Middle School Dean of Student Life

Job Description

Company Description

KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of free, open enrollment, college preparatory public schools dedicated to preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and life. There are 285 KIPP schools across the nation and the District of Columbia, serving more than 175,000 students and alumni with more than 15,000 educators.

Founded in 2008 with 50 students in 5th grade, KIPP Columbus currently educates 2,000 students in grades Kindergarten through twelfth. With a mission to, together with families and the community, create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose -- college, career, and beyond -- KIPP has maintained excellence in its growth, and will improve upon that standard – proving what is possible in public education.

KIPP Columbus continues to rank as one of the top schools for academic growth of any school in the state of Ohio, and is a top performing urban school in the state for academic growth. In our first three graduating classes (in spring 2020, 2021, and 2022) 100% of students were accepted to college and/or military service with nearly $40 million in merit scholarships from colleges and universities awarded.

In addition to academic excellence, KIPP Columbus also partners with nearly 100 community organizations to provide extracurricular activities, programming, health and wellness services, meals, and more to KIPP students, families, and the broader community. KIPP is also a member of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, offering more than 10 varsity sports.

The KIPP Columbus learning campus will continue to advance student learning, expand partnerships, enable superior programming, and serve as a teaching and leadership lab for schools nationwide, reimagining education through a deeper lens of antiracism, excellence, and joy as we expand to educate nearly 4,000 students on our learning campus in the coming years.

Interested in learning more about our school? Please check out our website:

The Opportunity

The Dean of Student Life is a key member of the school leadership team and is responsible for fostering a positive, proactive, and responsive school culture. The Dean of Student Life will oversee the learning environment and community across the school, ensuring a culture is created where each and every student can be successful.Job Description

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Establishing, Maintaining, and Celebrating a Positive School Culture and Climate

Set and uphold high standards for school culture, including behavior, academic performance, and attendance.

Own the school’s social emotional curriculum and philosophies and ensure it builds and reinforces positive self-identity and necessary character strengths

Partner with families to build an authentic school-wide community, including organizing events

Lead recognition assemblies, families academies, community meetings and other school-wide culture building activities

Facilitate staff trainings on student-teacher relationships, classroom management, family partnership and school culture

Coordinate school-wide social emotional learning programs

Coordinate weekly celebrations and community meetings

Work with and through student leadership groups to build student culture and incentives

Set learning environment goals, including family engagement, designing systems to meet goals, tracking progress to goals, and designing celebrations and recognition

Establishing, Maintaining, and Celebrating a Culture Rooted in Relationships and Restoration

Lead school-wide efforts in developing a restorative culture rooted in student achievement

Assist staff, students, and families in creation and implementation of individual behavior plans

Support implementation of individual behavior plans for consistency and adjustments as needed

As needed, work directly with students in individual and small group settings with direct instruction on social skills and social emotional development

Work closely and effectively with children who have/are experiencing trauma

Coordinating re-entry meetings with staff and families of students when appropriate

Attend and facilitate professional development on restorative practices with our staff

Serve as an advocate for core groups of students to engage families and teachers effectively and meaningfully to support student success

Keep accurate student records, documenting all incident reports, conferences, suspensions, and phone calls for behavior

Following KIPP Columbus policies, determine in and out of school interventions

Support student tier 2 and tier 3 interventions, including out of class time with core group of students, in order to promote restorative culture

Support team members who responds to in-the-moment tier 2 and tier 3 interventions

Support operations staff in developing a welcoming, affirming, and positive environment that promotes restorative culture

Team and Family Support and Access

Support families in accessing community resources for immediate and external needs

Meet regularly with the culture team and regional counterparts in order to ensure consistent educational experiences

Analyze operational and academic data such as attendance, behavior, grades, etc. in order to identify students that need more support

Lead family facing intervention efforts in order to ensure student needs are met

Proactively communicates and meets with families on a regular basis

Support teachers in cultivating and upholding a culture of achievement

Ensure alignment of school practices to school-wide priorities

Support day-to-day operations of the school, including regular data monitoring and progress towards goals

Model, promote, and coach others toward effective communication with families, cultivating engagement in their child’s success and the KIPP Columbus mission

Directly coach a cohort of teachers around learning links curriculum, data analysis, and culture of achievement

Coach and provide support for struggling classrooms, modeling or co-teaching if necessaryQualifications

Bachelor’s degree

Minimum of three years of successful, full-time, lead teaching experience

Minimum of 1 year of school leadership or teacher-leadership experience

Experience in analyzing student data and using data to inform instruction

Strong track record of results and leadership in a school setting

Current Ohio Teaching License or willingness and ability to pursue certification by start date

Belief that outstanding school leaders, staff, and teachers can achieve excellent outcomes for all students

Ability to persevere with a sense of optimism, strong problem solving skills, and desire to learn and grow in a collaborative professional learning community

Willingness, and commitment, to go above and beyond to prove the possible with students.

Ability to multi-task and work within an ambiguous, fast-moving, start-up environment, while driving toward clarity and solutions

Excellent written and oral communication skills

Extreme flexibility, with a strong work ethic and an entrepreneurial spirit to accommodate high levels of responsibility and multiple priorities

Model the values of KIPP Columbus (Imagine, Navigate, Seek, Persevere, Integrity, Responsibility, and Empathy)

Additional Information

Compensation and Benefits

At KIPP Columbus we strive for clarity, equity, and to be highly competitive with our compensation and benefits offered to our team. KIPP Columbus offers a robust benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurances as well various voluntary benefits (such as short term disability, long term disability, life insurance, and participation in the Ohio SERS/STRS retirement plan.) We also offer seasons of life support with 10 weeks paid maternity leave and 4 weeks paid spousal leave/adoption leave.

Statement of Non-Disclosure

KIPP Columbus is committed to a policy of equal treatment for all individuals applying to the school for consideration of any position (admission, employment, etc.). KIPP Columbus does not discriminate on the basis of disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that is contained in the definition of hate crimes set forth in Section 4112.02 of the Ohio Revised Code.