Associate Dean of Sciences jobs in Cranston, RI

Organization Overview

Excel Academy was founded in 2003 with the mission to provide a high-quality education to students in East Boston and Chelsea Massachusetts, communities that are predominantly low-income and Latinx and historically have faced significant social and educational barriers. Our success in Massachusetts is proof that the opportunity gap can be closed.  At Excel Academy Charter Schools, we believe that when a student has the support and tools to pursue a productive post-secondary pathway aligned to their personal identity and values, it can fundamentally change their life trajectory.  

Over the years, we have grown from one middle school to a network of four schools with 1,400 students in grades 5 to 12. In the fall of 2022 we will welcome a founding class of 5th graders to help us launch Excel Academy Rhode Island. By 2032, Excel Rhode Island will run 4 schools serving over 2,100 students from Providence, Central Falls, and North Providence.

We present our students with educational experiences that allow them to grow and discover their best selves so that when they leave our halls, they can successfully navigate all of the post-secondary options available to them. You can read more about the impact of the Excel Academy model.

At Excel Academy we learn from our students, families, and staff and make improvements. We have increasingly adapted to provide a holistic education that values our community as collaborators in the learning process, social-emotional support, equity for diverse learners, and fosters identity development. We prioritize an approach that is both rigorous and inclusive. Our team of passionate, intelligent, driven, and loving staff are at the core of the work we do. 

Growth Happens Here.

About the Role

The Dean of Culture will lead initiatives related to student culture and ensure that students are supported to achieve academically while developing as young people. The DOS also serves as the leader of the school’s core behavior and character education systems and programs.

Duties and Responsibilities

Proactively plan and execute systems to drive positive student behavior and create an academics-focused culture of achievement:

• Proactively train key constituents in Excel’s approach to culture and behavior systems
• Develop and teach New Staff Orientation lessons
• Lead workshops during All-Staff Summit
• Support grade level leaders in their work planning and executing student orientation
• With the school admin team, develop and deliver parent orientation sessions, and conduct follow-up meetings 
• Empower teachers to drive positive student outcomes
• Provide feedback to staff members in their classroom management during break, lunch, Focus, and instructional time
• Build strong relationships with staff members; seek feedback and provide feedback
• Ensure a cycle of communication with teachers following referrals
• Maintain a public presence throughout the school day
• Plan, oversee, and execute designated programming:
• Oversee school-wide intervention and incentive programs
• Plan and execute student groups as determined by the Dean Team

Respond to issues relating to behavior or discipline:

• Serve as a parent contact for student disciplinary issues and concerns, conferring with Head of School and teachers as needed.
• Manage daily attendance and uniform referrals
• Manage “Dean’s office traffic” from 7:30 – 8:20 am, including processing uniform referrals and late students
• Communicate updates on students to staff in a timely manner
• Monitor attendance of frequently-absent students; provide regular updates to administrators
• Communicate with families and/or create attendance contracts, as needed

Support effective execution of student interventions and supports:

• Serve as a member of the Student Support team
• With student advisors, develop, execute and/or oversee individualized interventions and supports for particular students as needed

Serve as a productive member of the Administrative team:

• Provide morning and afternoon coverage as specified by the team
• Drive school improvement through participation in quarterly strategic planning cycles and data analysis
• Write, revise and finalize school manuals annually
• Meaningfully participate in weekly administrative meetings and weigh in on school wide decision making

Serve as a productive member of the Excel Community:

• Participate in generating and upholding Excel Staff norms
• Provide coverage when needed
• Follow the appropriate protocol when absent to request coverage
• Serve as a member of a GLT and homeroom team:
• Meaningfully participate in Friday meetings, school PD and family conferences
• Do whatever it takes to ensure the mission of the school is fulfilled

Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:

• Understand how your identity markers (including race, class, and gender) impact your leadership.
• Demonstrates understanding and respect for the cultures and languages of our communities. 
• Solicit and welcome collaboration and feedback from colleagues, students, families and the surrounding community.
• Understand the impact of historical and structural racism and use this lens in your decision-making. 
• Take action to demonstrate personal reflections and growth/ be responsive to feedback and lessons learned. 

Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred;
• A minimum of two years teaching experience in an urban public school or charter school setting preferred;
• A commitment to and belief in all students and the mission of Excel Academy Charter Schools, including Excel’s values and educational model;
• A commitment to addressing racial and economic inequity in education;
• The ability to focus and thrive in a fast paced, entrepreneurial environment;
• The ability to work effectively in a team environment and the willingness and desire to support others in doing their best work; and
• An openness to change, a willingness to problem-solve, and an interest in receiving feedback for continuous improvement; and
• And can speak to their personal investment and commitment to antiracist education and diversity, equity, and inclusion in our school community and beyond. 

Preference will be given to applicants who also:

• Have experience in a public or charter school setting
• Speak Spanish, Haitian Creole, Khmer, and Vietnamese
• Can clearly articulate the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion and provide examples of how this commitment will be woven into all aspects of the school vision