Overview

Title: Principal (Kindergarten through 5th Grade)

Staff Supervisor: Senior Pastor

Position Summary: The Principal will carry out the Great Commission of Christ Jesus and promote the mission of “Connecting People to Jesus” by ministering the Gospel to students and their families through providing an excellent Christian education that is from, in, and for the glory of God in Christ Jesus and that develops the whole person in mind, body, and spirit.  The Principal will:

  1. Provide a Christ-centered, Classical, and distinctly Lutheran education that promotes and carries out the mission of St. Mark Lutheran Church.  “Connecting People to Jesus.”
  2. Coordinate, direct, supervise, and evaluate the school’s academic and operational performance to ensure that students, families, teachers, and support staff create and support a learning environment that fosters God-honoring spiritual, academic, social, emotional, and physical growth.
  3. Manage activities and conduct for the school to ensure that students, families, and staff act in harmony with God’s Word and in accordance with the policies of St. Mark and the laws of the state.
  4. Reach out with the love of Christ to our community.

The Principal will work as a “teaching principal” until, through the Principal’s leadership efforts, enrollment growth and finances support sufficient teachers being hired to fill our classrooms.  It is estimated that the principal would need to teach half days while also ensuring, along with the help of the Senior Pastor, that all administrative needs are met.

Oversight & Accountability: Utilizing a policy-based governance model, the Parish Leadership Council (PLC) entrusts overall leadership of St. Mark’s ministries to the Senior Pastor.  He, in turn, implements the ministries through the staff of which the Principal is a member.  The Principal of St. Mark Lutheran School works and functions as an extension of the Pastoral office and is therefore accountable to the leadership of the Senior Pastor for implementing the policies of St. Mark Lutheran Church and School in their oversight, supervision, and leadership of the teachers, student teachers, aides, volunteers, students, and all School staff.

Essential Responsibilities: The Principal’s responsibilities shall include, but are not limited to:

  1. Provide Spiritual Leadership for the School: With the Senior Pastor, the Principal will build strong relationships with children, families, and staff members to help them grow in their relationship with Jesus. The Principal will guide staff in their role as spiritual leaders to the students and families in their classrooms. The Principal will provide opportunities to help the staff grow spiritually.
  2. Serve as the Educational Leader of the School: The Principal, in cooperation with the Senior Pastor, will lead the staff in developing a strong pedagogy for a Classical Christian and distinctly Lutheran education at St. Mark Lutheran School.  Regular staff meetings will be held to ensure knowledge of upcoming events, information, and professional training and growth. Until teacher staffing needs are met, the Principal will have active teaching responsibilities in the classroom.
  3. Serve as the Director of Curriculum: The Principal will assist the teachers in developing curriculum that keeps Christ at the center as both the Author and Teacher of all truth and knowledge through His Holy Word, maintains a high level of academic excellence within the Classical Christian education model, and meets or exceeds the Content Area Standards as set forth by the Nebraska State Board of Education.  The Principal will aid teachers in selecting and integrating textbooks and activities that align with the Classical Christian curriculum and goals. This includes but is not limited to:
    1. Oversight of the curriculum replacement cycle.
    2. Manage curriculum review teams.
    3. Integration of technology within the curriculum following school policy.
  4. Serve as Supervisor of Staff Development: The Principal will assist teachers through the enhancement of teaching skills and techniques with periodic classroom formal observations and informal observations.  The Principal will implement staff development that encourages growth in teaching abilities, classroom management, spiritual growth, and other professional developments.
  5. Provide Oversight in Educational Resources and Technology: The Principal will provide plans for the development and use of educational resources for students, teachers, and parents, including avenues for the effective use of technology in teaching, learning, and communicating.
  6. Coordinate the Marketing and Admissions Strategies for St. Mark Lutheran School: In conjunction with the Senior Pastor and the St. Mark Lutheran Church marketing staff, the Principal will develop marketing strategies for student recruitment and resource development, including social media.
  7. Manage the School Budget: With the Senior Pastor and under his supervision as the Director of Ministries, the Principal will develop an annual budget for St. Mark Lutheran School. The Principal will manage the school budget in concert with the entire ministry of St. Mark Lutheran Church, with the goal of creating a balanced budget that is fiscally sound and sufficient in meeting the school’s goals.
  8. Create Development Opportunities: The Principal will work to develop relationships and programs that promote the school and secure the necessary financial and volunteer support.  This includes working with the Director of the Preschool and Childcare to create and maintain healthy matriculation into the elementary school.
  9. Reporting: The Principal will report regularly to the Senior Pastor, and PLC as necessary, regarding the state of the school.  The Principal will keep the Senior Pastor informed of any changes that happen that would aid the Senior Pastor in his responsibilities of overseeing all ministries of St. Mark Lutheran Church.
  10. Implement Policies: The Principal will help implement Church policies relative to the school and recommend updates to school policies.
  11. Manage Staffing Needs: The Principal will identify and recommend qualified candidates, both synodically trained and non-synodically trained, with a willingness to be trained (CueNet), to the Senior Pastor for educational and operational positions needed in the school.
  12. Develop and Maintain Community Relationships: The Principal will establish and maintain favorable relations with the Nebraska District Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, other Lutheran schools, and local school and community leaders.
  13. Long Range Planning: The Principal, along with the Senior Pastor, will analyze programs, activities, and functions to identify and resolve disparities between school goals and current performance. This includes but is not limited to:
    1. Schedule of events
    2. Facility usage
    3. Educational goals
    4. Spiritual growth and development
    5. Missional goals
  14. Teacher/Student Disciplinary Situations: Working with the Senior Pastor, the Principal will develop a comprehensive disciplinary policy and assist the teachers in resolving disciplinary issues.  The Principal will work with staff to implement a consistent disciplinary program that is based upon a Law & Gospel approach..
  15. Other Duties: The Principal will perform special assignments as requested by St. Mark’s Senior Pastor.

Qualifications

  1. Faith and Spirituality
    1. Is a member of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod in good standing.
    2. Spiritually mature Christian who has a history of an active worship life within the church and outside of church/school functions and requirements.
    3. Evidences a lifestyle that reflects a dynamic relationship with Christ.
    4. Demonstrates a thorough understanding of Lutheran doctrine.
  2. Educational Preparation
    1. Professionally trained educator, having earned no less than a BA in Early Childhood Development, Elementary Education, or equivalent; preferably with a Master’s Degree.
    2. Has, or is willing to achieve, and will maintain Administrative Certification.
    3. Certification by the LCMS and appropriate government agencies.
    4. Minimum five years’ experience in LCMS schools.
    5. LCMS qualification by Lutheran Teacher Diploma or Colloquy:
      1. Of first preference: has this qualification.
      2. Of second preference: is working toward or will complete in a reasonable time frame, as directed by the Senior Pastor, the LCMS teacher colloquy (CueNet).

Terms of Employment: Either a regularly called and commissioned church worker of the LCMS, or a contracted employee with an initial one-year contract as a full-time, salaried, and exempt employee as per the policies detailed in the St. Mark Lutheran Church Personnel Manual.

Evaluation: Performance of this job will be evaluated as per procedures outlined in the Personnel Manual of St. Mark Lutheran Church.

ST. MARK LUTHERAN SCHOOL IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

About St. Mark Lutheran School

CURRICULUM & PRACTICE
“All of the decisions on curriculum, textbooks, field trips, and pedagogical approaches are made aspiring to deliver a God-honoring education in Christ.” – Jesse Ristvedt (Kindergarten Teacher)

St. Mark Lutheran School is a traditional school that teaches all fundamental subjects of education (grammar, math, science, social studies, etc.) while also including art and music as primary subjects that all students will participate in regularly. All subjects taught at St. Mark support the daily study of the Holy Scriptures along with age-appropriate catechetical instruction in the Lutheran tradition. We teach using a pedagogy and curriculum inspired by the Classical Christian educational system.

St. Mark values and uses methods of the traditional classroom learning approach as the foundation of our education. Our classrooms are teacher-led. This means the teacher decides the shape and pace of learning for the class while also utilizing elements of student-led educational models such as structured group learning and collaborative projects when appropriate and helpful.

The utilization of technology in our classrooms and curriculum is necessary to prepare our students for the future. We live in an age of technology and our students must learn to utilize it in a healthy and God-honoring way. At the same time, the risks and harm that can come with the overuse or abuse of technology are also well documented and established. Technology does not always make teaching or learning easier or better. At St. Mark, children are taught to read from and enjoy a book, write well on paper, and how to make appropriate eye-contact in verbal and articulate conversation before they are taught to type, scroll, or swipe.

In summary, all of the decisions on curriculum, textbooks, field trips, and pedagogical approaches are made aspiring to deliver a God-honoring education in Christ, inspired by the words of St. Peter when he wrote to the church and said, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:3-8).

PHILOSOPHY
“We ensure that all subjects of study and all activities at St. Mark Lutheran School teach Jesus Christ, for ‘Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.’” (1 Corinthians 1:24). – Rev. Eric Jay | Senior Pastor

At St. Mark Lutheran School, we believe, teach, and confess that God, as the creator of all things, is the source of all knowledge and wisdom. Without God there would not only be no thing, but no knowledge to be known, learned, or understood. God created man and woman in His image, blessed them, and gave them dominion over His creation so that we would grow in our knowledge of His love, goodness, and beauty.

“For his [God’s] invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.”
(Romans 1:19-20).

We did not create ourselves, nor did knowledge create itself. Both the human mind that teaches and acquires knowledge and the knowledge itself are from God. Therefore, a knowledge of God is the nature and goal of any education that aspires after truth.

We believe, teach, and confess that the fall of mankind into sin (Genesis 3:7), and the sinful nature we all have from birth (Psalm 51:5), has not only corrupted our hearts and minds but also the nature of God’s perfect creation (Romans 8:22). Because of this, we are not able to know God (Romans 3:11-12) or acquire true knowledge and understanding without God’s direct intercession and merciful help.

We believe, teach, and confess that Jesus Christ is the Savior of humanity from sin and death, and that only through faith in Him as the resurrected Lord can we acquire the knowledge of truth and eternal worth that our hearts and minds desire. “He [Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:15-20).

Whereas all things were created through Christ and for Christ and God’s plan of salvation for all of creation is to “unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” (Ephesians 1:10), we ensure that all subjects of study and all activities at St. Mark Lutheran School teach Jesus Christ, for “Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:24).

PURPOSE
“Education is not a subject and does not deal in subjects. It is instead a transfer of a way of life.” – G.K. Chesterton

The purpose of St. Mark Lutheran School is to serve Jesus Christ by providing the highest level of excellence in Christian education to ensure our students grow in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and that He would reveal His love and salvation for the world through the excellence of their lives lived in the faith, knowledge, and virtue of Christ.

We strive for excellence in all that we do because we believe that all of life should be lived in service to our most excellent Lord and God, Jesus.

Our Christian convictions necessitate that the purpose of education transcend the mere acquisition of knowledge and ascend to the goal of revealing God in Christ through the knowledge He has made available to us. This means that our academic standards for education are guided not only by “state standards” established by the Nebraska Department of Education but are ultimately created and judged by the highest and eternal standards of Christian virtue, morality, wisdom, goodness, and beauty according to God’s Word.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9)