WHO WE ARE
Intrepid College Prep is a network of free, college preparatory public charter schools located in the Antioch area of Greater Nashville, Tennessee. We educate scholars at two campuses: Opportunity Academy Middle School and Independence Academy High School. Our 5-12 model ensures that scholars have the opportunity to engage in a rigorous, college-preparatory education for eight years prior to their transition to college and the professional opportunities that follow. We are an open-enrollment school, which means that our scholars do not have to take an entrance test or pay tuition to enroll.
Our Mission:
Intrepid College Prep is committed to ensuring our scholars, educators, and families have the opportunity to unlock an unlimited future. By providing rigorous academic instruction and creating powerful relationships amongst our community’s members, we ignite passion, seek knowledge, and inspire the bravery needed to have a profound impact in our world.
Our core values are Ignite Passion, Seek Knowledge, and Inspire Bravery. While we ground our instruction in these values, we also strive to live them out as adults in our interactions with one another. We believe that professional development and intentional coaching can allow any person to develop the skills necessary to be an effective team member, but we know that rests upon the bedrock of these essential values.
WHO YOU ARE
Our Core Value: Ignite Passion
What does this core value mean to Intrepid?
You are DISCIPLINED.
You hold yourself to a high standard and you take pride in your ability to take initiative. You have strong personal organization skills and are intentional about how you use your time.
You are MISSION ALIGNED.
You believe in helping to unlock the unlimited potential in all students through a college preparatory education. You believe that each and every student, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, gender identity, religion, or immigration status is deserving of an excellent education and capable of achieving it.
Our Core Value: Seek Knowledge
What does this core value mean to Intrepid?
You are HUNGRY FOR FEEDBACK.
You want to grow as a person and a professional. You want to learn from your peers and your coaches, even when it challenges you to put aside your ego.
You are NERDY.
You have a deep love for your area of expertise and a genuine excitement to share it with others.
Our Core Value: Inspire Bravery
What does this core value mean to Intrepid?
You are DRIVEN BY EQUITY.
You are committed to being actively anti-racist in your interactions with fellow staff, students and families. You believe that education is inherently social justice work that requires us to begin with ourselves and our own biases.
You are INTROSPECTIVE.
You are committed to personal development and prioritize your own wellness. You are reflective about your impact on others and feel comfortable acknowledging your own mistakes and quirks.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
A Principal at Intrepid is a “business-unit” leader that sets the strategic direction of the school in alignment with the senior leadership team (the RISE Team). A Principal manages and develops the school-based leadership team to execute on that vision. Ultimately, the Principal, through the School-Based Leadership Team (SBLT), creates the conditions for a strong adult and student culture that results in exceptional outcomes for our school community.
Duties and Responsibilities
School Management
-Model and reinforce the school’s mission, vision, values, and beliefs (“thermostat” of the school).
-Ensure all leaders and staff operate under a cohesive vision, aligning day-to-day practices with the school’s broader goals.
-Manage the school’s budget to align with strategic priorities and operational needs.
-Oversee school-wide compliance with all regulatory requirements and crisis management protocols.
-Oversee instructional quality and make key instructional decisions aligned with the campus vision.
-Address the highest-stakes student behavioral or safety concerns, guiding the SBLT, teachers, and staff through next steps.
-Ensure there is a school-wide family communication practice, managing teachers and staff to meet those expectations.
-Make strategic hiring and termination decisions to build a strong, mission-aligned team.
-Steward the internal communication plan for the school, ensuring consistency and clarity of messages.
Leadership Development.
-Provide coaching and mentorship to the entire leadership team, creating pathways for leadership growth.
-Conduct regular one-on-ones with Assistant Principals or other key leaders, focusing on the ICP leadership competencies and OKRs.
-Collaborate with other senior leaders to create and implement a professional learning scope + sequence for the SBLT.
-Provide final approval or guidance on all major decisions, considering input/expertise from senior leader peers.
-Guide leaders through complex challenges (e.g., staff performance, student behavior, conflict resolution, cross-collaboration) while encouraging autonomy and initiative.
-Facilitate and encourage cross-collaboration between SBLTs and other leader teams (Network Team, other campus SBLTs)
Organizational Leadership
-Collaborate with other senior leaders to develop and refine the network’s strategic plan, ensuring school-level initiatives reflect and advance overarching organizational objectives.
-Present campus trends and insights during RISE meetings, contributing to continuous improvement across all schools in the network.
-Forecast long-term campus resource needs in alignment with the network’s broader financial outlook and growth plans.
-Build harmony among senior-level leadership and the broader school-based leadership team.
-Seek input from peers and senior leaders before implementing major changes, initiatives, or policies.
-Serve as a key thought partner with other Principals and senior leaders, shaping system-wide policies, programs, and best practices.
Essential Leadership Competencies
Complex Problem-Solving
-Models thoughtful, objective decision-making, both reactive and proactive, while taking many perspectives into account
-Weighs pros/cons of multiple options, considers multiple perspectives, and uses third way thinking to solve complex problems.
-Uses regular data analysis to proactively implement solutions before gaps/problems arise
-Has ambidextrous skill in patching up crises or problems when they arise to mitigate damage then looping back to ensure there is an actual preventative solution in place
Driving Outcomes
-Achieves notable results by adapting inputs, analyzing outputs, and making outcomes supremeMaps out large, org-wide projects far in advance and manages team to submit work products in advance with rounds of feedback
-Consistently facilitates meetings and communication with an objective in mind aligned to desired outcomes
-Analyzes data and other evidence towards goals with team, celebrating success and making adjustments/course-correcting in the moment, as needed
Coaching Others
-Creates and sustains an environment in which people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives can succeed
-Consistently demonstrates respect and appreciation for others by empathizing, valuing their time and contributions, being available and responsive to their needs
-Clearly creates and communicates expectations to others - expectations are consistently implemented and met
-Provide timely formal and informal feedback appropriate for the situation and person
-Helps coachee unpack fuzzy or emotionally-laden thinking
-Asks open-ended and solution oriented questions to unpack the root cause
Qualifications
Experience: Prior experience in Principal roles; Exceptional performance as an Assistant Principal (or equivalent), demonstrating strong management of adults and a clear, strategic vision for student and adult culture.
Leadership Skills: Proven ability to lead school-wide initiatives, build effective teams, and maintain high standards for academic and cultural excellence.