Dean of Student Supports

Organization Overview

Excel Academy was founded in 2003 with the mission to provide a high-quality, free, and public education to students in East Boston and Chelsea Massachusetts, communities that are predominantly low-income and Latinx and historically have faced significant social and educational barriers.

Our success in Massachusetts is proof that the opportunity gap can be closed and we opened a new school in Rhode Island in 2022.

At Excel Academy Charter Schools, we believe that when a student has the support and tools to pursue a productive post-secondary pathway aligned to their personal identity and values, it can fundamentally change their life trajectory.

At Excel Academy we learn from our students, families, and staff and make improvements. We have increasingly adapted to provide a holistic education that values our community as collaborators in the learning process, social-emotional support, equity for diverse learners, and fosters identity development.

We prioritize an approach that is both rigorous and inclusive. Our team of passionate, intelligent, driven, and loving staff are at the core of the work we do.

Growth Happens Here.

About the Role

The Dean of Specialized Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Supports ensures that students receiving special education and / or 504 accommodations make significant academic gains in line with the school’s Big Goals and ensures that compliance tasks are completed and deadlines met related to Special Education and directly manages special education staff and teachers.

This position will report to the Head of School.

Like the look of this opportunity Make sure to apply fast, as a high volume of applications is expected Scroll down to read the complete job description.

Your Impact

Drive High Quality Student Supports, Inclusive Classrooms, and Interventions

• Coach teachers to create a classroom that reflects Excel’s vision for rigorous and inclusive education in line with the Least Dangerous Assumption, where high expectations are the norm for all students
• Observe classes regularly and give written and verbal feedback to teachers and co-teachers, with or without the Dean of Curriculum and Instruction or Head of School;
• Lead professional development, supported by the Dean of Curriculum and Instruction and Head of School, on inclusive teaching practices, differentiation, and student-specific needs and accommodations as needed to ensure that all students receive an equitable education
• Collect, analyze, and share student achievement and equity data and work with other members of the admin team to ensure data is used strategically to improve quality of student support programs (behavior intervention plans, academic interventions, co-teaching, etc.)
• Lead the Child Study Team process for the school
• Partner with the Dean of Student office to ensure that students with disabilities have supportive behavior plans as needed and as indicated in their IEPs

Directly manage and cultivate key staff members

• Ensure frequent points of contact with all direct reports. Develop structures to ensure presence in all classrooms weekly at a minimum.
• Meet with all direct reports bi-weekly at a minimum, sending agendas in advance and supporting teachers to develop agendas to maximize the utility of meetings;
• Manage and support team including Learning Specialists and ELL Specialists
• Provide school-based support and direction to the SLP, Reading Specialist, and school-based services like OT.
• Serve as the leader of the school-based Learning Support Team

Manage Special Education Documentation

• Serve as the final owner of special education evaluations, IEP timelines, and 504 paperwork
• Serve as evaluation team chair for all special education evaluations
• Support network Special Education Parent Advisory Council meeting coordination
• Serve as Local Educational Agency representative (LEA) for the school
• Coordinate, monitor, and provide planning support for all modified courses.
• Support compliance with IEP / 504 suspension and other discipline regulations

Support the Head of School in School Leadership

With the head of school,

• Articulate a vision for Excel’s program and translate that vision into action.
• Develop and perform regular school health assessments.
• Create a dynamic and innovative staff culture; including developing and upholding staff norms, and mediating disputes as needed;
• Support efforts for knowledge management and continual improvement;
• On an ongoing basis, set the tone of highest expectations and urgency; and
• Oversee relevant programmatic budgets.

Serve as a productive member of the Excel Community

• Participate in generating and upholding Excel Staff Norms;
• Act as a substitute teacher when needed;
• Meaningfully participate in Friday meetings, school PD and Family Conferences; and
• Meaningfully participate in the network-wide community of instructional leaders.

Serve as a productive member of the Administrative Team

• Model flexibility, creativity, generosity of spirit by supporting members of the administrative to the best of your ability.
• Lean in to difficult situations and conversations, when necessary, while maintaining a generosity of spirit and willingness to call people in to work through tension or conflict.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree is required; a Master’s degree is preferred.
• License or a plan to pursue DESE required licensure prior to the start date :
• Learning Specialists, Special Education Teachers, ROSE Teachers, and Special Education Coordinators and Administrators must hold a Moderate Disabilities or Severe Disabilities license.
• A minimum of three years’ special education teaching experience in an urban public school or charter school setting is strongly preferred

Preference will be given to applicants who share points of intersection with our students, such as speaking Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, or a language commonly spoken by our students and families at an advanced level, being first generation college graduates, or having grown up low-income.

Mission Alignment

• You share a commitment to and belief in all students and the mission of Excel Academy Charter Schools, including Excel’s values and educational model;
• You are committed to addressing racial and economic inequity in education;
• You work effectively in a team environment and have a willingness and desire to support others in doing their best work; and
• You are open to change, are willing to problem-solve, and seek feedback for your own professional growth and improvement.

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