Academic Dean - Private High School

SailFuture•St. Petersburg, FL

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The SailFuture Academy is a private non-profit high school in St. Petersburg, Florida, serving families in poverty and system-involved youth. We aim to make exceptional education accessible to hard-to-reach youth, empowering them towards economic freedom and social mobility through a pragmatic high school experience. Our curriculum includes foundational academic and character development in 9th and 10th grade, an in-house internship in 11th grade, and an external apprenticeship in 12th grade. A unique component is a 7-week international rite-of-passage sailing expedition. We are seeking a creative, passionate, and experienced leader for the Academic Dean role, who shares our vision for project-based education that equips young people with an entrepreneurial mindset and the core skills for the 'real world.' The Academic Dean reports to the Head of School and is responsible for overseeing all academic affairs, teacher leadership, and curriculum development. This role requires both thought leadership and execution skills, with a focus on developing and implementing real-world curriculum across seven key disciplines: Applied Mathematics, English Language Arts, Maritime Leadership, Social Emotional Learning, Design Lab, Pathways, and Business. While not expected to be a subject matter expert in all areas, the candidate must demonstrate an ability to learn, problem-solve, and author engaging high school-level classroom experiences. Day-to-day duties include lesson planning, curriculum writing, direct instruction, administrative tasks, teacher coaching, and classroom observations. This is a year-round position.

Requirements

Possesses a ‘whatever it takes’ mentality
Demonstrated portfolio of work in project based learning
Successful track record working with, or developing curriculum for at-risk youth populations
Has experience leading and managing teams
Passionate about reimagining education
Collaborative in their approach
Lead by example and be excited to work in the trenches

Responsibilities

Assisting in the leadership and development of hands-on learning experiences, curriculum, lesson planning, and assignment creation.
Faculty Recruitment
Faculty training and onboarding
Faculty supervision and classroom management
Curriculum development, oversight, and managing supply/material ordering
Manage all academic tools, including LMS systems, NWEA, School Information System, Notion Curriculum Database, Google Drive, and more.
Manage and implement NWEA Map testing
Oversee academic probation, parent notifications, and student accountability
Serve as the primary point of contact for academic affairs between parent, teachers, and the school
Oversee end of term student showcases
Curriculum supply storage and organization