Job Description
Job DescriptionSalary:
Anchor House Community School - Principal
JOB DESCRIPTION
Anchor House Christian School is designed to serve students with unique learning needs and significant social-emotional and behavioral challenges, many of whom have experienced chronic trauma or instability. Our students often carry diagnoses or educational classifications such as Emotional Disturbance (ED), ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, trauma-related disorders (including PTSD), anxiety and depressive disorders, autism spectrum disorder, and specific learning disabilities.
Our team is trained in trauma-informed care and Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), with an emphasis on regulation, connection, and felt safety as the foundation for academic engagement. We provide a highly flexible learning environment that addresses the whole studentphysiological, sensory, social, emotional, behavioral, and spiritual needswhile still maintaining academic expectations and structure.
The program is built for students who have struggled in traditional school settings due to dysregulation, behavior escalation, or unmet emotional needs. We integrate ESE support, individualized accommodations, and proactive behavioral strategies rather than punitive discipline models. The goal is stabilization, skill-building, and long-term success in learning and relationships.
Position Description
- Oversee all school operations to ensure excellence and compliance
in all areas. - Oversee the planning and execution of the schools budget and financials.
- Work closely with the Executive Director and the board of directors to establish and implement the mission of the school.
Start Date: July 2026
School Open Date: Fall 2027
Status: Exempt, Full-Time
Supervisor: Executive Director
Full-Time Benefits:
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- 403(b) with gift and matching options
- Vacation, sick, personal, and holiday pay.
- Accident Insurance incentive
Compensation: Minimum Salary $70,000
Hours: Monday Friday / 40-hour work week
Minimum Qualifications:
- Masters degree or higher in the field of education
- Minimum 4 years of experience working with children in educational environments; minimum 3 years of experience working with individuals with trauma or exceptional needs
- Minimum 3 years of experience in leadership
- Minimum 2 years of experience with organizational planning/budgeting
- Affirmation of Anchor Houses statement of faith.
- Understands the biblical role and models of learning in the Bible.
- Support the mission and vision of Anchor House.
- Must be 21 or older for insurance purposes.
- Must pass and maintain a county of residence check, federal background check, drug screen, civil check, child abuse record check, and sex registry check. (These are subject to change based on Federal and State regulations)
- I should be able to demonstrate intermediate to advanced proficiency in Word processing and spreadsheet functions, preferably Microsoft Word, Excel, and Publisher, as well as general email and attachment functions.
Duties Before Opening:
Work closely with the administrative team at Anchor House to:
- Complete the legal and operational requirements for opening a school
- Develop operational procedures
- Develop curriculum and establish standards
- Set up the facility in a way that meets the faculty and students needs
- Establish the school with a foundation of trauma-informed care
- Engage with the community and marketing to promote enrollment
- Hire key positions for school operations
- Complete any other tasks necessary for the opening of the school in Fall 2027
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Develop and execute a comprehensive curriculum system that fosters success for each child's unique abilities, as per the academic goals of the school
- Support faculty with resources and encouragement to help meet instructional goals
- Provide teachers with additional support for students who are struggling academically or behaviorally
- Evaluate classroom instruction and provide feedback when needed to ensure academic and instructional goals are being satisfied
- Responsible for interviewing and selecting faculty and staff to maintain the necessary workforce to serve SCAs student body
- Conduct new teacher orientation
- Conduct annual faculty evaluations
- Provide opportunities for professional development via conferences and continuing education courses
- Coordinate parent nights and schoolwide events
- Help determine the academic calendar for each year
- Help determine the school budget for each year
- Ensure attendance tracking and grade reporting requirements are met
- Organize, develop, and revise all schedules and class assignments based on student registration
- Ensure a biblical model of discipline that seeks reconciliation and Christlike behavior
- Ensure school rules are adhered to
- Conduct parent and student conferences as needed
- Take time to meet with new families to help ensure a positive relationship with the school and teacher
- Identify and celebrate excellence among faculty, staff, and students
- Provide communications to faculty, staff, and the Board of Directors as necessary
- Ensure annual compliance and safety requirements are met for the faculty and facility
- Ensure a quality learning environment
- Other administrative duties as needed.
- Make quality improvement a part of your daily focus.
- Work with team members of all backgrounds and make creating a culture of respect and inclusivity a priority.
- Provide services in a way that is sensitive to diverse cultures and socioeconomic populations.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Ability to make complex decisions and handle stressful environments.
- Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills
- Excellent listening, observation, reading, verbal, nonverbal, and writing skills.
- Superior time-management and organizational skills.
- Ability to solve practical problems and implement procedures.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality of privileged information.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Ability to act with integrity and professionalism
Physical Requirements
- Independently perform (with or without accommodation):
- Possess auditory, olfactory, and visual skills.
- Exhibit manual dexterity and mobility.
- Walk and/or stand for extended periods of time.
- Lift and/or carry up to 25-50 pounds from the floor to waist level or higher at least several times per day, and be able to carry the object for two meters.
- Handle, install, position, and move items such as materials, equipment, and supplies.
- Be able to physically intervene should an altercation commence between residents and de-escalation techniques have failed.
Cognitive Abilities
- Independently perform (with or without accommodation):
- Function in a structured environment within significant time constraints, make rapid decisions in urgent situations, and meet deadlines.
- Demonstrate good judgment and make appropriate professional and procedural judgment decisions under stressful and/or emergency conditions, emergent demands, and distracting environments.
- Demonstrate a willingness to assist with and perform a wide variety of procedures common to the residential care setting, including:
- Access information from books, reference manuals, computers, and paper and electronic medical documents to perform duties and safely and use equipment.
- Prioritize, organize, and utilize time-management skills to perform tasks.
Training Required
Required training through accreditation and the state of Florida
Performance Review Period
90 Day Review
Annual Review
NOTICE:
- Under Title VII, religious organizations are permitted to give employment preference to members of their own religion. The exception applies only to those institutions whose purpose and character are primarily religious.
- Anchor House Ministries has the right to change this job description to meet the needs of our organization.