Elementary School Principal
American Overseas School of Rome (Italy)

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL SEARCH

Position to begin July 1, 2025)

Mission

AOSR offers the best of an American-International education in a supportive learning environment. We inspire our diverse student body to courageously meet the demands of a changing world.

AOSR at-a-glance

Established in 1947, AOSR has a distinguished history of offering a holistic and rigorous academic program to international families in Rome.  We consider ourselves the second home to a multicultural student body of over 600 students with approximately one third from the United States, one third from Italy, and the remaining third from 45 different countries. The campus is located in the north of the Rome municipality, with convenient access to both the city center and the surrounding, rural countryside. The American Overseas School of Rome is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and was the first international school to be awarded MSA's prestigious International Credential.

Leadership Purpose:

The Elementary School Principal leads and manages all aspects of the elementary school to optimize teaching and learning from Pre-K3 through Grade 5.  The leader provides an environment which is conducive to learning, growth, and wellness for all members of the elementary community. 

Elementary Principal Responsibilities:

Visionary Leadership

• Leads to achieve the school’s Mission Statement, Beliefs, and Profile of the Graduate
• Collaboratively develops a cohesive, future-ready, school-wide instructional program
• Clearly articulates a vision and road map to faculty to create an inquiry-driven curriculum
• Interprets student learning data to inform instructional decisions
• Recognises and values students as unique individuals, and facilitates divergent learning
• Provides an inspiring and engaging environment in which learning can take place

Interpersonal Leadership

• Knows and understands the needs of faculty, makes personnel recommendations to the Head of School that maximize the potential of faculty
• Understands the physical, social, and emotional learning needs of the members of the elementary community, and executes plans for meeting these needs
• Leads and creates parent education programs to ensure understanding and support of the AOSR approach to teaching and learning
• Keeps a proactive, open-door approach to communication to support student learning

Student-centered Leadership

• Manages the day-to-day operation of the elementary school with a sharp focus on student well-being and success
• Establishes guidelines for student conduct that align with AOSR Belief statements
• Plans and promotes school events to celebrate student learning and promote a sense of community
• Supports student agency, student leadership and student voice in school community initiatives

Qualifications and desired qualities:

• Master’s Degree (administration, educational leadership or related field)
• Relevant administrative credential
• Three to five years as a principal or assistant principal
• Classroom experience that demonstrates first-hand understanding of excellent instructional practice
• Experience and confidence in making and communicating student-centered decisions
• Demonstrated passion for researching and leading innovative approaches to learning
• Experience in recruiting, coaching and mentoring teachers
• Well-versed in curriculum development and Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
• Strong organizational, budgeting and thoughtful resource allocation abilities
• Intercultural awareness and empathy for all learners
• Sense of humor, self-confidence and humility
• Reflective, collaborative and resilient approach to leadership

Compensation

Salary and benefits are competitive within western Europe, and will be shared with the shortlisted candidates.

How to Apply:

Applicants should send a cover letter, CV, one-page statement of educational leadership philosophy, and the names and contact information for at least four references who have served as direct supervisors in one PDF document to: esprincipalsearch@aosr.org no later than October 10, 2024.

Short listed candidates will be contacted for virtual interviews during the month of October. For final candidates, comprehensive virtual interviews with members of the community will be held in late October/early November.