DEAN OF STUDENTS (K-4)

JOB DESCRIPTION

Who We Are:

The Dayton Early College Academy (DECA) is an award-winning, high performing network of charter schools located in Dayton, Ohio. Serving grades K-12, DECA’s three campuses are singularly focused on helping children from the city of Dayton gain the skills they need to be successful in college and beyond. 

Mission:

We prepare future college graduates today to become the leaders of our community tomorrow.

Core Values:

1. Put students first;
2. Demand success;
3. Invest deeply in relationships;
4. Do what’s right;
5. Prove education changes lives;
6. Find joy.

Our Students and Results:

We serve students in grades K-12 in the Dayton Public School area; academic proficiency is not considered during the admissions process. Admission is first come, first served. 

• 94% of our students are African-American and 72% are economically disadvantaged;
• Over 80% of our students will be first in their family to go to college;
• DECA is committed to providing a rigorous and engaging academic curriculum;
• Our campuses foster an awareness of social justice issues; 
• Strong community partnerships are at the core of our success;
• DECA alumni graduate from college at a rate nearly 5 times the national average for first generation college students and on par with their suburban counterparts.

Successful Applicants:

• Are developing and practicing cultural competence in their teaching, teamwork, and leadership;
• Build relationships with students, families, colleagues, and community;
• Provide, seek, and act on feedback;
• Live our Core Values.

Job Summary:The Dean of Students is responsible for assisting with aspects of running a school with a specific focus on school culture . The Dean of Students supports the principal in the cultivation of a positive school climate, including but not limited to character development, positive behavior intervention systems, response to intervention, extracurricular activities, and restorative practices. The Dean of Students ensures the safety and welfare of both students and staff and fosters a positive learning environment. This position reports to the Campus Principal.

Qualifications:

Education and Experiential Requirements:

1. Master’s Degree;
2. Three years teaching, supporting the development of teachers, and/or developing curriculum, preferably in urban schools; elementary experience preferred; 
3. Previous school leadership experience preferred, including experience working with parents and community groups;
4. Valid principal’s license preferred;
5. Appropriate experience in an educational setting or a field related to the position;
6. Excellent problem-solving skills;
7. Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, Google Docs, and other related software and technology;

Professional and Personal Requirements:

1. Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
2. Strong organizational skills; able to pay careful attention to details;
3. Able to create, monitor, and maintain systems that enhance the efficiency of the organization;
4. Able to establish and maintain effective relationships at all levels of the organization;
5. Able to perform well on a team;
6. Able to prioritize and accomplish highest-leverage activities;
7. Able to improvise and work through uncertainties; strong problem-solving skills;
8. Experience working with confidential information;
9. Effective working in a diverse and rapidly changing teamed environment;
10. Able to follow up on key information and obligations
11. Able to drive for results and manage shifting priorities with very little direction;
12. Able to draw attention to and celebrate schoolwide, classroom, and student success;

Duties:

School Culture Leadership:

• Facilitate the development of a positive, structured school culture for faculty, staff, and students;
• Develop and enhance rituals and traditions that reinforce DECA’s college-going culture;
• Support the development and administration of policies pertaining to student behavior;
• Collaborate with teachers, parents, administration, staff and students to develop proactive measures to support positive student behavior;
• Assist in the development of behavior improvement plans as needed for individual students;
• Communicate regularly with families regarding student behavioral challenges;
• Coordinate with parents, teachers, administration, and community leaders in developing extracurricular programming, integrating with the academic life to encourage student personal growth and development as well as to foster school pride and ownership;
• Establish a student culture where diversity is encouraged and where students learn to respect differences, take responsibility for their actions, and exercise leadership;
• Support the development of intervention and enrichment plans to ensure the academic, social, and emotional needs of all students are addressed;
• Manage school culture and activities that provide student learning and development opportunities including community service and outreach, student activities, specials, athletics, extracurricular activities and recreation, and student leadership;
• Work to help instill a restorative mindset in every facet of DECA PREP life, with a specific focus in discipline systems;
• Periodically transport students complying with traffic ordinances and school transportation policy; 
• Occasionally conduct home visits to meet with families;
• Serve as a role model for students, faculty, and staff in living out the DECA Core Values;
• Work with faculty and staff to fulfill the school’s mission and objectives

Evaluation & Feedback: 

• Assist with the planning and implementation of new teacher orientation
• Encourage the professional growth of support staff via professional development, observations, goal-setting, and evaluations
• Hold school faculty and staff accountable for demanding success from all students behaviorally and academically.

Organizational Leadership:

• Support the recruitment, selection, evaluation, supervision, retention, and dismissal of faculty and staff

• As needed assist the special education department to ensure that students with special needs and students with 504 plans are served appropriately
• Ensure consistency and commitment in implementing the Student Handbook and Student Code of Conduct

School Culture & Student Development:

• Support the development of a positive, structured, fun school culture for faculty, staff, and students
• Collaborate with faculty and staff to foster students’ intellectual, social, and emotional development
• Support the development and enhancement of rituals and traditions that reinforce DECA’s college-going culture
• Establish and maintain effective communication with parents, volunteers, community partners, and other key stakeholders 

Terms of Employment:

• 260 days;
• Salary to be determined based on experience and education level.
• All staff members are issued one-year contracts.

Working Environment:

Workplace locations include:

• School, activity center, outdoor play areas;
• Retreat/field sites; and
• Other environments as deemed necessary/appropriate.

Physical demands:

• While performing the duties of his/her job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, talk, and/or hear.
• The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required for this position include close vision, distance vision, and depth perception.

Additional Working Conditions:

• The noise level in this work environment is quiet to loud depending on the activity and location.
• Working conditions for this job include (1) possible exposure to blood, bodily fluids, and tissue; and (2) occasional operation of a motor vehicle to transport students.
• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.

The information in this job description is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (A.D.A) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for the position. Additional duties performed by individuals currently holding the position and additional duties may be assigned.

This position is exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Employee signature below constitutes employee’s understanding of the requirements, essential functions and duties of the position.

Employee:_______________________________________ Date:_____________