ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

By 2025, KIPP DC will build upon two decades of proven results to develop into a more impactful, innovative, and inclusive school system that provides joyful, identity-affirming learning experiences so that all students and alumni achieve extraordinary outcomes.

Our work is grounded in a commitment to excellence, equity, and justice. We believe all students have the right to rigorous, relevant, and joyful learning experiences led by exceptionally talented and diverse educators who promote student achievement and a sense of belonging. We believe students and teachers best succeed when surrounded by an ecosystem of supports, including our central headquarters team that supports KIPP DC’s 20 schools and 2 programs, 7,300 students, and 1,300 teachers, leaders, and staff members dedicated to this mission.

Dean Culture & Academic Health of Students Job Summary:

To ensure that our school is safe, predictable, and responsive for all students, the Dean of Students will strive to create a structured, positive and academically focused school culture. S/he will model how to build strong, mutually respectful relationships with students and families and support teachers to do the same. S/he serves as the team leader for student accountability (academics, behavior) and identification of additional resources and programs for families (academic support, enrichment, preventative programs, etc.). The Dean is the monitor of academic health and the keeper of culture for their grade, ensuring that our school’s ways of being support high levels of student growth and achievement. This position requires a creative and inspiring professional with adult leadership experience, high energy, excellent organizational abilities, and a talent for creating a warm and supportive environment for students. In addition, the Dean of Culture and Academic Health of Students:

• In collaboration with the principal, sets and leads the vision for school culture
• Facilitates school culture and academic health professional development for teachers and school leaders
• Develops and monitors school-wide policies and behavior response systems
• Monitors and responds to academic health, school culture, and attendance data
• Provides real-time coaching to teachers and leaders to promote college-ready behavior and strong academic health

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Vision and Goals
   • Support development of school leader’s school-wide vision and take an active role in investing and mobilizing teachers to achieve the collective goals of the school; owns the implementation of school wide systems regarding student culture.
   • Alongside school leader, support the planning and goal setting for their grade level teams and teachers and ensure alignment with school-wide goals
   • Support identification and action towards equity challenges within the school
   • Articulate how their actions and body of work connect to KIPP DC's goal of becoming an anti-racist organization

1. Plan and Prioritize
   • Collaborate with principal and leadership team in determining and implementing systems and initiatives around school and team priorities related to culture, attendance, and academic health.
   • Prioritize and manage own time to deliver on short and long-term goals or priorities
   • Support teachers in planning and prioritizing their time especially related to academic health & gradebook maintenance, student attendance and student culture.

1. School Culture
   • Lead an affirming and joyful culture for students; monitor, follow in and refine PBIS systems across their grade level and the school.
   • Support teachers in leading classrooms with high-quality Tier 1 student learning and engagement and develop and support Tier 2 and 3 plans for specific students in collaboration with the grade level MHP.
   • Plan for and predictably respond to student behavior that doesn't meet school culture expectations. Coach, support and follow up with teachers in service of empowering them to do the same. Manage consistent student-facing consequences and discipline processes when expectations are not met.
   • Reliably lead and support daily school operations (e.g. arrival/dismissal, lunch, passing period, recess), making sure to plan for any gaps in operations daily
   • Builds intentional and meaningful relationships with students, their families, and school communities, knows all of the kids on their grade and all of their families.
   • Maintain calm and poise in unpredictable, potentially stressful, situations
   • Leads weekly grade level meetings, regular student community meetings, and monthly parent meetings
   • Work with staff and families to build an inclusive school environment for special populations (i.e. students with IEPs, students with 504s, ELL students, new students, students with HCYP status, etc.)
   • Conduct student and family mediations for grade level in coordination with behavior support technicians.
   • Check grades and communicate with teachers about any concerns weekly
   • Manage and support student attendance, school-wide discipline, incidents, and referrals.
   • Support schoolwide instructional goals including, but not limited to academic check-ins with students, incentive programs, instructional goals, and other data-driven initiatives.
   • Define and support grade-level student and family communication.
   • Manage progress towards team goals around academic health, behavior, attendance
   • Manage grade-level logistics for all grade-level events with the VPs and ops team including field trips, incentives, celebrations, ceremonies, etc.
   • Coach and support teachers and staff with school-wide behavior management systems alongside teachers’ instructional managers.
   • Communicate with relevant staff regarding severe discipline issues including how situations were resolved, adjustments to plans, consequences implemented, etc.
   • Analyze and respond to grade level attendance and behavior data.
   • Build, support, and contribute to a positive staff culture.
   • Engage families and manage family programming to meet school goals (in collaboration with the regional family engagement team).
   • Create and support grade level disciplinary initiatives.

1. Instructional Leadership

• Invest teachers and staff in a clear, inclusive instructional vision for all students created alongside vice principals; follow through on all commitments
• Be a frequent, regular presence in all classrooms and spaces you support
• Support a culture where teachers are invested in and prepared for whole staff adult learning; work with Leadership Team to facilitate engaging, effective, relevant meetings
• Participate in bi-weekly leadership team meetings.
• Monitor and manage the academic health of the students in your grade per the KIPP High School Academic Health Playbook
• Monitor gradebooks and grades for all students in your grade, monitor the percentage of failing grades and check in with advisors, teachers, and students about their grades.
• Walk through classrooms at minimum once a week to identify bright spots and notice trends within grade level.

1. Talent
   • Build trusting, strong relationships with teachers and school staff
   • Identifies high-leverage coaching focuses ground in student impact and transferability
   • Identify gaps across a grade level or department and develop and execute a plan that results in improved student experiences and outcomes
   • Actively and regularly communicate with principal about progress, strengths, areas of growth, and potential trajectories of individual team members
   • Understand and practice fair and legal employment practices
   • Effectively manages and develops teachers of a wide range of skill and experience level by defining responsibilities, setting goals and providing ongoing feedback and support through observations , one-on-one meetings, and staff PDs
   • Creating, implementing and supporting professional development for grade levels.

6. Operations Management

• Monitor and support school-wide operational systems in alignment with the One KIPP policies such as arrival and dismissal, lunch, transitions, etc.

COMPETENCIES

• Student Focus: Builds strong relationships and holds high expectations for students, holds students’ best interests in mind, keeps owns commitments to students and makes sure others do the same and builds a culture of respect for all students
• Results Driven: Communicates that delivering excellent outcomes, in student experience and academics, is a guiding priority, sets challenging goals for self and others, takes initiative to go above and beyond to to achieve results, follows through on commitments, demonstrates resilience and flexibility
• Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: Demonstrates strong judgment and data-based, timely decision-making, gathers information from multiple sources, sorts out complexity, anticipates problems, values and encourages creative and innovative ideas, thinks expansively and avoids either/or thinking

• Self-Awareness: Demonstrates understanding of own identity, privilege and power, understands strengths and weaknesses and the impact on others’ perceptions, seeks feedback and self-development, proactively asks for and willingly accepts assistance from others in a variety of roles
• Equitable Practices: Believes that equity is something that can constantly drive one’s approach, rather than a lens that can be used sometimes, defines and communicates beliefs around racial and educational equity and leans into conversations about this, creates an inclusive environment that promotes a genuine sense of belonging for school community members across lines of difference
• Impact and Influence: Is as clear on the purpose of actions as action themselves; effectively and reliably communicates "the why" to many stakeholders, adapts leadership style to influence others, takes the lead when there's a need; demonstrates growth mindset and learns from mistakes when they inevitably happen
• Empowering Others: Actively listen to other school community members; seeks to understand others’ views and needs, intentionally builds trust within and across teams of people to promote collaboration and opportunities for shared ownership, consistently demonstrates respect and appreciation for others by empathizing, valuing their time and contributions, and being available and responsive to their needs

QUALIFICATIONS

KIPP DC is looking for candidates who are committed to KIPP DC’s mission that all students can learn and achieve at high levels when given the opportunity, have a strong teaching background, a commitment to creating identity-affirming learning experiences, and are looking to develop the leadership skills necessary to lead great schools. Specifically, candidates should have:

• Bachelor’s degree (required)
• Minimum of four years of teaching (preferred)
• Experience leading adults (e.g. grade level chair, department chair, committee chair, events lead, etc.) (required)
• Demonstrated academic results (required)
• Demonstrated judgment around student safety (required)
• Strong attendance record (required)
• Record of strong interpersonal interactions with families and staff (required)
• Experience coaching and developing teachers (preferred)
• Experience leading professional development (preferred)
• Proficiency with Google Workspace apps (preferred)

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• When it comes to compensation, at KIPP DC we strive for clarity, equity, and to be highly competitive. We look at compensation benchmarks in schools across DC. Please see the salary scale here. Deans can earn up to $5,000 in renewal add-ons to their base salary each year they return to KIPP DC.
• KIPP DC offers a robust benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurances; various voluntary benefits; and employer paid benefits such as short term disability, long term disability, life insurance, and a membership to One Medical.
• KIPP DC also offers a 403(b) retirement account with a 3% employer contribution and a 3% match with vesting after three years.
• Currently, individuals in this role have up to 10 paid sick days, 12 paid holidays, paid Thanksgiving week break, winter break, spring break, and part of summer summer break. This is subject to change and your exact schedule will be shared in your offer letter.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

​​KIPP DC Public Schools does not discriminate against, or tolerate discrimination against, employees or applicants for employment on any legally-recognized basis or protected class including, but not limited to, actual or perceived race; color; national origin; immigration status (except as necessary to comply with federal, DC, state, or local law); religion; sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and related medical conditions); age; physical or mental disability; medical condition; sexual orientation; gender (including gender identity or expression); marital status (including domestic partnership status); genetic information; political affiliation; pregnancy; family responsibilities; personal appearance; veteran status; uniform service member status; status of being unemployed; status as a victim or family member of a victim of domestic violence, sexual offense, or stalking; matriculation; or any other protected class under federal, state, DC, or local law.

Click here or here to review KIPP DC’s non-discrimination policy and KIPP DC’s Title IX Coordinator’s contact information