Dean of School Culture
All Subjects, Kindergarten – Grade 12
Start Date:
end of June 2015
Location:
Hartford, CT; New Haven, CT; Bridgeport, CT; Brooklyn, NY; Providence, RI
About Achievement First:
Achievement First, a non-profit 501(c)3 charter school management organization, will operate 29 public
charter schools in Brooklyn, Connecticut and Rhode Island for the 2014-15 school year. The mission of
Achievement First is to close the achievement gap and deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity
for all children, regardless of race or economic status. Achievement First currently educates more than 9,100
students in historically underserved and underserved neighborhoods, with over 90% of our students
identifying as Black and Latino. With its college-preparatory focus, the Achievement First approach is attaining
breakthrough academic gains throughout the network. Beyond our students and schools, Achievement First is
an engaged and prominent partner in the larger conversation about how to improve public education and
student achievement in our country.
Achievement First’s approach to teaching and learning enables every student to succeed at the highest levels.
This involves:
 Recruiting and developing successful teachers and school leaders and empowering them to use
student data to strategically drive instruction;
 Creating a joyful school culture where it is “cool to be smart” that emphasizes character education and
focuses students on college;
 Providing students with more time on task and intense intervention when they are struggling so that
no child falls through the cracks.
For more information about Achievement First’s mission, approach, schools and team, please visit our website
at www.achievementfirst.org.
Leading at Achievement First:
Achievement First invites energetic educators to apply for the position of Dean of School Culture for the 201516 school year. This is an ideal position for a strong teacher or leader who would like to gain experience and
development in leadership, systems and project management and school culture. Each school has a dean of
school culture, academic dean, director of school operations and principal. These leaders collaborate to
ensure all students show dramatic student achievement gains and develop strong character skills to succeed in
college and beyond. The Dean of School Culture exemplifies Achievement First’s REACH values (Respect,
Enthusiasm, Achievement, Citizenship & Hard Work) and guides the student body to promote them. S/he has
a vision of excellence and leads the school in building and maintaining a positive, high-standards, achievementoriented school culture where students flourish. The Dean of School Culture models how to build strong,
mutually respectful relationships with students and families and supports teachers to do the same. In addition
to serving on the school’s leadership team, s/he coaches a portfolio of teachers, takes leadership of a
particular subject or grade level, teaches one to two sections of students and facilitates high-impact
professional development for staff. This position requires a creative and inspiring educator with adult
leadership experience, high energy, excellent organizational abilities and a talent for creating a warm and
supportive environment for children.
Achievement First is an equal opportunity employer
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Essential Responsibilities of the Dean of School Culture include but are not limited to:
Establish a structured, positive and inspiring school culture:
 Own the school’s character development program and ensure it builds and reinforces positive selfidentity and necessary character strengths.
 Lead recognition assemblies, parent workshops, family and community service events and other
school-wide culture-building activities.
 Partner with parents and families to build authentic school-wide community.
 Coordinate and implement a school-wide behavior management system with meaningful incentives
and consequences.
 Work closely and effectively with children who have behavior challenges and their families; partner
with school counselor and teachers to execute individualized behavior interventions when needed.
 Facilitate staff trainings on student-teacher relationships, classroom management, parent partnership
and school culture.
 Conduct regular school culture walkthroughs to help staff maintain a high bar of excellence.
 Supervise school entry, breakfast, lunch, dismissal, and transitions to ensure they are orderly and
positive.
 Accurately monitor and analyze daily student attendance, homework and discipline records; create
new systems and structures to proactively address school’s areas of need.
Demonstrate exceptional teacher leadership:
 Directly coach a portfolio of teachers to help them master the Achievement First Essentials of Effective
Instruction.
 Train teachers to develop clear and consistent classroom expectations and routines.
 Support teachers in building meaningful relationships with students and parents.
 Observe lessons and provide targeted and actionable feedback to teachers.
 Write thorough, thoughtful, actionable Professional Growth Plans (PGPs) for portfolio of teachers.
 Model great instruction in teaching.
Serve as an active member of the school leadership team
 Participate in regular leadership team meetings.
 Lead staff trainings at start and end of school year and on professional development days.
 Work closely with academic dean to support high-achievement academic culture.
 Assist teacher leaders (e.g., coaches, grade team leaders) in developing leadership skills.
 Model the Achievement First professional and core values at all times; be a visible and highly engaged
leader in the school community.
Desired Skills and Characteristics:
 Exemplary instructional and classroom management skills.
 Proven track record of meeting extremely high standards for student achievement.
 High level of personal organization and planning.
 Excellent communication skills with diverse constituents (teachers, parents, children, board members);
clear writer, facilitator and public speaker.
 Proven ability to proactively lead by example, effectively manage adults, and respond positively to
feedback.
 Team player; maturity, humility, strong work ethic, follow-through, sense of humor, and “roll-up-mysleeves” attitude.
 Strong belief in the Achievement First mission and educational model.
Achievement First is an equal opportunity employer
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Qualifications
 A bachelor’s degree from a competitive college or university; master’s degree preferred.
 At least 3 years of urban teaching experience with a record of high student achievement.
 Experience leading and managing adults.
Compensation
Salary for this position is competitive and commensurate with experience. Additionally, Achievement First
offers a comprehensive benefits package.
To Learn More About AF and to Apply
Please visit the Achievement First careers site at http://www.achievementfirst.org/careers/.
We have four application deadlines for all school leader positions throughout the year. Please submit your
application by one of the deadlines below. A member of our team will reach out regarding next steps following
the deadline.
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First Deadline – November 3rd, 2014
Second Deadline – January 12th, 2015
Third Deadline – March 23rd, 2015
Fourth Deadline – May 4th, 2015
Achievement First is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. People from all
diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Spanish language proficiency is a plus. You can learn
more about diversity at Achievement First here: http://www.achievementfirst.org/about-us/diversity/.
Achievement First is an equal opportunity employer
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