Dean of School Culture and Climate

Position Summary:
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The Dean of Culture & Climate is responsible for facilitating the culture of the school, including the development of student character and ensuring a positive and structured environment that creates the conditions for learning. This position requires an organized and consistent educator with a concrete vision of excellence, adult leadership experience, the ability to build outstanding relationships with stakeholders, and a talent for inspiring children to high expectations. This position is an opportunity to play a significant role in attending to the whole child – academically and emotionally – matching high expectations for students with high levels of support. Through intense data management and tracking, incentive systems, facility, grounds monitoring, and climate initiatives, the Dean of Culture & Climate knows every student, can forecast distractions, and ensure that students proactively make the right choices. The Dean of Culture & Climate works side by side with the instructional staff providing classroom management support and training. Additionally, the Dean of Culture & Climate works with students, providing them with the ongoing mentorship and direction they require to successfully navigate their educational experience and reach their most ambitious goals. VACS has a PBIS team that works collaboratively with other administrators, as well as the instructional staff, to ensure that the school’s climate reflects VACS’s focus on rigorous academics.
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Responsibilities of the Dean of Culture & Climate will include, but are not limited to:

Student Culture

• Review the school’s code of conduct and make recommendations for policy revisions.

• Work closely with the Principal and other administrators to establish a positive, joyful, and achievement-oriented school culture vision and plan.

• Facilitate teacher training and support around relationships, proactive, positive culture, expectations, consistency, and classroom management

• Coordinate and implement a school-wide behavior management system with meaningful and logical incentives and consequences

• Create the vision and oversee the execution of school-wide culture and community events

• Serve as the point person for breaches of culture, including maintaining the reactive systems and data for removal, detention, out-of-school suspension, and parent re-entry meetings.

• Plan, lead, and oversee an effective Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III behavior RTI program in collaboration with the Director of Pupil Services.

• Maintaining databases and up-to-date student information on attendance, discipline, and merit records.

• Intentionally driving a positive school culture by planning and facilitating school store, Pow Wows, events and rewards, and other tactics to foster and maintain a positive culture. (School-wide culture-building events/activities)

Stakeholder Engagement and Management

• Lead school-wide recognition assemblies, parent workshops, community events, and other culture-building activities

• Support teachers in building relationships with students and parents; become part of Vision Academy Parent Partners.

• Supporting teachers in developing and implementing classroom management strategies and plans for individual students as needed

• Ensure that the physical environment of the school reinforces school culture and facilitates student growth and achievement

• Conduct regular school culture walkthroughs, classroom observations, and audits to help staff maintain a high bar of excellence

• Plan and lead ongoing student culture professional development throughout the year

• Participate as the LEA in IEP meetings for students who have behavior goals

Growth Mindset

• Provide lesson plan feedback to direct reports on the cultural impact

• Model school core values and character strengths at all times

• Willing to offer support and receive constructive feedback from colleagues in order to create a professional working atmosphere that is conducive to change and improvement

• Participate in school-wide and individual professional development, including pre-service training over the summer and weekly during the academic year

Other

• Supervise school arrival and entry, breakfast, lunch, transitions, and dismissal to ensure they are safe and positive

• Maintaining and monitoring safety and order by being accessible and visible in hallways, classrooms, during arrival/dismissal of students, lunch periods, after-school programs including detention, homework club, etc.

• Being highly present and visible during school hours, relentlessly ensuring the school has a strong culture both in and out of the classroom.

• Work with the Director of Operations to ensure all students have excellent attendance and arrive at school on time.

• Lead efforts to ensure all students have excellent homework completion and that homework is checked efficiently.

• Work with the Director of Curriculum & Instruction to ensure effective field lessons, school events, and extracurricular activities.

• Fill in for class coverage, as needed, in the event of a coverage gap

• Serve as an active member of the School Leadership Team, meeting weekly for strategic planning and discussion of school initiatives and data

• Manage/supervise members of the culture team and

• Managing discipline for all students with a restorative justice model and positive behavior support system

• Serves on committees such as Wellness Committee, Safety Committee, PBIS Committees, etc.

Qualifications

Desired Characteristics:

• Unwavering commitment to mission, students, families, and community

• Firm belief in affirming the identity of students, families, and staff

• Passionate and committed to being a leader for racial justice and equity, and leading in an anti-racist school

• Passionate about data-driven decision making

• Demonstrates excitement in growing staff into their highest self as a leader for our students and families

• Physical and emotional endurance to support challenging students; maintain emotional control under stress

• Superb personal organization skills to keep on top of deadlines and measures of accountability

• Team player: demonstrates maturity, growth mindset, strong work ethic, follow-through, and flexibility

• Excellent communication skills with diverse constituents; clear writer, facilitator, and public speaker

Education and Experience:

• Master’s Degree in Education or related field

• Minimum two (5) years of experience working within a school setting that serves school-aged children

• Teaching experience preferred

• Administrative background that reflects strong management and communication skills

• Ability to work well in a team and enhance cooperative working relationships

• Strong leadership skills and a demonstrated capacity to work with urban youth

• Knowledge of public education and charter schools is highly desirable but not required

• Excels in problem-solving, has a sense of humor, and has a desire to provide only the highest quality education for students

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required such as maneuvering in classrooms and office space-reaching file cabinets, filing, faxing, scanning, copying, typing, mailing, and making phone calls; Must be able to sit for up to two (2) hours looking at a computer monitor, using a keyboard and mouse and typing.

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Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $75,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Relocation assistance
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Supplemental Pay:

• Bonus pay

Work Location: One location