An Invitation to Apply for the Position of

Director of Student and Family Affairs (2024-2025)

Bronx, NY

About Public Prep

Public Prep is an award-winning network of charter schools across Manhattan and the Bronx and the nation’s first non-profit tuition-free charter school network that develops exceptional Pre-K, and single-gender elementary and middle public schools. We pursue continuous excellence through our dedication to an inclusive community focused on scholar, family, and staff collaboration. Our scholars are resilient and empathetic, guided to realize their power and promise through our four core values of scholarship, excellence, community, and integrity. 

Our teaching model is grounded in an anti-racist framework, and designed to incorporate a culturally responsive approach that is informed by data to cultivate an environment that empowers scholars to become independent learners. At Public Prep we believe race, income level, and zip code should not define your destiny, systemic and institutional racism must be disrupted, and all scholars should be empowered and ready to enter high school with voice, choice, opportunity and independence.

For more information about Public Prep, please visit their website.

Public Prep offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience, qualifications, internal equity, and budgeted amount for the role. The salary for this position starts at $100,000. We offer a comprehensive benefits package. It includes Oxford Medical, United Dental/Vision, life insurance, parenting benefits, flexible spending account, generous paid time off, commuter benefits, referral bonuses, professional development, and a 403(b) package with a 5% employer match.

Primary Function & Position Overview

The Director of Student and Family Affairs (DSFA) is the cultural leader of a school campus where the learning and achievement of all is the ultimate priority. At Public Prep, we believe that the people in front of our scholars each day are the key determinants of their ultimate success. We believe that trajectory-changing teachers are not born - they are coached and developed by strong school-based leadership teams deeply dedicated to their success. The Director of Student and Family Affairs at a campus are the primary manager and coach of all members of the Student and Family Affairs Team which can include a Student and Family Affairs Manager and School Counselor/Social Worker, and therefore directly responsible for building a culture and environment that supports instructional excellence across all classrooms, inclusive of high levels of rigor and motivation, authentic engagement and student ownership of learning, and a strong sense of connectedness and belonging for all students, families and staff. 

As the culture leaders of the building, the Director of Student and Family Affairs owns the implementation of the network social emotional framework, creating the campus vision for school culture and priorities for the success of that vision, community engagement, and creating culture systems and routines that foster a healthy and safe learning environment. They are responsible for the implementation of our network-wide vision, and oversee our shared school culture initiatives. As such, Directors of Student and Family Affairs are managed by school principals and coached by the Managing Director of Student and Family Affairs. Equal parts culture visionary, systems builder, people developer, and community builder, the Director of Student and Family Affairs is the ultimate driver school culture at your campus. 

Who You Are

Our ideal candidate for a Director of Student and Family Affairs has an unwavering belief that our scholars can achieve at exceptionally high level.  Beyond that, they are:

Deeply committed to serving our kids and their families. You have elected to work with historically underserved scholars, and do this work because you believe that all scholars, regardless of background, are capable of excellence - and that it’s on us as educators to get our scholars there. You can speak knowledgeably about our mission, and demonstrate a commitment to our educational model. You understand that the challenges faced by scholars in New York City are unique and specific, and you’re excited to work within the communities we serve.

A people developer. You’re passionate about leading, directly managing, and coaching teams and individuals to achieve strong results for scholars. You love and actively seek opportunities to develop others through ongoing coaching, clear expectations and accountability, strong inspirational and motivational skills, high leverage feedback, and targeted professional development.

...and a people leader. Let’s be real - managing people is hard. You have already (or have a strong desire) to coach, directly manage, and demonstrably move the effectiveness of other adults before taking this job. Your success depends on your ability to move other people to see your vision and to act to achieve it. You build relationships across lines of difference, authentically inspire and motivate others to buy into your vision, navigate challenging conversations with finesse, make tough calls, communicate effectively in all formats, give and receive feedback fluidly, and model/hold a high bar for adult excellence and exuberance.

A masterful executor. You appreciate the big picture, but you know it's all in the details. Your organizational systems ensure you get things done. You prioritize your time and fervently plan to maximize the time each day you spend moving adult practice and supporting scholars. You do the things you say you’ll do, and you communicate when you won’t. You delegate when needed, set deadlines, and hold others accountable to get across important finish lines.

An A Communicator. You’ve got a knack for speaking and writing clearly, succinctly and persuasively. You think about time, place, and format to share a message that will resonate to accomplish your goals.

A gritty problem-solver. You keep it cool when facing challenges, approach problems with viable solutions, and know when you need to roll up your sleeves to support your team.

Key Responsibilities

The Director of Student and Family Affairs (DSFA) leads with our core values at the forefront, rooted in culturally responsive practices, restorative practice, all means all mindsets and driving equity by:

• Creating a mission aligned vision for school culture alongside your school leadership team that will support rigorous instruction, positive student outcomes, relationship building, and community engagement.
• Developing and maintaining systems and expectations that bring the vision to life day-to-day for stakeholders.
• Collaborating with staff to develop and monitor short and long term goals and priorities aligned to network and school-wide vision.
• Responding to breaches in culture promptly and effectively and encouraging others to address interactions or situations that detract from school culture or violate norms and expectations. 
• Recognize and consider how identity, beliefs, values and behaviors impact school leadership and vision, when addressing opportunities or challenges.
• Creating moments of authentic joy to celebrate successes and growth for all stakeholders.
• Stops at nothing to build relationships with stakeholders and is authentically invested in the growth and success of our scholars.
• Building a culture of instructional excellence across all classrooms, inclusive of high levels of rigor and motivation, authentic engagement and student ownership of learning, and a strong sense of connectedness and belonging for all students.

• Developing and leading staff-wide professional development aligned to network and school based priorities including but not limited to social emotional learning, family engagement, restorative justice practices, classroom management, classroom environment, and developing the skills to become a warm demand to grow independent learners.
• Utilizing student culture and academic achievement data, student work, teacher practice and planning to identify, diagnose and take a course of action to move the teacher or student forward.
• Holding a high bar of excellence for special populations (students with IEPs, MLLs, and transfer students) who need supportive and accelerated achievement plans by working alongside the Director of Student Support to ensure student growth and absolute achievement gains.
• Coach and evaluate teachers using the Danielson Framework for Teaching.
• Creating systems for accountability that show investment in the school and the network vision, school vision, priorities and motivating all stakeholders to action.
• Collaborating with teachers and staff to ensure that joy is part of learning and growth.

• Supervising, coaching, and developing the Student and Family Affairs Team members through a variety of means including walkthroughs, observations, targeted coaching cycles, and the development of model systems for student and teacher support. 
• Operating with an “ear to the ground” in order to constantly evaluate progress towards the priorities and vision for culture with anecdotal data from all stakeholders.
• Actively engaging alongside other school leaders and the Public Prep’s Network Academic Team in ongoing job embedded professional development, active coaching and real time feedback cycles to improve their capacity and skill to lead others.
• Creating systems for personal organization & time management that allows you to prioritize the most important actions aligned to the vision, school priorities and meet deadlines. 
• Creating a culture where all staff give and receive feedback fluidly - both positive and constructive as part of daily practice to move the entire school forward. 
• Align and execute differential retention and cultivation practices to create and sustain a strong team to reach organizational goals at all levels.
• Creates opportunities for recognition and celebration of success.

• Establishing trust and fostering collaboration by building strong relationships with and among families, scholars, teachers, community members, and key partners.
• Encourage two-way communication, with and among all stakeholders.
• Collaborate with members of the school and network leadership teams to leverage the school community to improve student academic performance and school culture, (i.e. hosting family events, leading workshops, etc.)
• Establishing expectations and systems that lead to the empowerment of families supporting students’ success.

• A Bachelor’s degree and M.A., Ed.M. or Master’s degree in Education Leadership, Teaching or relevant content area.
• A minimum of two (2) years of demonstrated success in a leadership capacity at an elementary or secondary public or charter school managing or driving the performance of teams.
• A minimum of three (3) years of demonstrated success in teaching and/or counseling, preferably in a high-performing, urban school setting with a record of exceptional classroom management and results. 
• Embodies a consistent approachable, encouraging, and cooperative demeanor to effectively inspire, coach, develop, and retain educators across a diverse continuum.
• Fluency in Spanish, preferred

Public Preparatory Network is an Equal Opportunity employer. Public Preparatory Network is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment.

This description is intended to describe the type of work being performed by a person assigned to this position. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required by the employee.

Please be sure to attach a resume and a cover letter including examples of how you have demonstrated continuous learning and specific ways you have used data to drive decisions.