Position descriptionGeffen Academy seeks an experienced, collaborative, and student-centered educational leader to serve as Middle School Dean of Students. Reporting to the Middle School Division Director, the Dean leads the systems, programs, and partnerships that support student well-being, academic success, engagement, and belonging.
The Middle School Dean serves as a central connector among students, families, Educators, counselors, learning specialists, and administrators, ensuring that students receive coordinated academic, social-emotional, and developmental support. The Dean oversees student support systems, student life programming, and community-building initiatives while fostering a positive and inclusive Middle School culture.
The Dean may supervise one part-time student worker who will help with the coordination of student life functions and tasks and partners closely with the Student Programs and Operations Coordinator to ensure effective implementation of student academic and behavioral support and student life systems and activities. Major divisional initiatives, significant student matters, and high-level programming decisions are developed in partnership with and subject to approval by the Middle School Division Director.
Anticipated start date is January 2027.
Essential Responsibilities Student Support and Student Success
- Lead the Middle School Student Academic and Behavioral Support Teams and coordinate systems that support students experiencing academic, social-emotional, attendance, or engagement challenges. Promote the ongoing creation and implementation of student support initiatives
- Partner with Academic Dean(s) in oversight, referral, and progress monitoring of Academic Lab for Middle School Students and, in partnership with educators, manage issues of academic integrity.
- Develop and oversee intervention processes in partnership with counselors, learning specialists, Educators, and families.
- Facilitate student support meetings and ensure effective communication, implementation, and follow-through of support plans.
- Monitor and communicate student progress and trends through academic, attendance, and engagement data.
- Serve as the primary coordinator of communication among families, Educators, counselors, learning specialists, and administrators regarding student academic and behavioral issues.
- Collaborate with the Associate Middle School Dean to implement and monitor academic and behavioral support plans and related student support processes.
- Create and maintain a detailed annual master workflow plan containing major events, deadlines, collaborators and essential responsibilities driving annual student engagement activities. Work with partners such as the Events Manager, the Business Office, supervisor and others to ensure advance planning is executed; work to resolve programmatic and organizational issues swiftly and efficiently.
Student Life, Community, and Culture
- Serve as the primary leader for Middle School student life, community-building, and culture.
- Design and oversee Middle School traditions, Community Times, celebrations, orientations, grade-level experiences, and student leadership opportunities.
- Foster a culture of belonging, inclusion, engagement, and positive student relationships.
- Collaborate with students and Educators to ensure student voice informs divisional programming and decision-making.
- Participate in and maintain a visible presence throughout the school day and at school events.
- Partner with colleagues across divisions to support school-wide programming and community initiatives.
- Manage and/or support culminating events, including 8th grade Promotion.
- Lead planning on signature Middle School events, such as UCLA Day.
- Communicate and enforce school rules and the student Honor Code, submit referrals to the health, counseling and learning specialist offices as needed. Manage behavioral plans, suspensions, and restorative justice initiatives and interactions.
- Create and maintain current records on designated platforms, the school's cloud network, BOX and others as directed.
Family Communication and Risk Management
- Serve as a primary point of contact for families regarding student academic and behavioral support, student well-being, and Middle School life.
- Build strong partnerships among families, Educators, counselors, learning specialists, and school leaders.
- Communicate proactively with all stakeholders regarding student progress, support plans, and divisional initiatives.
- Support families in navigating available student support resources and services.
- Design and execute proactive outreach strategies to ensure families remain well-informed regarding divisional initiatives, events, and the Middle School experience.
- Cultivate meaningful partnerships with families rooted in mutual trust and a spirit of collaboration.
- Support implementation of the School's Comprehensive Safety Plan and Continuity of Operations Plan.
- Create and maintain current records on designated platforms, such as August Schools, the school's cloud network, BOX and others as directed. .
- Ensure field trip protocols, including the Chaperone policies and procedures are implemented. Record and report incidents to the supervisor as needed.
- Submit event requests and reservations via appropriate platforms as directed.
Leadership and Supervision
- Serve as a member of the Middle School Leadership Team and contribute to divisional planning and decision-making.
- Supervise, mentor, support, and evaluate student worker(s), as needed.
- Partner with the Associate Dean to ensure alignment between student support, student accountability, and community culture efforts.
- Collaborate with the Student Programs and Operations Coordinator to oversee attendance monitoring, student support systems, and student life logistics.
- Develop recommendations related to student support, student life, and community culture for consideration by the Middle School Division Director.
- Support the implementation of divisional and school-wide priorities as directed by the Middle School Division Director.
Department: https://www.geffenacademy.ucla.edu
Qualifications Basic qualifications - Master's degree required in education, educational leadership, counseling, psychology, or a related field.
- Minimum of five years' experience working with middle school students in an educational setting.
- People management experience is preferred.
- Demonstrated success leading student academic and behavioral support systems, student life activities, and related programs.
- Strong understanding of adolescent development and middle school education.
- Experience collaborating with counselors, learning specialists, Educators, and families to support diverse learners.
- Demonstrated leadership experience.
- Exceptional interpersonal, organizational, facilitation, and communication skills.
- Ability to analyze student data and implement systems that support student success.
- Commitment to equity, inclusion, belonging, and culturally responsive educational practices.
Additional qualifications - A relationship-centered leader who builds trust with students, families, and colleagues.
- A skilled collaborator and systems-builder who develops structures that promote student success and well-being.
- A strong communicator who fosters meaningful partnerships across stakeholder groups.
- An enthusiastic community-builder who creates opportunities for belonging, leadership, and engagement.
- A reflective and innovative educator committed to continuous growth and improvement.
- A visible, approachable presence who contributes positively to the daily life of the Middle School.
- A strong administrator, record manager and skilled and detail-oriented planner.
- An effective assessor of risks, capable of implementing risk management and threat assessments and response plans.
Application RequirementsDocument requirements - Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
- Cover Letter
- Statement of Research (Optional)
- Reference check authorization release form - Complete and upload the reference check authorization release form
- UCLA Mission Statement - As the nation's premier public research university, UC's mission is the creation, dissemination, preservation and application of knowledge for the betterment of our global society. We have a particular responsibility to the people of California which we express in the excellence of the education we provide, the impact of the research we do, the comprehensive, life-saving medical services we provide, and the public service mission we are devoted to. The University of California promotes the social mobility of its students, equips them with the tools and experience that furthers their ambitions, and regards their accomplishments across the life span as evidence of the profoundly positive impact of higher education.
The UCLA campus has expressed these goals in its strategic plan as follows:
Deepen our engagement with Los Angeles
Expand our reach as a global university
Enhance our research and creative activities
Elevate how we teach
Become a more effective institution
Prompt for candidates for recruitment:
Reflecting on your personal and professional experiences, highlight your past contributions and future commitments to advancing UCLA's mission as embodied in the 2023-28 strategic plan. These accomplishments and ambitions may be discussed in the context of describing your teaching, scholarship, and service - Statement of Teaching (Optional)
Reference requirements- 3-5 letters of reference required
A minimum of three professional letters of recommendation must be included when submitting an application. References may be checked before an offer is made.
Apply link: https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF11397
Help contact: hr@geffenacademy.ucla.edu
Job location Los Angeles, CA
