School Principal

Overview

Qualifications
School Principal
School Year

Livingston Classical Academy offers a content‑rich, classical curriculum grounded in the Western intellectual tradition and our nation's founding principles. The Academy prepares students to become free and responsible citizens, prepared to pursue lives of virtue, happiness, and excellence. We believe teachers are the heart of the school, and we surround them with a robust support system to ensure every student flourishes academically, morally, and socially.

Our classical culture upholds high academic achievement, personal discipline, moral character, civic virtue, and individual responsibility.

The Principal of Livingston Classical Academy will provide visionary, mission‑driven leadership, serving as steward and chief advocate of our classical liberal arts vision. The Principal will cultivate an environment that nurtures wisdom, virtue, and intellectual excellence, modeling the life of the mind and the habits of moral character expected of our students and staff, while fostering a faculty culture grounded in scholarly inquiry, collegial dialogue, and shared responsibility.

This role requires someone who understands that a classical school exists to transmit knowledge, form character, and cultivate self‑government through the disciplined exercise of reason, rhetoric, and reflection.

Instruction & Student Achievement

• Lead high‑quality instruction and ensure alignment with the K-12 Curriculum from the Hillsdale College K-12 Education Office and Michigan Academic Standards.
• Use assessment data to thoughtfully guide instructional decisions, support student learning, and shape professional growth.
• Champion a culture that forms students in both intellectual and moral virtue.

School Culture & Community

• Build and sustain a community centered on studiousness, virtue, civic responsibility, and disciplined inquiry.
• Engage authentically with students, families, and staff through open communication and visible leadership, recognizing parents as essential partners in the education of their children.
• Uphold a positive and orderly learning environment grounded in shared classical principles, clear expectations, and just, consistent discipline.

Staff Leadership & Development

• Recruit, mentor, and evaluate teachers and staff who are committed to classical education and moral formation, and who model intellectual humility and a love of learning.
• Provide meaningful professional development that deepens understanding of classical philosophy and pedagogy.
• Promote teamwork and a collective sense of responsibility for student success.

Operations & Compliance

• Oversee daily school operations, including enrollment, finance, facilities, compliance, and school improvement planning.
• Ensure compliance with authorizer, state, and federal requirements and maintain operational integrity, while safeguarding the school's classical identity.

Student Recruitment & Community Relations

• Lead strategies to attract and retain students who will thrive in a classical environment.
• Represent the school in local community partnerships, civic organizations, and educational initiatives.

Essential Skills and Competencies

While we will consider a broad range of backgrounds, the ideal candidate will have the following qualifications/experience:

Minimum Requirements

• Current Michigan School Administrator Certification or enrollment in an MDE-approved School Leader Preparation Program within six months that leads to School Administrator Certification within three years after the start of employment, per the certification and continuing education requirements as described in MCL 380.1246.
• Leadership experience in an educational setting.

Desired Qualifications

• Five years of highly effective teaching with positive evaluations.
• Previous leadership experience and knowledge of educational administration in a charter school.
• Demonstrated understanding of classical pedagogy, including its philosophical foundations and instructional practices.
• Experience and formal training in a classical education environment.
• Proficiency in local, state, and federal educational laws, regulations,…