Virtual School Principal Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Georgia Connections Academy is a tuition-free, full-time virtual school for students in grades K-12 throughout Georgia.  The school is authorized by the Georgia Charter Schools Commission and governed by an independent Board of Directors, with a mission to maximize academic achievement for students who are seeking other academic options.  The school is operated by Georgia Connections Academy, a nonprofit corporation, through a contract with Connections Academy of Georgia, LLC, to provide its educational program and other services. Connections Academy, a division of Connections Education, is accredited by AdvancED, and GACA is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement.

Georgia Connections Academy strives to create an inclusive environment that welcomes and values the diversity of the people we serve. We foster fairness, equity, and inclusion to create a workplace environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.

The Elementary School Principal serves as the primary instructional leader for the elementary program at Georgia Connections Academy, a statewide virtual public charter school. The Principal is responsible for driving academic outcomes, cultivating a positive and inclusive school culture, and developing educators to continuously improve instruction and student achievement.

This role requires a leader who can effectively balance instructional leadership, staff development, operational oversight, and family engagement in a virtual learning environment. The Principal works collaboratively with central office leaders, instructional teams, and families to ensure high-quality teaching, learning, and student support while maintaining compliance with all state and federal requirements.

Georgia Connections Academy is a statewide, tuition-free public virtual charter school serving thousands of students and families across Georgia. Our mission is to ensure that every student—regardless of location, background, or circumstance—has access to a high-quality, engaging, and personalized education.

At GACA, leaders have the opportunity to make a statewide impact by shaping instructional systems that serve students across all 159 counties. We combine innovation and flexibility with strong accountability, public transparency, and a deep commitment to academic growth and equity.

This role offers the opportunity to:

• Lead instruction at scale while remaining focused on individual student outcomes
• Influence schoolwide and districtwide instructional practices
• Work alongside a collaborative, mission-driven leadership team
• Partner with families as true co-educators in a virtual learning environment
• Help shape the future of public virtual education in Georgia

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide strong instructional leadership through alignment, coordination, and delivery of elementary instructional programs to ensure academic excellence and continuous improvement.
• Analyze qualitative and quantitative data to inform instructional decisions, interventions, and accountability.
• Oversee the implementation of curriculum, assessments, MTSS, intervention, and enrichment programs with fidelity.
• Lead the collaborative development, implementation, and monitoring of school improvement plans aligned to district goals and accountability measures.
• Support instructional coherence across grade levels to improve student outcomes.
• Be able to oversee the implementation of the teaching and learning cycle through asynchronous and synchronous instruction.

• Select, induct, support, evaluate, and retain high-quality instructional and support personnel.
• Supervise and evaluate instructional leaders, teachers, and support staff with clear expectations and actionable feedback.
• Plan and facilitate professional development aligned to instructional priorities, program evaluations, and student performance data.
• Foster a collaborative, respectful, and high-performing professional culture focused on continuous improvement.

• Establish and maintain a safe, positive, and inclusive learning environment that supports academic and social-emotional growth.
• Maintain effective discipline practices appropriate to a virtual learning environment.
• Promote equity, access, and belonging for a diverse statewide student population.

• Direct and manage assigned resources in compliance with school policies and legal requirements.
• Partner with operations and central office leaders to support enrollment, attendance, accountability, assessment administration, and staffing.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local education requirements, including those specific to virtual education.
• Identify, analyze, and resolve instructional or operational challenges using effective problem-solving strategies.

• Promote effective communication and strong relationships with students, families, staff, and community stakeholders.
• Partner with families as co-educators in a virtual learning environment to support student success.
• Collaborate with internal teams and community partners to secure resources that enhance learning opportunities.

• Model professional, ethical, and moral leadership with integrity in all interactions.
• Work collegially with other administrators and school leaders to advance the mission and goals of Georgia Connections Academy.
• Participate in ongoing professional learning to enhance leadership capacity and instructional effectiveness.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

• This position is based on-site at Georgia Connections Academy’s school office in Duluth, Georgia.
• The Principal should expect regular in-state travel to support in-person assessments, school events, and statewide operational needs.
• The role also requires occasional out-of-state travel for professional conferences, leadership development, and required training.
• Flexibility in scheduling and travel is essential to meet the demands of a statewide virtual school.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Education Leadership.
• Six (6) years of experience in elementary teaching, administration, or supervision, including at least three (3) years in an administrative role, some of which must be at the elementary school level.
• Valid Georgia Tier II Educational Leadership certification, along with a Georgia clearance certificate, or the ability to obtain the required certification and clearance certificate.
• Demonstrated knowledge of:
• Principles and practices of modern public elementary school education.

Current elementary curriculum, instructional practices, and trends.

Public school organization, administration, and support systems.

• Demonstrated ability to:
• Plan, organize, coordinate, and evaluate comprehensive elementary instructional programs.

Supervise and evaluate instructional and support personnel.

Develop effective working relationships with students, staff, families, and the community.

Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

• Demonstrated evidence of academic growth on state assessments attributable to the candidate’s leadership, as reflected in publicly available state accountability reports (e.g., CCRPI or equivalent state report card measures).

• Experience serving as an elementary school principal or leading a large-scale elementary instructional program with responsibility for staff supervision, student outcomes, and schoolwide accountability.
• Experience in a virtual, blended, or innovative instructional setting.

• This position requires frequent travel throughout the state of Georgia to conduct official school business. Candidates must possess a valid driver's license, maintain a clean driving record, and be comfortable with regular day trips and occasional overnight travel as needed. A reliable personal vehicle is required.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit for extended periods of time. Employee is also required to talk, hear, stand, and walk. The employee may be required to use hands to touch, handle, feel, and/or reach. Employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, or crouch. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.