Founding Middle School Principal - Career Academy

Location: La Joya

Job Title:

Founding Middle School Principal - Career Academy Wage/Hour Status:
Exempt

Reports to:

Network Executive Director Pay Grade:
Principal Excellence Initiative

Dept./School:
Academics and School Leadership 2026 Initiated Date:
March 2026

WHO WE ARE

La Joya Independent School District (ISD) is committed to excellence for students and our community. We have a strong, 100-year legacy in the Rio Grande Valley. The district's vision - Educational Excellence:
The Right of Every Student - conveys our urgent focus on students.

Our work is rooted in five district priorities, which require collaboration and deep commitment to supporting one another as we serve the community.

* Customer Service

* Trust & Transparency

* High-Quality Instruction

* Excellence in Leadership

* Integrity & Accountability

We are focused on ensuring every student in La Joya ISD has access to a high-quality, best-fit school as we work to improve from a B-district to an A-rated district. We serve more than 22,000 students in more than 30 schools and span six municipalities, covering more than 220 square miles.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Founding Principal will open and lead a new middle school campus designed to integrate strong academic instruction with Career and Technical Education (CTE) career exploration and workforce awareness. This leader will design systems, structures, programming, and culture from the ground up. The campus will prepare students for high school pathways, endorsements, and future workforce opportunities while maintaining rigorous Tier 1 academic instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, and science.

The Founding Principal must be a systems-builder, instructional leader, and community connector capable of launching a school, hiring staff, developing programming, and building partnerships with industry and postsecondary institutions.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are seeking a transformational leader capable of creating a model middle school where students complete 8th grade with strong academic readiness, career awareness, an understanding of postsecondary pathways, and a positive, engaging school culture. The ideal candidate demonstrates proven results in improving student achievement, experience coaching adults and developing leadership teams, and the ability to build a campus culture from the ground up.

This leader must possess strong change management and school launch planning skills, understand college, career, and military readiness expectations, and effectively align middle school learning experiences with high school pathways.

WHY LA JOYA ISD

You will be joining a district that is building on a legacy of achievement while rapidly improving and creating systems to reach new heights for student outcomes. You will receive intentional, targeted support in your leadership journey and have access to the highest-quality, research-based resources and instructional materials. We are also a district focused on continuous improvement and rigorous analysis of where we need to grow and learn.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Certification:

* Master's degree required; preferred in Education, Educational Leadership or related field

* Valid or eligible to receive Texas Principal Certification or MId-Management Certification

* Currently or eligible to become T-TESS certified

Experience:

* Minimum of three year's teaching experience

* Minimum of one year's experience as an Assistant Principal

* Minimum of three year's experience as a Principal preferred

* Experience implementing CTE, college readiness, STEM, or pathway programs preferred

* Experience launching a program, academy, or initiative strongly preferred

Special Knowledge and Skills

* Proven success in leading a school or district community toward continuous improvement in academic goals with a relentless pursuit of academic excellence for all students

* Deep knowledge of curriculum and instruction as well as evidence-based practices in multiple content areas, in middle school preferred

* Understanding and experience with middle school coursework and preparation for the high-school environment

* Demonstrated ability to design and launch new initiatives, think creatively, and problem-solve in complex environments.

* Demonstrated leadership on district-wide committees and/or district-wide activities

* Understanding of high school endorsements and career pathways

* Ability to build master schedules including intervention and exploratory courses

* Proven experience to use and interpret data to inform decision-making processes that allow for intentional actions and lead to improved student/campus achievement

* Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral)

* Leadership, management, and organizational skills

* Experience with diverse populations

* Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

Founding Campus Leadership )

During the  planning year, the Founding Principal will collaborate with community stakeholders and district leaders to create an innovative Career and Technical…