24-25 Dean of Culture- Legacy College Prep

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.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Dean of Culture's job is to support Legacy College Prep in driving strong student culture and by extension, strong experiences academic outcomes as a member of the school's leadership team. Deans of Culture build strong relationships with staff, students, and families and have a deep understanding of both the purpose and structures of behavioral systems. Deans of Culture rely on both these relationships and systems to plan for and respond to student behavioral needs and work collectively with vice principals to support the grade level instructionally and culturally.. While Deans of Culture may or may not directly manage teachers and/or staff, all Deans of Culture are responsible for setting the standards with student interactions, upholding systems surrounding student behavior, and building staff capacity .

This specific role will be supporting our 9th grade team (teachers, students, and families) at Legacy College Prep. This role will oversee all of 9th grade, including managing 9th grade teachers and students. This is an exempt role, reporting to the principal. This is a full-time, in-person role.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Vision and Goals
   • Support development of school leader's school-wide vision and takes 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 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 implementing systems and initiatives around school and team priorities
   • Prioritize and manage own time to deliver on short and long-term goals or priorities
   • Support teachers in planning and prioritizing their time

1. School Culture
   • Lead an affirming and joyful culture for students; monitor, follow in and refine PBIS systems
   • Supports teachers in leading classrooms with high-quality Tier 1 student learning and engagement and develops and supports Tier 2 and 3 plans for specific students
   • Plans for and predictably responds to student behavior that doesn't meet school culture expectations. Coaches, supports and follows up with teachers in service of empowering them to do the same
   • 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.)
   • 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
   • Maintain calm and poise in unpredictable, potentially stressful, situations
   • Leads weekly grade level meetings, community meetings, and monthly parent meetings
   • Conduct student and family mediations
   • Check grades and communicate with teachers about any concerns weekly
   • Manage and support student attendance, school-wide discipline, incidents, and referrals.
   • Support school-wide instructional goals including, but not limited to academic check-ins with students, incentive programs, instructional goals, and other data-driven initiatives.
   • Ensure implementation/execution of any and all grade level responsibilities communicated through GLM agendas set by the assistant school leaders and the school leader.
   • Define and support grade level culture and family communication.
   • Manage progress towards team goals.
   • Coordinate Student Fields Trips and Activities (Saturday School, Field Trips/Events, Family)
   • Serve as a liaison between the leadership team and grade level.
   • Manage grade-level logistics for all grade-level events.
   • Coach and support teachers and classes with behavior management systems alongside teachers' instructional managers.
   • Support students and families of concern, behavioral issues across the grade level, and parent concerns.
   • Communicate with relevant staff regarding severe discipline issues and students and families of concern.
   • 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 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.

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.

• Support the leadership team in executing school operational systems such as arrival and dismissal, mealtimes, and attendance

• 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

• Bachelor's degree (required)
• Minimum of four years of teaching (required)
• 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)

• 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.