Upper School Dean of Students

St. Stephen • Alexandria, VA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Upper School Dean of Students helps cultivate a vibrant, inclusive, and supportive school community where students feel known, valued, and empowered to lead. The Dean guides the Student Council Association and campus organizations and fosters a responsive, character-centered approach to discipline and belonging, helping students take meaningful ownership of their community in keeping with SSSAS's mission to pursue goodness as well as knowledge.

The Dean supervises Associate Deans, the Clubs Coordinator, and the Directors of the Freshmen Bridge Program; oversees the Honor and Disciplinary Board and Administrative Disciplinary Council; coordinates student elections and the annual Senior retreat; and partners with school administrators and staff to support a healthy, productive, and safe Upper School experience. Upper School administrators typically teach one class section and also serve as an Advisor. The Dean reports directly to the Director of Upper School and is a member of the JK-12 Administrative Team. The Dean also performs other duties related to the Upper School student experience as determined by the Upper School Director.

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School is an affirming and collegial Episcopal day school serving age 3 through Grade 12 on three campuses in Alexandria, Virginia. The school emphasizes educating the whole child and values diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Employees have opportunities for continued learning, including cultural competency and DEIB workshops, graduate study support, summer study grants, and conferences.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree.
• A minimum of five years of experience in a school setting, including roles in teaching, counseling, or guidance, as well as school leadership.
• Demonstrated passion for working with Upper School students.
• Commitment to positively supporting students in their unique journeys through the Upper School years.
• Demonstrated success in building relationships with parents.
• Track record of working effectively and collaboratively with faculty and administrators.

Responsibilities

• Organize, implement, and execute an effective character-based, responsive discipline system.
• Work with faculty, students, and parents to communicate, clarify, and oversee enforcement of policies and procedures in the Student-Parent Handbook.
• Supervise the Associate Deans, the Clubs Coordinator, and the Directors of the Freshmen Bridge Program.
• Maintain detailed discipline records and discipline-related correspondence.
• Review and revise the discipline section of the Student-Parent Handbook and make policy and procedure changes when necessary.
• Oversee the Honor and Disciplinary Board and the Administrative Disciplinary Council.
• Coordinate all student elections and work closely with the Student Council Association.
• Coordinate logistical elements of the Upper School student experience with administrative assistants.
• Partner with the Associate Deans and Attendance Manager to process and reconcile student attendance records.
• Plan and execute the annual Senior retreat.
• Partner with the Director of Upper School and Associate Director of the Upper School to support a healthy, productive, and safe Upper School experience.
• Typically teach one section of a class and serve as an Advisor.
• Perform other duties related to support of the Upper School student experience as determined by the Upper School Director.

Benefits

• Cultural competency workshops for faculty and staff.
• Regular small-group DEIB exploration and workshops.
• Support for graduate studies.
• Summer study grants.
• Professional conferences, including the People of Color Conference, National Association of Independent School Annual Conference, and CASE-NAIS.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior