Dean of Culture

VOICE Charter School (http://www.voicecharterschool.org/) is an elementary and middle school located in Long Island City, Queens that serves about 650 students across grades K-8. We are located just minutes from Manhattan (two stops outside of Manhattan on the F, N, and W train lines) and Long Island City's growing waterfront district, thriving arts community, and rapid residential growth. We are looking to identify extraordinary educators and administrators committed to urban education who wish to join a dynamic professional learning community.

Position Responsibilities:

The Dean of Culture promotes a healthy school culture by training, supervising, and evaluating classroom assistants, and overseeing student discipline. Additionally, the Dean of Culture will create and manage VOICE's advisory program and school-wide activities that enhance student and staff social-emotional well-being. The Dean of Culture focuses on building and sustaining a positive, structured school climate, which blends student discipline, family communication, staff support, and schoolwide culture systems

Major Responsibilities:Student Discipline

1. Support student discipline, conflict resolution, and restorative practices.
2. Implement proactive best practices that supports both students and staff to foster a positive school culture.
3. Work with staff, administrators, and families to address behavioral concerns.
4. Developing content for and delivering professional development on student discipline.
5. Modeling, training, and coaching new and selected staff on VOICE discipline strategies.
6. Investigating and resolving student disciplinary matters daily.
7. Maintaining student discipline-related documents and procedures.
8. Reviewing staff incident reports and communicating incidents to the school leadership team.
9. Investigating and resolving disciplinary matters:
• Review incident reports
• Maintain required discipline documentation
• Implement thoughtful natural consequences to address student misbehavior
• Review parent notes as needed.
• Conduct suspension hearings for all grades.
• Initiate and maintain communication with families regarding student behavior.
• Trigger alternate instruction for suspension.

Student Culture

1. Development and implement an aligned advisory program that fosters cognitive and moral development.
2. Collaborating with a variety of stakeholders to design and implement proactive strategies to promote positive student culture
3. Ensuring physical environment reflects the spirit and vision of culture at our school
4. Implementing proactive strategies to engage families; attending and facilitating relevant events
5. Providing student information as requested for special education, ACS, social work, or other parties
6. Ensuring school day transition procedures are followed by faculty
7. Creating and managing school-wide activities that enhance student social-emotional well-being and values comprehension
8. Coordinating onboarding for students who are new to VOICE

Training, Development and Supervision

1. Developing and implementing internal professional development for staff.
2. Employ strategies in developing supervisees and cultivating team culture, which may include but is not limited to leading team check-ins and participating in 1:1 meetings.
3. Supervise and support individual supervises' professional development and job responsibilities, which may include but is not limited to providing coaching, feedback, training and helping to manage conflicts as appropriate.
4. Provide supervisees with regular performance evaluations through VOICE's formal mid-year and end-of-year performance evaluation processes.
5. Observe and provide feedback to teachers
6. Develop and implement coaching plans that are measurable and goal-driven
7. Model instructional strategies as needed.
8. Identifying and coordinating classroom assistant participation in external professional development offerings.
9. Envisioning, developing content for, and leading weekly classroom assistant meetings, oftentimes engaging assistants with core practices and the study of values and/or teaching techniques.
10. Modeling behavior management and instructional strategies for classroom assistants and what effective support looks like.
11. Observing and providing feedback to classroom assistants both formally and informally.
12. Communicating classroom assistant progress and needs to the instructional leadership team.
13. Creating, implementing and following up on assistant evaluations and working with faculty to give input on assistant performance.
14. Creating and tracking goals for assistants.
15. Organizing and leading assistant leadership initiatives; providing socio-emotional support for assistants and identifying them for growth opportunities at VOICE.

Duties Supervision

1. Supervising deployment of assistants to morning and afternoon duties to ensure safe transitions to and from class; remaining available in case of emergencies
2. Supervising lunch and recess to ensure adequate lunch time for students and safe play.
3. Work with teachers, counselors, administrators, and families to address behavioral concerns.
4. Ensure general coverage as appropriate

Culture Team

1. Design and implement teacher professional development based on identified cultural needs
2. Communicating classroom assistant progress and needs to the instructional leadership team
3. Communicating with the Assistant Principal and Principal weekly on assistant progress and needs

Position Qualifications:

Educational Background and Work Experience

• Bachelors and Master degrees from accredited college or university
• Valid NY State Teacher Certification
• 3+ years of classroom teaching experience with improvements in student achievement
• Preferred: 2+ years of leadership experience (e.g. instructional coach, team leader)
• Preferred: Experience working in an urban school setting

Knowledge

• VOICE's mission, vision, values, and culture
• Tact and sensitivity, including but not limited to adhering to confidentiality obligations such as mandated reporting as part of child protection
• Familiarity with restorative practices and the implementation of both staff and student facing best practices.
• Experience with advisory programs and the creation and implementation of SEL lessons within a structured grade level curriculum.

Skills and Abilities

• Effective skills in self-management including but not limited to meeting deadlines, effective prioritization of tasks, self-organization, managing up, and efficient time and task management
• Strong relationship-building and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to gather and analyze data using defined and differentiated processes
• Ability to build strong and effective collegial relationships as part of an interdisciplinary team of educators and administrators
• Ability to build warm individual relationships with students.
• Ability to communicate and build relationships effectively and appropriately with a diverse range of individuals, including but not limited to current and prospective students and families, colleagues, and external partners.
• Staff-Wide Competencies for Specialists:
• Effective Self-Management, including but not limited to: Prioritizes time and tasks effectively; Builds relationships with others; Practices continual self- development; Demonstrates effective problem solving; Exercises complete ownership over tasks; Takes initiative; Navigates ambiguity with ease
• Effective Project Management, including but not limited to: Manages up; Proactively engages clients and consultants; Reflects on and incorporates feedback; Engages in thoughtful, strategic, and creative envisioning; Exercises complete ownership over projects; Delegates and holds project helpers accountable for results; Focuses on product and process
• Strong attention to detail and ability to work well in complex systems

Behavioral Characteristics

• Wonder, care, and efficacy
• Commitment, authenticity, and passion
• Critical thinking, including communication, analytical and strategic strengths.
• Constant learning, including resilience and perseverance.
• Strong sense of personal responsibility, including discipline, self-accountability, self-initiative
• Sensitivity to the environment, including humility, empathy, and kindness

[Please note: All offers of employment are contingent upon the employee meeting all prerequisite job qualifications by the first day of employment.]

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary range is $75,000 to $105,000. Compensation is competitive and based on experience and education.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including participation in a pre-tax commuter benefits program and partial reimbursement for monthly commuting expenses, gym reimbursement, cultural enrichment reimbursements, participation in the Teachers Retirement System pension program, frequent access to baked goods, and many opportunities to get to know your VOICE colleagues!

How to Apply: Please submit an electronic application (including a VOICE-specific cover letter and resume) at https://voicecharterschool.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx