Middle School Dean of Student Life

Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain•Las Vegas, NV

About The Position

The Alexander Dawson School seeks a passionate educator committed to the Dawson Mission and sensitive to and understanding of adolescents. The Dean of Student Life is student-centered and integrates restorative practices into faculty and student responsibilities, and our commitment to DEI work. The Dean of Student Life serves as a central architect and advocate for student culture at Dawson. As a visible presence in students’ daily lives, the Dean nurtures a positive, inclusive environment through consistent interactions and intentional programming. Within this work, the Dean also oversees all disciplinary matters, ensuring that expectations and consequences align with the school’s values and support students’ growth. Building on this culture-forward approach, the Dean’s work centers first on proactive practices that cultivate trust, belonging, and shared responsibility before addressing moments of conflict when they arise. The Dean of Student Life is responsible for designing, implementing, supporting, and evaluating relational discipline and restorative justice programs at Dawson. They will develop and expand proactive strategies that build and strengthen the student culture and design and facilitate training for students and staff. The responsibilities of this position can be summarized into four priority areas: Proactive/Preventive Engagement, Responsive Restorative Practices, Faculty Training, and Teaching and Learning. This full-time, 11-month position begins on July 1, 2026.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree (B.A.) from a four-year college or university
Five years of related experience and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience
Ability to work collaboratively with all of the leadership team and the Dawson community stakeholders
Excellent organizational and supervisory skills are required
Strong oral and written communication skills; ability to write routine reports and correspondence; ability to speak effectively before families or employees of the organization
Growth mindset, sense of humor, passion for education, and commitment to seeking professional development
Sound judgment, respectful toward all individuals and groups, and dedication to our School’s Mission and Vision

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred
Experience in any of the following is appreciated: Anti-bias training, Responsive Classroom, Crucial Conversations, Restorative Justice or any form of relational discipline training.

Responsibilities

Supervises the implementation of consistent, fair, and equitable student disciplinary procedures
Develops and meets annual goals in support of the overall strategic plan and school-wide goals
Facilitates training and coaching for students, staff, and families on restorative practices, peer mediation, meaningful restorative conversations, and techniques for resolving conflict
Provide resources, coaching, and professional development to staff on classroom management and classroom culture
Serve on community teams as needed
Serve as a member of the Admissions team to assist with testing and student shadow days
Models a relational approach to interacting with students, families, and staff, and works explicitly to build relationships within the community
Facilitate meetings with families to address student performance, behavioral concerns, and overall academic and social development, ensuring clear and constructive communication
Builds a strong school culture of equity, inclusion, leadership, and respect based on principles of restorative justice and Dawson’s Core Values
Supports students and staff through observations, coaching, modeling restorative language, and debriefing with both staff and individual students
Observes staff and provides frequent, non-evaluative feedback about classroom management and behavioral interventions
Organizes and analyzes case management data to identify behavioral trends and opportunities for support; informs stakeholders
With an asset-based approach, identifies positive student trends and celebrates successes
Facilitates regular community-building engagements and learning circles as proactive measures
Regularly solicits feedback on restorative interventions to improve future programming
Collaborates with the LS Dean of Student Life to create a seamless transition for students rising to Middle School
Documents student behaviors, consequences, and family outreach in memos to file
Annually reviews and makes recommendations for the family handbook language
Collaborates with the Enrollment, athletic, retention, and CARE teams on how to best support students and families
Monitors behavior adjacent systems like school uniform, attendance, and gradebooks to support student well-being and success.
Facilitates and oversees mediations, listening circles, and other appropriate processes in response to conflict
Develops and manages a system to respond to incidents on campus, incorporating staff and student voice and involvement
Collaborates with division heads, assistant division heads, and counselors for appropriate community interventions
Manages student restoration plans, day-of-reflection modules, and reinstatement plans; uses Canvas to create a bank of restorative practices
Designs and implements a variety of creative, proactive, and responsive interventions, which could include any of the following: restorative circles, mediations, community meetings, weekly group sessions, day-of-reflection modules, restorative group programming, community service, or art, etc.
Tracks social and behavioral incidents to identify patterns and inform interventions
Supports and plans for “Plus” day and special events
Collaborates with the campus leaders in the design of community meetings
Develops skill-building with student leaders; provides ongoing coaching about relationship building, strong decision-making, and inclusivity
Teaches at least one course, in line with all other school administrators.
Chaperones annual field study experiences