High School Dean Of Students

Classification: Administrative Location: Assigned School

Reports to: School Principal FLSA Status: Exempt

Bargaining Unit: N/A (210 Days per year 7.5 hours per day)

Position Summary:
The Dean of Students works as a member of the school leadership team supporting the educational program of the school. The Dean of Students reports to the school principal and works closely with faculty, families, and students of the district. The Dean of Students shares with the principal the responsibilities of the building leadership, developing curriculum, overseeing instruction, assessments of programs, ensuring adequate professional development and creating positive parent and community relations. The Dean of Students is responsible for coordinating all student activities.

Supervision and Controls over the Work:
The Dean of Students works with a high level of independence and professional discretion under the general supervision of a designated school administrator. Assists the Vice-Principal in supervising employees of the middle school when the principal is absent. The employee's work is governed, controlled, and evaluated by acceptable professional practice, school and district policies and regulations, provisions of the New Mexico Public Education Department, direction of the supervisor, and performance standards and expectations as set forth in the collective bargaining agreement.

Duties and Responsibilities:
Promotes a positive school climate.
Establishes rapport with all students.
Develops and implements ongoing student programming that is both fun and builds community.
Communicates effectively and proactively with parents regarding upcoming student programming and events.
Oversees service-learning projects and activities.
Helps plan and chaperone Middle School student events.
Plans and maintains a Middle School Student Activities calendar shared with the entire Middle School.
Monitors student attendance and contacts home to follow-up on extended absences.
Serves as the point person for students on leave or with restricted attendance (i.e., partial days due to medical issues).
Coordinates as needed with counselors, advisors, and Middle School faculty.
Collaborates with school counselors and faculty to support student needs, referring potential counseling issues to the school counselors and medical issues to the nurses. Attending Child Study meetings.
Provides student support during Advisory and after school.
Oversees the Advisory system, partnering with counselors and faculty.
Coordinates the year schedule for advisory in each grade, creating year-long themes and developmentally appropriate curriculum for advisory.
Supports Grade Level Coordinators to manage their advisory teams and respond appropriately to student issues.
Recommends to the Middle School Principal advisors to match the nature of the students in each grade.
Implements a behavior management system that is grounded in the school's values program and restorative justice practices and ensures that infractions are teachable moments.
Oversees day-to-day disciplinary issues in the Middle School, collaborating closely with Middle School Assistant Principal and the faculty and staff to ensure compliance with school policies.
Organizes a Disciplinary Committee comprised of faculty and counselors and partners with the Middle School Assistant Principal.
Communicates clearly and in a timely fashion, both verbally and in writing, with students, parents and appropriate school staff regarding any disciplinary event or consequence and updates the Discipline Continuum.
With the Middle School Assistant Principal, oversee detentions, including the assignment of detention, recording of detention, issuing of detention assignments and follow-up meetings with students.
Maintains accurate records regarding disciplinary infractions and consequences.
Reviews the Family Handbook each year to ensure accurate documentation and explanation of current school policies and practices relating to discipline.
Works with the MS Principal and MS Assistant Principal to develop student schedules with an emphasis on advisory.
Works with counselors to review class rosters and student schedules paying close attention to group dynamics and any potential issues such as gender imbalance.
Oversees the assignment of students to Advisory groups organizing input advisors and Grade Level Coordinators and Counselors.
Assists in creating special schedules in response to assemblies and events, ensuring coordination with the Lower School and High School as needed.
Designs and implements a Middle School Peer Leadership program in the upcoming years.
Supports the development of Service-Learning program.
Expand upon the clubs and activity offerings.
Monitors, assists, and evaluates effective instruction and assessment practices: An effective leader is knowledgeable about and deeply involved in the design and implantation of the instructional program; Prioritizes effective teaching by visiting classrooms regularly and collaborating with teachers on instructional issues. Develops a working knowledge and ability to lead district initiatives. Participates in professional development regarding district initiatives. Monitors instruction and assessment practices ensuring alignment with the School Improvement Plan. Assists staff in developing required student growth plans and identifying valid, reliable sources of evidence to effectiveness. Assists staff in implementing effective instruction and assessment practices. Reliably and validly evaluates staff in effective instruction and assessment practices.
Serve as a member of the Middle School Admission Committee.
Performs all other job-related duties.

Minimum Qualifications:
Successful completion of a master's degree in related field, with a minimum of 6 years secondary teaching experience and/or administrative experience.
Valid Administrative License issued by NM PED
Valid Teaching License issued by NM PED
Demonstrated ability to apply and effectively use a variety of personal and family counseling models.
Skills and ability to serve as an educational leader including the ability to plan, organize, and facilitate staff meetings, planning processes, and cultural community projects and events.
Strong assessment, analytical and diagnostic skills.

Physical and Environmental Requirements:
The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk, move about, hear, and speak.
The employee must routinely lift and carry materials weighing up to 50 lbs. and may be required to restrain students weighing more than 100 lbs., most typically when required intervene in student safety issues.
May be required to break up fights.
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to focus.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee occasionally works in outside weather conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet/or humid conditions, fumes, or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals. It may be expected that the individual could be exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials during their duties.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate but can be loud on occasion.

The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned.