Dean Protocol Approval Process (Draft)
Dean Protocol – New Schools
A distributed leadership model is essential to our Blueprint plan for new schools. The role of the Dean
was created to provide this distributed leadership model. Therefore, all new schools will be required to
implement the Dean model. Because Deans are required in new schools, the provision of grant funding
for a full Dean model is not recommended.
Dean Protocol – Existing Schools
Existing Title I Schoolwide1 schools that express a desire to move to a distributed leadership model may
already be obligated to fulfill certain foundation2 budget requirements before they can fully implement
the Dean model. Examples of budget requirements may include positions and salaries for which a
school is already committed. These commitments will be relieved when employees are promoted,
transferred, or terminated. Given the NHA average for staff turnover, we expect fulfillment of
personnel commitments to naturally occur over the course of time. As the school’s foundation budget
requirements are fulfilled and additional revenue becomes available, schools will be able to fund Deans
from their foundation budget. While the school is working toward this end, it may want to start
grooming its instructional leadership for a Dean and, eventually, a Principal position (i.e., begin building
leadership capacity and succession planning within the school).
In many schools, Title I funds are leveraged to hire some of the school’s most high-quality instructional
staff. High-quality instructional staff often includes Title I-funded Reading Specialists, Academic
Specialists, and Instructional Coaches that serve in leadership positions for the school. Due to the
correlation between strong instructional staff, Title I, and leadership, it is natural for schools consider
the people who fill these positions for promotion to a Dean.
To this end, schools that have expressed a desire to move to the Dean model, but that do not yet have
full foundation funding available, may seek grant monies to split fund their Title I-funded employees
with the foundation budget when that Title-I funded employee is being considered for a Dean position.
The reason for their request for a partial Dean/Coach position is to allow the school to start grooming
instructional leadership for a full-time Dean position.
It is important to note that schools expressing a desire to move to the Dean model are making a decision
to move to a required, non-supplemental management model that will require a shift in funding over
time. Therefore, school leadership will need to complete a transition plan that outlines their school’s
long-term plan for funding the Dean model with foundation funds.
In some instances, it may be possible for Deans to be fully funded by grants. For example, in a Title I
Schoolwide setting, the school may employ 15+ grant funded staff which may require a full-time
program manager, or Dean, to oversee the grant-funded staff and programs. In this instance,
Intervention Services will seek grant funds to fully cover the cost of a Title I or At-Risk Programs
Coordinator (aka Dean). However, the position title in Lawson would need to mirror the grant
application and could not be titled Dean.
1
We are not likely to receive grant approval to split-fund Deans and Coaches/Student Family Liaison in a Targeted
Assistance school.
2
Foundation is defined as the state and local aid schools receive on a per-pupil basis.
Requests to split-fund a Dean will be considered3 by the Intervention Services Dept. as long as the
following conditions are met:
 School leadership (i.e. Principal and Director of School Quality) completes a transition plan to fully
fund the Dean(s) from foundation funds over a period of 4 years. In this manner, the Dean position
will be fully funded by foundation funds within a maximum of 5 years.
 School leadership agrees to fund a minimum of 40% of the FTE with foundation funds in the first
year, transitioning to an increasing % covered by the foundation budget each year until the position
is 100% funded by the foundation budget. 40% of the FTE, or the portion funded by the regular
budget, must cover all duties related to supervision of employees, administration (including
classroom coverage), and discipline.
 School leadership ensures the FTE funded by grants will fulfill one of the following job descriptions:
 Reading, Math, or Academic Specialist – including direct services for students and
logging services in AtSchool
 Instructional Coach – including professional development for staff, including record
keeping related to feedback and training provided for employees.
 Student-Family Liaison – including direct services for students and logging services in
AtSchool.
 While the employee’s 1st position will be Dean, their 2nd position, which is funded by grants, will
reflect the appropriate title in Lawson (i.e., Reading Specialist or another of the aforementioned
positions, depending on assigned duties). These employees need to sign all correspondence (i.e.
email, letters, business cards, etc) with both titles.
 School leadership agrees to attend Dean professional development sessions offered by Todd McKee.
 The school’s Business Analyst agrees to foundation funding for Dean portion of the position.
 School leadership agrees to fulfill time tracking requirements4.
 School leadership completes the necessary arrangements for top-grading with People Development
(i.e., Dayna Traynor).
 School leadership receives the approval of Al Wetherell.5
 Direct supervision of staff will be included in the Dean responsibilities and reflected in the
management expectations and systems. This includes:
 Lawson updates to reflect Deans providing direct supervision to staff. This includes
Deans being accountable for Manager tasks including personnel actions, time approval,
etc.
 Deans supervising between 8-15 staff, with a target of no more than 15 direct reports
per Dean.
 Principals will provide direct supervision to Deans and office staff.
 Updates to the performance evaluation system (forms and rubrics) to focus on the
leadership components of the Dean role
Note: There are implications for tuition reimbursement, bonuses, and extended year work schedule
expectations that need to be addressed with People Services and the school’s leadership prior to
extending an offer to the Dean candidate.
In order to document the fulfillment of all requirements associated with the Dean model, the following
form should be completed and filed with People Services. Please complete one form for each Dean
3
Dependent upon state department of education approval.
New federal guidance requires employees funded by more than one cost objective to track their hourly activities
to ensure compliance with funding sources (i.e. complete PARs every 2 weeks).
5
Once all requirements are met, Al will coordinate with People Services for appropriate Lawson change requests.
4
Dean Model Request
 School leadership provides a transition plan to fully fund the Dean(s) from foundation funds within 4
years.
Amount funded by foundation:
Year 1 percentage (min 40%): ________
Amount funded by Title I:
Year 1 percentage (max 60%)
_______
Year 2 percentage:
________
Year 2 percentage:
_______
Year 3 percentage:
________
Year 3 percentage:
_______
Year 4 percentage:
________
Year 3 percentage:
_______
Year 5 percentage:
____100%
Year 4 percentage:
0%
 School leadership selects one of the following job descriptions for the portion of the position funded
by grants (select only one):
 Reading Specialist
 Math Specialist
 Academic Specialist
 Instructional Coach
 Student-Family Liaison
 School leadership agrees to fulfill all requirements, including time tracking (PARs every 2 weeks),
professional development with Todd McKee, adherence to allowable job duties based on FTE
funding, and communication of appropriate titles to employee and in Lawson.
Signature of assurance from Principal: _______________________________________________
Signature of assurance from DSQ: __________________________________________________
 The school’s Business Analyst agrees to foundation funding for Dean portion of the position as
outlined in the first bullet.
Signature of approval from Business Analyst: _________________________________________
 The Dean is top-graded by Talent Acquisition (i.e., Emily Hart).
Signature of approval from Emily Hart: _____________________________________________
 School leadership obtains approval from Al Wetherell.
Signature of approval from Al Wetherell: _____________________________________________
 People Services receives requests and sets up position in Lawson with appropriate titles and
coordinates formal offer for candidate with People Development.
Signature of approval/completion from People Services: ________________________________
Intervention Services will scan the Principal and DSQ signatures to Al Wetherell, Allan Fawcett, and
Emily Hart via email.