recovery team is actively working with the remaining out-of-school students to support them with educational options and choices.

MANUAL RENEWAL PROCESS

The District is committed to rebuilding Manual High School as a premier academic institution and has been investing time, resources, and support to reengage the community in this effort. The Manual Renewal Project began in July 2006 and has resulted in over 3,000 individual conversations, and over 100 community meetings to solicit feedback and input from the community about their ideas for Manual's future. There is already evidence that the community engagement work is spurring parent interest in the new school and community conversations about "what's possible" for future students in the Manual neighborhood.

This fall, a 30-member Manual Community Council was convened to provide guiding recommendations to the Denver School Board and Superintendent around:

Creating a shared vision for high performing urban high school that serves the Manual community;
Articulating the qualities and preferred attributes of the new school leader and staff and;
Identifying the elements/principles of a school program that is aligned with the Denver Plan.

There is great community pride and commitment to seeing the new Manual succeed. The community's vision for the new school reads:

Every student at Manual High School will be educated to the highest level.

The educational experience at Manual will encourage, challenge and prepare all students for higher education and personal success. Teaching and learning at Manual will be relevant to students' lives and experiences, past and present.

Manual High School will provide a safe, culturally inclusive environment that personalizes and supports a wide variety of programs and activities to meet the needs and aspirations of every student. Academic success and accountability at Manual will be ensured through the high expectations of a strong and dedicated leadership, quality instruction, ample resources, committed and responsible students and an involved community.

Manual High School will be the heart of a support network for families, neighboring elementary and middle schools, and the community at large.

The new school leader will have the opportunity to build upon this vision and other guiding elements and principles articulated by the community and the District to fully develop the new school's design, mission, and academic program.

It is the District's intention that the new principal at Manual will continue to seek community input and engagement as the school evolves to make sure that it retains community support and is a school of choice for the Manual neighborhood and parents across Denver.

ABOUT DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS:

Under the leadership of the newly appointed Superintendent, Michael Bennet, Denver Public Schools is committed to making Denver a national leader in student achievement, high school graduation, college and career preparation, and college matriculation. Superintendent Bennet has a clear vision of Denver Public Schools being the best urban school district in the nation. After only one year under his leadership, the District has benefited from significant gains in student achievement, the implementation of ProComp - an innovative pay structure that rewards teachers for improving student achievement, and a 2-week summer principals' institute that underscored their role in leading the District's reform efforts. This work is guided by The Denver Plan, a living document that outlines the District's vision of achievement. The foundation of this Plan is to ensure that all students achieve academically. The goal's of The Denver Plan will be supported by:

Ensuring that all children learn from a highly skilled faculty in every school that is empowered by robust professional development and timely assessment data;
Highly trained principals and assistant principals who will serve as instructional leaders of the faculty in DPS schools; and
Collaboration among the Denver community and all DPS stakeholders who will support all children in a safe, orderly, and enriching environment in every school and classroom.

Specifically, The Denver Plan highlights the District's commitment and support of its high school students through the following strategies:

Double blocks of reading and math in 9th grade (and middle school years) for struggling students;
Formative assessments to provide teachers with critical information about their students;
Summer school and after-school opportunities in literacy and math for DPS students; and
The most rigorous graduation requirements in the State of Colorado.

Denver Public Schools serves the residents of the City and County of Denver, Colorado; 57% of the District is Latino, 19% is African American, and 20% is Anglo. Sixty-Seven percent of our children qualify for free and reduced lunch.

LOCATION:

Denver is centrally located and lies in the foothills of the Rocky Mountain region. Whether it's the nearby skiing or hiking, the vibrant cultural and recreation opportunities, the championship sports teams or the world-class airport, amenities of the Denver metro area make it an ideal place to live, work and raise a family.

Located on high plains at the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains, Denver has a sunny, cool, dry climate. The sun shines 300 days a year, and the usually mild climate and nearby Rocky Mountain playground have made tourism one of the Mile High City's economic mainstays. With a lower cost of living compared to most major cities, exemplary health care and world class medical research facilities, massive rapid transit expansion plans, and abundant cultural and recreational opportunities, Denver is one of the nation's best cities.

In 2000, the metro area reached a population of 2.1 million, three-fourths of whom live in the suburban counties-Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson. Roughly 20% of the core city population is Latino, 13 percent African-American, two percent Asian and one percent Native American. The current mayor, John Hickenlooper, enjoys widespread popularity across the city and is currently leading an effort to promote early childhood education for Denver's children and shares the Superintendent's vision for education in Denver. Innovative and strategic partnerships between the education, business, and Denver civic community are also being formed to reach this vision of achievement.

A diverse business economy, top-ranked educational institutions, vibrant cultural and recreational opportunities and championship sports teams are just some of the great characteristics of the Denver metropolitan area. And, at an altitude of 5,280 feet, Denver's proximity to the Rocky Mountains offers visitors an abundance of recreation options. Cultural activities, including numerous museums, gardens, the opera and symphony, are readily available in Denver and other nearby communities such as Boulder, Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley and Arvada. Professional sports teams, including the Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids and the Denver Nuggets, offer activities for the sports enthusiast.

There are eight major universities and colleges located within a 45-mile radius of the community. These include the Universities of Colorado at Boulder and Denver, University of Denver, Metropolitan State College, University of Northern Colorado, Colorado State University, Colorado School of Mines, and Regis University.

Manual High School is located in the historic Whittier Neighborhood. This neighborhood is situated in the heart of Denver - approximately two miles from Downtown Denver. The High School is bordered by Fuller Park, lush athletic fields, and historic Denver homes built by Denver's finest craftsmen. The Whittier area has an active neighborhood association that cares deeply about education and in particular, the future of Manual High School. Their website is: http://whittierneighborhood.org. Manual's view of downtown and the Rocky Mountains is breathtaking.

DISTRICT COMMITMENT TO MANUAL AND ITS NEW LEADER

The District is committed to supporting the new Manual leader and staff in a variety of ways. The future success of Manual is a top priority for the Superintendent and the School Board, and to the greater Denver community.

To that end, the District plans to provide the new school leader with:

Flexibility to hire his/her own staff (as long as they meet federally mandated highly qualified requirements).
Ability to fully develop the new school's design, mission, and academic program with guidance from the community and the District.
Opportunities for teaching staff to opt into ProComp - a groundbreaking compensation system that links teacher pay to the District's instructional mission and provides incentive pay for hard to serve schools and subjects and pays bonuses to teachers who meet academic performance goals.
Access to Teach for America recruits and alumni for placement in the 2007-2008 school year (The District is in the process of finalizing arrangements with Teach for America for its hiring cycle in February 2007 and placement in the 07-08 school year).
Immediate coaching and professional development support (for both the principal and new staff) through the spring and summer of 2007, prior to the re-opening of the school.

SCOPE, RESPONSIBILITIES, and KEY OBJECTIVES:

The Manual High School Principal will administer the curriculum and instructional programs to support the primary mission of educating students. To that end, s/he is responsible for oversight and development of all academic programs and curricula; faculty and staff hiring; professional development, compensation, and all other personnel matters; enrollment, attendance, and discipline. S/He will also be responsible for budgeting, financial management, legal and regulatory compliance, and management of school facilities.

Key objectives for the new Manual leader include:

Hire, develop and retain a world-class faculty and staff;
Establish a school culture focused on high academic achievement;
Implement vibrant, assessment-driven feedback loops that guide the instruction of every student and;
Serve as an inspiring leader who guides each teacher in reaching his/her full potential

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

The Principal will be a distinguished educator with demonstrated experience as a successful teacher and educator in an urban setting, and will possess a strong commitment to academic excellence. In particular, Manual High School is seeking a proven instructional leader and inspiring communicator with strong administrative and/or business management, organizational and strategic planning experience. The candidate would also preferably have a proven track record recruiting students and families and garnering additional resources for the school. The successful candidate will hold a bachelor's degree or higher from a four year accredited institution of higher education.

REQUIRED ABILITIES:

The Principal will believe, and act upon the belief, that all students can reach high levels of academic achievement. The Principal must be:

Focused on the vision and mission of the school, the Principal will communicate the school's vision to the community and will build constructive relationships of trust with the students, staff, parents, teachers and community leaders. An inspiring leader and communicator, the Principal must possess the confidence and ability to create an intentional school culture that is focused on high expectations for all students and high achievement, as well as the capacity to inspire teachers, parents and students, and the broader community to embrace that vision and culture of success.
Passionately committed to the success of students and to their education at every level. The Principal's focus on students, and confidence in their ability to learn, will be apparent in every aspect of his/her leadership style. The Principal must be open to innovative ideas, also while actively seeking proven strategies to improve student achievement.
A collaborative instructional leader and a proven team builder with strong leadership skills, the Principal will assist in the recruitment of a superior and diverse faculty and staff, and manage their performance and growth by assessing, coaching and developing their potential.
S/He will be positive, projecting energy and enthusiasm. S/He will value parents' input and will be comfortable working with them and utilizing their talents and energies as resources. S/He must genuinely value cultural, racial and economic diversity. Fluency in Spanish would be an asset.
A strong, organized and independent manager, the Principal will be a critical thinker, relentless achiever, and an independent-minded self-starter who thrives in a setting that rewards autonomy, team work, and accountability. S/He will lead by example and a hands-on approach. The Principal will establish high performance standards; hold people accountable and focus on goals and priorities; identify and remove barriers to objectives; show a willingness to strategically take tough, principled stands even when unpopular; ensure that adequate resources are available to achieve objectives; and make decisions that benefit the school's mission and continuing financial viability.
Persevering and personally effective, the Principal is a constant learner who builds a strong school team with unique skills and talents that are focused on the success of the students in the school. This leader also takes personal initiative to achieve the school's goals, and set a high standard for work ethics and personal effectiveness.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

Certain personal characteristics are essential for success for the new Principal of Manual High School. The expectation is that the successful candidate will:

Possess personal integrity and a strong moral and ethical character
Be a goal-setter who goes "above and beyond" what is expected
Be a life-long learner who is committed to the success of the students in the school
Be approachable, accessible and highly visible
Be a good listener
Be culturally competent
Be a positive, passionate and enthusiastic consensus-builder
Work productively and remain focused on the vision, mission, and strategy of Manual High School

TIMEFRAME:

The District expects to hire a school leader by January 2007 which is in the district's budget and human resources cycle. This timeline gives the principal the time to thoughtfully develop the academic program, create a budget, and select its faculty within the first round of competitive hiring. Further, it provides sufficient time for critical professional development and development of a cohesive, focused staff culture in preparation for the re-opening. Should a successful candidate not be able to begin full time in January, the District will work with the candidate to arrange part-time consulting advice until full-time employment can be granted in June 2007.

COMPENSATION:

This is an extraordinary opportunity for an exemplary educator and school leader. A highly competitive compensation package commensurate with qualifications and experience is available.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Qualified candidates interested in this opportunity are invited to submit their resume and a cover letter (preferably by email) to:

Dano Rivas
Associate
DHR International
One Tabor Center
1200 17th Street, Ste. 2175
Denver, CO 80202
303-629-0730 Ext 410
303-629-0724 Fax
drivas@dhrinternational.com