25-26 Middle School Dean of Culture

25-26 Middle School Dean of Culture

Department: Middle School Administration
Job Status: Full-Time
Shift: 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Days Worked: Mon., Tue., Wed., Thu., Fri.
Rate of Pay: $90,000.00 - $110,000.00 Annually

Position Description
About Inwood Academy for Leadership

Inwood Academy for Leadership Charter School is a tuition-free public charter school that began as an idea among community members who longed to see more educational choices offered to the children of Washington Heights and Inwood.

All staff must be willing to commit to our mission: Inwood Academy for Leadership Charter School will empower students in Inwood and Washington Heights to become agents for change through community-focused leadership, character development and college preparedness. Our staff regard our student leaders as burgeoning assets to their community and help them develop the tools they need to be successful in college and beyond. IAL is committed to providing a well-rounded educational experience for all students we serve. We are looking for candidates who are hardworking, flexible, and innovative as well as able to embody the IAL traits of leadership in their daily work (honesty, integrity, responsibility, caring and restraint).

Reports To: Site Director

Qualifications:

• Must be fully-aligned with the mission of Inwood Academy and show unwavering commitment to the students and families that IAL serves
• Bachelor's degree in related fields is required; a Master's degree is preferred
• 3+ years of experience of working in an urban school setting
• Experience working with students with diverse backgrounds and needs
• Experience and general understanding of school administration
• Training in and knowledge of leading adults

Strategic Priorities Include:

• Building a transformative school culture consistent with Inwood Academy's mission
• Maintain the school's alignment with the Highly Reliable Schools Framework, specifically, Level 1: Safe, Supportive, and Collaborative School Culture
• Ensures that staff are skilled in supporting and understanding the adolescent brain by providing coaching and professional development to staff throughout the entire school year
• Develop and implement programs that support the explicit development of strategies students can utilize to support their socio-emotional development
• Directly oversee the deans through regular one on one meetings and team meetings along with providing plans for their individual development
• Collaborate with the Director of Student Intervention Services to lead the Student Support Team through data-drive practices
• Update and maintain the student/family handbook to reflect school policies, expectations, and procedures.
• Provide oversight for student orientation to ensure alignment with the school's mission and culture.
• Oversee compliance with all behavior-related documentation, including incident reports and suspension letters, ensuring timely and accurate submissions.

Key Responsibilities:

Building and Promoting a Positive School Culture

• Designing and implementing programs and school-wide that recognize and celebrate positive behaviors and mindsets
• Creating and maintaining rituals that promote culture, sustain school values and create a school-wide identity among students
• Develop and promote student leadership opportunities to foster ownership of the school's culture i.e. student government, PGC, Leader in Me
• Lead assemblies, events, and other community-building activities
• Collaborate with the Director of Operations to ensure effective school-wide systems, such as uniform compliance, cell phone policies, and entry and arrival procedures.
• Provide oversight for systems that promote consistency and orderliness across the school environment.
• Ensure compliance with school policies and procedures, supporting accountability and effective implementation.

Behavior Management and Student Intervention

• Lead a small group of Tier 3 students through book studies during advisory time that allow students to wrestle with important themes such as anger management, social awareness and growth mindset
• Building a support network for students by meeting with, listening to and seeking to understand the needs of students as individuals and the student body as a whole
• Implementing behavior management tools including overseeing staff training in behavior management policies, techniques, and strategies and ensuring consistent deployment of such tools school-wide
• Ensuring that consequences for infractions are fairly and consistently implemented throughout the school community
• Review school data weekly to ensure discipline data reflects fair and equitable discipline amongst all students; follow up with appropriate next steps when a concern is identified

Staff Development

• Lead professional development sessions as needed by each site
• Support the onboarding of new teachers throughout the school year within the department
• Coach select teachers on classroom management strategies to foster productive learning environments.
• Provide professional development to teachers on behavior management, de-escalation developmental stages, and cultural awareness.

Collaboration and Data-Driven Leadership

• Monitor school-wide behavior data to identify trends and take corrective actions where needed.
• Communicate regularly with students and families regarding behavior expectations and outcomes.
• Partner with teachers to align behavior interventions with classroom expectations and ensure consistency in implementation.
• Ensuring documentation of communications with parents regarding student attendance, academic progress, and discipline
• Create partnerships with the Family and Community Engagement Department to lead workshops for parents and support families in creating strategies for school success
• Partner with the Academic Deans to support school-wide culture academic success events
• Partner with the Director of Student Intervention Services and Student Support Team to develop, implement, and monitor intervention plans for students in need of additional support.
• Partner with Grade Team Leaders to ensure alignment between classroom management strategies and grade-level culture initiatives.

Compensation:

IAL offers a competitive compensation package including medical, dental and vision insurance, a 403B retirement plan with 5% match. In addition to extensive professional development, our teachers are equipped with all necessary instructional supplies and technology.

Disclaimer

As an equal opportunity employer, we hire and promote without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability.