Principal or Vice Principal Dean of Students
Job Description
DEAN OF STUDENTS
Now Hiring for the 2022-2023 School Year
EMPLOYMENT DETAILS
Title: Dean of Students
Reports To: Principal
Commitment: Full-Time
Term: 10 Months Annually, 2022-2023 School Year
ABOUT THE POSITION
A New Foundations Dean of Students’ primary role is to be an extraordinary leader in the community–actively, effectively and continuously building community within our students in service of our mission and vision for future impact. The Dean of Students is responsible for enforcing the school’s behavior systems and modeling how to establish strong, mutually respectful relationships with students and families. They will support the staff in addressing behavior problems as they arise, ensuring that students maximize their level of engagement & contribute to the learning experience in the classroom.
Our Mission: The mission of the New Foundations Charter School is to provide students with the academic, social, and emotional foundations and skills necessary to become high-achieving, socially competent stewards of their communities. The teachers and staff of New Foundations Charter School will ensure a commitment to lifelong learning and achievement of all of our students by creating an atmosphere of caring that pervades every aspect of school life and promotes responsibility for all members of our school community.
Our Vision for Impact: In 2019, New Foundations embarked on an ambitious five year strategic plan. The Strategic Plan’s “Vision for Impact” is that by June 2025, New Foundations will provide daily opportunities for all students to engage in rigorous academic preparation, integrated and well-rounded character development, and inclusive and expansive specials and extracurricular activities that prepare them for individualized post-secondary success.
ABOUT OUR SCHOOL
Founded by Sheryl Perzel and Paul Stadelberger, New Foundations Charter School opened in 2000. Our core principle was simple: be student-centered and growth focused. This ethos remains and at New Foundations we maintain that in order for our children to thrive as leading members of society, they must grow academically, socially, and emotionally today.
Twenty years later, New Foundations is a prominent public charter school serving grades K-12 in Northeast Philadelphia and a leader in academic excellence, social emotional awareness, and community engagement. In a constantly changing world, we continue our work to evolve and improve. We are ambitious about New Foundations’ future. We’re a great school, but we still have work to do to be better and to redefine what it means to be a great school.
Our Students
As an open enrollment public charter school, we seek to prepare each student for the college, career and service opportunity of their choice. New Foundations Charter School currently educates 1,500 students across a K-8 & High School campus in Northeast Philadelphia.
New Foundations has a highly diverse and representative student/family population: 57% White, 22% Black, 13% Latino, 5% Asian and 3% Mixed Races & Other; 40% Free Lunch, 30% Reduced-Price Lunch, 30% Paid Lunch. The political and ideological diversity of our student and family body is representative of the United States as a whole.
Our Buildings
The K-8 and High School buildings are located within walking distance of each other in the Holmesburg neighborhood of Philadelphia. Both buildings include recent renovations and are well-maintained to provide a positive learning environment for students and staff.
Building highlights include bright and spacious classrooms, technology-enabled classrooms, science labs, gymnasiums with full size basketball courts, cafeterias and learning commons. The buildings are near major roadways with on-site parking for staff and within walking distance from the SEPTA Regional Rail Suburban station with trains to Center City.
Our Community
New Foundations opened in 2000 and has had a strong, positive presence in its Northeast neighborhood of Philadelphia throughout the past 20 years. New Foundations is highly-regarded on various academic performance measures compared with other Philadelphia charter and district schools and we have an admissions wait-list of over 10,000 students.
QUALIFICATIONS
All staff at New Foundations Charter School are expected to:
- Embrace our mission and embody our vision for New Foundations’ future;
- Model our core values of being student-focused, serving our community and consistently engaging in solutions-oriented and caring conversations;
- Welcome the opportunity to be constantly challenged to grow, learn and improve;
- Demonstrate role model mentality in all interactions and activities;
- Have a track record of success and achievement within an environment of limited resources.
The Dean at New Foundations Charter School is expected to:
- Believe in and align with the NFCS core beliefs and educational philosophy;
- Possess a bachelor’s degree with a record of academic achievement;
- Possess a minimum of five years as an educator within a school setting;
- Preferably possess school leadership experience and/or experience working with high school students;
- Exhibit drive to improve minds and lives of students in and out of the classroom;
- Demonstrate excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, and strong interpersonal skills with students, parents, colleagues, and community members;
- Understand the nuances of urban school environments and school culture;
- Preferably possess a Master’s degree in a relevant area and PA certification to serve as a school administrator.
COMPENSATION
New Foundations offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. We are committed to pay equity.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Culture
- Working closely with School Leadership to establish a positive, structured, achievement-oriented, and creative school culture.
- Working closely with the counselors and social worker for dealing with behavioral crisis-intervention and acute behavioral issues.
- Acting as a resource to teachers in their instructional practice, especially as it relates to issues of discipline, relationships with students, classroom management, and school culture.
- Supporting teachers to hold all students to high and consistent behavioral expectations.
- Becoming a member of the school community, building strong relationships and being highly engaged.
- Being highly present and visible during school hours, relentlessly ensuring the school has an exceptional school culture.
Instruction/Programming
- Leading implementation and development of Caring School Communities throughout K-8 including elements of programming, professional development of staff, and evaluation of program effectiveness
- Managing after school and Saturday detention.
- Co-Planning and coordinating school-wide student activities and traditions including but not limited to: Maroon & Gold Day, proms & dances, school-wide trips and events
- Plan and provide professional development and support to teachers/staff
- Assisting teachers, students, and parents in managing, creating and implementing behavior plans.
- Supervising breakfast, lunch/recess, class transitions, and dismissal, making sure students are always where they are supposed to be and ensuring a professional school culture at these times.
- Keeping accurate student discipline records, documenting all conferences, suspensions, and phone calls for behavior.
- Working collaboratively to develop student leadership activities that foster student relationships between K-8 and high school buildings.
Tone Setting
- Modeling the school’s values and the standard for professional behavior.
- Ensuring that behavioral expectations and school culture standards are met outside of the classroom as well as inside, including establishing and monitoring bus behavior/culture as well as cafeteria/meal time behavior and culture.
- Ensuring that the physical environment of the school reinforces the school culture and facilitates student achievement
- Working proactively with students and parents to ensure excellent attendance.
- Reinforcing the effective use of a school-wide behavior plan and restorative practices.
- Serving as the point person for discipline/culture issues.
- Proactively circulating throughout classrooms and hallways during the day, to gain valuable context on student behavior and help support positive school culture
- Monitoring behavioral pull-out and in-school suspensions.
Professional Comportment
- Exhibit a professional image and demeanor at all times.
- Commit to continual professional growth.
- Attend all professional development meetings and faculty/staff meetings.
- Participate and support grade-level activities and school-wide functions throughout the school-year.
- Adhere to the school schedule and be punctual for work and meetings.
- Maintain an effective and positive relationship with colleagues, staff and supervisors.
- Professionally and effectively communicate with all colleagues, staff and supervisors.
Other
- Become a member of the school community, building strong relationships and being highly engaged.
- Do whatever else is necessary or requested to provide students with the academic, social, and emotional foundations and skills necessary to become high achieving, socially competent stewards of their communities.
