Middle School Dean of Students

Job Description

The Middle School Dean of Students supports the Principal in fostering a safe, structured, and inclusive learning environment. This role is responsible for leading student culture, discipline systems, and family engagement while developing school-wide routines and behavioral expectations that promote a strong culture of learning. The Dean also builds staff capacity to sustain positive culture practices across classrooms and school-wide experiences.

Essential Responsibilities

Culture & Student Support

• Model and uphold the school’s mission, vision, and core values, fostering a positive and inclusive school climate.
• Design, implement, and continuously improve school-wide systems and procedures (e.g., arrival, dismissal, transitions, and routines).
• Collaborate with administration to address behavioral and culture-related concerns using sound judgment, consistency, and restorative practices whenever appropriate.
• Establish and reinforce clear expectations for student behavior, attendance, and academic accountability.
• Recognize and celebrate student achievement, growth, and contributions to the school community.
• Use data to monitor trends in behavior and attendance and implement proactive supports and interventions.

Family Engagement

• Serve as a key liaison between the school and families, maintaining consistent and proactive communication to support student success.
• Build strong relationships with families to understand student needs and connect them to appropriate resources.
• Partner with the Family Coordinator to strengthen family engagement and empowerment within the school community.
• Co-develop and manage a calendar of family workshops, events, and engagement opportunities.
• Support the development and distribution of family communications (e.g., surveys, newsletters, mailings) to increase participation and collaboration.

Event Leadership & Staff Capacity Building

• Design and execute engaging, school-wide events (e.g., assemblies, spirit weeks, showcases, and celebrations) that reinforce school culture and values.
• Collaborate with teachers to co-plan and co-lead events, increasing staff ownership and participation.
• Build teacher capacity to lead culture-building experiences within classrooms (e.g., advisory, community circles, celebrations).
• Provide staff with tools, templates, and coaching to independently facilitate engaging student experiences.
• Model strong facilitation practices during events that staff can replicate.
• Develop systems for staff leadership in events (e.g., grade-level leads, activity facilitators) to distribute ownership.
• Lead post-event debriefs with staff to reflect, refine practices, and strengthen collective expertise.
• Ensure alignment between school-wide events and instructional and advisory priorities so culture-building is embedded in daily practice.

Work environment

• Model professionalism, integrity, and ethical conduct in all interactions with students, families, staff, and the broader community.
• Demonstrate sound judgment and professional maturity in supporting students’ academic, social, and emotional development.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with colleagues and contribute to a positive team environment.
• Engage in ongoing professional learning, including training aligned to instructional practices and student support.
• Meet professional obligations through strong organizational skills, reliability, and adherence to timelines.
• All responsibilities are aligned with performance goals and targets established through the annual evaluation process.

• Strong commitment to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and supportive school environment.
• Familiarity with restorative practices, culturally responsive pedagogy, and trauma-informed approaches with a commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive school community.
• Demonstrated ability to build positive relationships with students, families, and staff.
• Experience coaching teachers and/or leading professional development preferred.
• Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced school environment.