Academic Dean

(Full Time, Certification Preferred)

Position Description

Educators for Quality Alternatives

EQA serves students who have dropped out, been expelled from, or have struggled academically or behaviorally in traditional settings and are looking for an accelerated path to graduation. There are three high school campuses, The NET: Central City which opened in 2011, The NET: Gentilly which opened in 2017, and a third high school campus, The NET: East/ New Orleans Accelerated High School (NOAH), which opened in 2020 as a merger with ReNEW Accelerated High School. Students at the high schools earn a high school diploma and participate in internships, career counseling, and career training in various fields including construction, medical, and digital media. EQA also serves middle school students through The Bridge Middle School, a therapeutic program for 7th and 8th grade struggling students. For all settings, our goal is that our students leave school with the skills, confidence and experience necessary to succeed in the career and education path of their choice.

Why become a leader at EQA Schools?

We believe that our students, who are some of the city’s brightest and most vulnerable young people, thrive when their teachers do. We know that teachers deserve strong leadership to make this happen. In this role, you have a unique opportunity to leverage your leadership skills to benefit our staff and students. You will be part of a close knit team that works collaboratively to support students. With your guidance, you can work towards helping our city’s youth in developing to their greatest potential.

Roles and Responsibilities

Coach, develop, and manage teachers

• Work with the Principal to manage and develop teaching staff
• Design and provide both group and individualized professional development which is responsive and tailored to school-wide and teacher-specific needs
• Observe and give feedback to teachers on a bi-weekly basis
• Meet with teachers on a weekly basis to provide both strategic direction and responsive support
• Design and provide high quality interventions and support to struggling teachers
• Set and monitor teacher progress toward student learning targets and professional goals

Develop high quality curriculum and assessments

• Develop and maintain a knowledge base in the NET’s pedagogical practices (including but not limited to: Understanding by Design, Project Based Learning, Differentiated Instruction, Academic Mindsets, Deeper Learning)
• Ensure that instructional staff understand and are working to develop classrooms and curricula that support NET Pedagogy and effectively reach all students
• Stay current on national and international trends and best practices in both alternative and traditional education
• Research, select, design and implement high quality curricula, assessments and systems for school’s varied instructional settings/approaches
• Develop rigorous, authentic assessments to accurately gauge student understanding & skills
• Collect and analyze a variety of data to assess student’s strengths, gaps, and growth areas
• Use this information to appropriately adjust course curriculum and delivery and individualize approaches and supports

Teach, co-teach, and model high quality instruction

We believe in putting the strongest staff with our most struggling students so all NET leaders work directly with students. Academic Deans typically teach or co-teach 1-2 classes or intervention blocks per semester. In addition, they model, substitute, and otherwise support in a variety of classrooms.

Participate in the SBLC, Pupil Appraisal and other student support teams

• Sit on or, as appropriate, chair SBLC, Pupil Appraisal or other student support teams
• Support RtI and Sped teams to insure all students are screened and identified for interventions each semester
• Develop, implement, monitor and adjust school wide and individual student plans and interventions
• Train and support teachers to effectively differentiate
• Monitor and communicate student academic progress with students, parents, and faculty
• Manage, analyze, and report academic data for individual student and school-wide improvement

• Participate in developing Master Schedule and hand-scheduling each student each semester as well as other teams

Build and leverage transformative relationships for student growth

• Participate in all aspects of students’ experience including: intake, RtI, special education, internships, and post high school transition
• Train and support teachers to plan weekly community building activities for each class
• Actively practice restorative approaches and collaborative problem-solving in order to teach students how to take responsibility for improving their behavior and communication

Model collaborative, servant leadership

• Practice EQA Operating Values and the tenets of servant leadership
• Participate in leadership develop opportunities and hone your skillfulness
• Productively participate in school decisions to insure fidelity to mission and vision
• Provide support and back up for Principal, Dean of Students and others as needed
• Provide high quality consultation for long term strategic planning

Constantly developing your own craft

• Set goals for student and staff performance and professional growth
• Actively reflect on your own work and monitor progress toward your goals
• Productively seek, give, and use feedback
• Positively contribute to the school’s collegial community
• Participate in all scheduled professional development activities and seek out additional opportunities
• Involve yourself in the continual development and improvement of the school’s curriculum, culture, and program.

Position Requirements:

• 5-10+ years experience effectively teaching at risk high school students
• 2-5+ years effectively leading and coaching adults
• BA required; MA or MEd Preferred; Teacher Certificate Preferred
• Specialized interest and skills in working with students with learning and emotional difficulties
• Diverse and effective instructional methods for student engagement and academic growth
• Careful, detail oriented data management and analysis skills

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, relationship building & management skills
• Flexible and learning mindset dedicated to effectively and innovatively problem solving and constantly improving
• Passion for improving educational opportunities for urban students and for being a part of a strong, mission-driven team
• Commitment to EQA’s mission, vision and growth

Details

• Start Date: June 2023
• Schedule: All full time EQA positions are year-round. As a leadership position, this position requires additional on and off site hours.
• Salary: Initial salary is set based on years of experience and degrees. Future salary increases and bonuses are based on performance and responsibilities.
• Benefits: Comprehensive benefits and 403b retirement plan
• Reports to: Principal

EQA encourages individuals of all identities and backgrounds to apply for this position. We are an equal opportunity employer, fully committed to hiring a talented and diverse group of individuals. EQA does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, national origin or ancestry, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other category protected by applicable law. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. Being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment. EQA does not sponsor employment visas.

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