Form Dean-Upper

Ethical Culture Fieldston School•New York, NY

4d•$75,261 - $184,830•Onsite

About The Position

The support that the Form Dean offers is at the heart of what makes Fieldston unique. Deans help the big school feel small and allow for individual attention, an essential part of progressive education. The Dean’s job is a teaching job, involving endless one-to-one lessons, teaching to multiple intelligences and different learning styles, and improvising different lesson plans for many constituencies. They work to foster the intellectual, artistic, emotional, ethical, physical, and social development of each student in the form throughout their Upper School career. In order to accomplish this purpose, the Dean must work closely with individual students and their parents on academic and affective issues, and serve as a resource for the advisors and teachers in the grade. The Dean maintains a consistent, available presence for students, advisers, teachers, and parents as a resource for problem-solving for issues that arise in a way that helps the student and parents understand the expectations of the school. The four Upper School deans work collaboratively, calling on their collective wisdom and experience to inform decisions made in specific situations and crises. The Form Dean reports to the Upper School Principal and works very closely and is also supervised by the Assistant Principal of Academic and Student Life),they also work closely with the other Deans, the Director of College Counseling, the Director of the Learning Center, the BSI team, the Ethics and Technology coordinator, the School Psychologist, and the School Nurse.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree required
Minimum of 5 years (8+ preferred) of excellent and prior high school teaching experience
A commitment to fostering an inclusive environment that supports students of all backgrounds and experiences
Exhibits a commitment to continued growth in their cultural competency
A keen sense of understanding of the developmental age group of high school-aged students (14-18 years of age) as well as a consistent presence and passion for working with students of these ages
Exhibit a high level of emotional intelligence and the ability to have nuanced conversations with different constituencies including team members
Experience and comfort with having difficult conversations
Is a systems thinker and can modulate between macro and micro perspectives in supporting students, their families and colleagues effectively
The ability to collaborate and build strong relationships with faculty, administrators, students, parents, and the overall community
Excellent verbal, written, and oral communication skills
A positive attitude and the ability to listen effectively and be receptive to feedback
The ability to manage time effectively, stay organized, and prioritize required tasks
A commitment to engaging in ongoing professional development and proficiency in utilizing and learning new technologies ( i.e. , Google Workspace tools)
Clear, consistent communication within the team and throughout the community
Reliability, punctuality, and consistent attendance
Strong organizational skills, proactive planning and reliability in providing deliverables on a consistent basis
The ability to cultivate a welcoming culture in which all members of our community feel valued and appreciated

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in educational leadership, counseling, or social work a plus

Responsibilities

Is a Union Represented position
Serves as a member of the Upper School leadership team, collaborating closely with their fellow Deans
Regularly represents the school at Fieldston-sponsored events
Teaches one class per semester or 25% of a normal teaching load
Serves as a co-advisor to a group of students in the Form
Takes on a 4-year commitment (one cycle): the Dean "travels" with their form as they move through the Upper School
Reads Home Reports and consults with teachers and advisors to monitor student’s academic progress and overall well-being
Works with the student and the student’s parents, and advisor to ensure the student’s placement in appropriate courses and to help plan the student’s academic and co-curricular program
Helps students resolve problems that the student is experiencing at school
Meets with students in distress and their families to counsel them about issues related to the student’s emotional, psychological health, or well-being, and helps students and families to obtain outside counseling or psychotherapy to address those issues; communicating those instances with the larger support team
Meets with families about psycho-educational evaluations
Talk or meet with outside tutors and therapists
Works with the Assistant Principal of Student Life (of both middle and upper) and with the Admissions staff to support students’ successful transition into Upper School
Collaborates with the College Office to help students and their parents through the college process
Follows up with students and families for anyone who may have been placed on academic or disciplinary probation by the Assistant Principal of Academic or Student Life
Upholds the position of the school and administration with students and families
Meets weekly to coordinate efforts, discuss student issues, plan events, and ensure general consistency within and across the grades
Meets weekly with the Assistant Principal(s) of Student Life to discuss grade-level happenings, concerns, and activities
Supports our school’s mission, values, and initiatives across all Forms and in all communications
Discusses all major disciplinary concerns and issues that involve a student’s physical and emotional well being with the AP for Student Life
Collaborates with the AP for Academic Life around student academic concerns
Collaborates with Belonging and Social Impact Leads in addressing and supporting topics/issues accordingly
Supports the design and delivery of an advisory curriculum
Attends two summer retreat days in order to plan for the upcoming year
Maintains positive and direct contact with the parent body, establishing open lines of communication and developing strong, supportive relationships
Works with the student’s teachers, advisor, and others to address parent concerns
Meets regularly with the P+T
Works with the P+T Coordinators and other form parents to arrange special family events for the form and serves as a liaison between parents and school personnel in arranging those events
Regularly represents the School at parent events and other evening gatherings for the Form, coordinating and speaking at those events
Supports the Attendance Coordinator in determining the accuracy of class and school attendance
Assigns detentions for class cuts, tardiness, and other lesser offenses
Supports the AP of Student Life investigating alleged violations of major school rules and communicates with students and their parents regarding how the Accountability Restoration Committee (ARC) and other school offices are handling those alleged violations
Participates in the Accountability and Restoration Council, when needed
Works with individual teachers to resolve any issues that arise between a student and teacher
Communicates to a Department Chair regarding significant concerns about a teacher expressed by students or parents in the form
Shares with the Department Chairs, the Principal, and the Assistant Principal the feedback from students and parents about probationary and long-term contract teachers
Supports the advisors in their work with individual students
Supports the work of individual advisors by regularly meeting with advisors, orienting new students, planning parent conferences, assisting in course registration, and other form-wide activities
Trains and advises new advisors to the school
Works with the Principal, the Assistant Principals, and the other Form Deans to plan and calendar special events
Coordinates Form Trips or major form wide events in collaboration with department chairs, community service, or other administrators