Principal or Vice Principal Dean of Student Services
Job Description
ABOUT BROOKLYN LAB
Brooklyn Laboratory Charter Schools (LAB) is a network of open enrollment, college-prep, public charter schools that prepares students with the academic foundation, digital literacy, and leadership skills necessary to excel in college and professional life as they grow as ethical leaders.
The LAB Formula:
- More Time in School: Extended day, week, and school year focused on academic learning and unique enrichment activities (e.g., Robotics, Digital Media, Coding, Debate, Visual Arts).
- High Dose Tutoring: Personalized, small group tutoring from trained college graduates for at least two hours each day.
- Next Generation Learning: A college prep curriculum with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) -focused enrichment activities to prepare students to succeed in jobs of the future.
ABOUT WORKING AT BROOKLYN LAB
Working at Brooklyn Lab is unlike any traditional environment.
Teachers and staff members alike empower their scholars and colleagues on a daily basis. By design, our schools are small communities where every scholar, teacher and staff member support and grow one another.
Staff and faculty like to understand the value of collaboration and share best practices across the network, mentor and receive feedback from their teams.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
LAB is seeking a Dean of Scholars to lead the school’s core behavior and character education programs. The Dean of Scholars will supervise the consistent, fair administration and tracking of student conduct and discipline, as well as coach teachers on classroom behavior management techniques. He/she will assist the High Schools Director and the rest of the leadership team in the design and execution of a culture of entrepreneurial learning. Moreover, the Dean of Scholars will serve as the main point of contact with the parents and families of students to facilitate parent education and involvement.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Individuals who thrive at LAB tend to be entrepreneurial professionals and hungry learners who crave frequent high-quality feedback on their practice. The Dean of Student Services is responsible for leading the school’s core behavior and character education programs, and will perform a variety of essential responsibilities, including (but not limited to):
- Coordinates the Special Education program for the school(s) in conjunction with the Executive Director and Middle School Directors;
- Ensures that the schools are in full compliance with federal and state special education laws;
- Provides support to Executive Director and the Finance team in ensuring accurate billing and invoicing information for services on per pupil and related invoices:
- Supports LAB to ensure that students who are at-risk for academic underperformance due to academic, emotional, or physical challenges succeed in a rigorous academic environment
- Liaises with city, state, and national entities involved in providing support and services to students with disabilities;
- Develops progress-monitoring systems for interventions, counseling, and special education programs;
- Advocates for changes in practice that will support improved performance of students with disabilities and English language learners;
- Identifies special services providers for school psychology, speech and language therapy, and other mandated services and transportation;
- Ensures that student records and documentation for special education issues are accurate, timely, and meaningful;
- Serves as the hiring manager for all social work, counselor, and student services positions;
- Leads the Response to Intervention process for the schools, including data meetings, tutoring sessions, and meetings with the Student Services Team and any other relevant personnel;
- Observes Special Education classes/teachers and provides feedback via TeachBoost to continually improve the school’s support of students with special needs;
- Promotes dialogue and peer learning among special and general educators and paraprofessionals;
- Facilitates teacher teams as issues surface and engage in collaborate consultancy, promote robust special and general education partnerships, develop teacher facilitators and coaches, and assist school communities in developing problem-solving strategies;
- Develops procedures, forms, and templates for the provision of all special education services. ∙ Provides ongoing professional training and coaching to special education teachers and school administrators.
- Designs and facilitates professional development to help school practitioners understand and implement the key aspects of the special education reforms, including flexible programming, Universal Design for Learning, Response to Intervention, and the design of meaningful IEPs in collaboration with the Middle School Directors, Director of Literacy Program and Director of Residency
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, but not required;
- Experience with special education is preferred;
- 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;
- A demonstrated belief that every student can work hard, excel academically, and graduate from college; the ability to lead in a way that reflects LAB’s values and beliefs;
- A demonstrated sense of urgency to achieve dramatic gains in learning;
- Ability to mobilize adults to take action toward common goals and achieve results; ability to develop clear, shared purpose that guide and unify a team; demonstrated ability to build effective teams to meet the needs of tasks at hand;
- A demonstrated ability to teach other adults and commit to adults’ growth and development;
- Ability to articulate clear and compelling cultural and behavioral expectations for scholars, including high expectations for behavior, academics, class and school culture, student investment, and family investment;
- Demonstrated willingness to engage in difficult conversations and make hard decisions;
- Demonstrated willingness to take initiative and go above and beyond typical expectations; a relentless drive and determination to achieve exceptional outcomes and results;
- Demonstrated resilience in overcoming setbacks and remaining constructive despite resistance or failure; demonstrated tenacity; ability to support perseverance in others;
- A focus on results and how they are achieved; ability to differentiate effort from results;
- Ability to identify, analyze, and prioritize complex problems and key issues in a timely manner;
- Ability to manage time and resources effectively, prioritizing efforts according to organizational goals;
- Ability to proactively develop contingency plans in advance of potential or unforeseen circumstances;
- Ability to monitor a project by assessing milestones and modify plans based on data;
- Multi-tasks and balances detailed steps with strategy to ensure successful project completion;
- Takes responsibility for behavior, mistakes, and results, learns from successes and failures, and teaches others to do the same;
- Ability to use data to accurately assess areas for improvement and teaches others to do the same;
- Continuously and humbly seeks opportunities for personal and organizational improvement; proactively solicits and willingly accepts assistance; and
- Takes calculated risks and teaches others to do the same; values creative and innovative ideas.
ABOUT BENEFITS & COMPENSATION:
Brooklyn LAB Employees will receive a competitive benefits package that improves over time and is competitive with other New York City charter schools.
In addition to competitive salaries, Brooklyn LAB benefits package includes:
- Very competitive compensation package inclusive of a generous benefits package
- 80% of healthcare premium costs covered by employer
- Employer-paid life insurance and disability
- 403(b) plan with employer contribution
- Voluntary Benefits (Supplemental Life, Accident, Short Term Disability, etc.)
- Generous paid time off program including 3 weeks vacation and sick leave
- An annual professional development allowance
- Pre-tax commuter benefits
BECOME BROOKLYN LAB!
Brooklyn LAB is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes candidates of diverse backgrounds and is committed to equal access for those with disabilities in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
To join Brooklyn LAB, please submit a resume and cover letter, including your interest in Brooklyn LAB and how you learned about the position.
Please note that due to our selection criteria, we will only notify candidates who meet our selection criteria.
