2025-26 Associate Dean of Student Culture

BREAKTHROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Breakthrough Public Schools is a nationally recognized network that was rated the best Charter Management Organization (CMO) in Ohio by the 2017 CREDO study at Stanford University. Breakthrough originated as a commitment to increase educational options for Cleveland families. In 2009, three of Cleveland’s top stand-alone public charter schools discovered the challenges of operating individually and decided that sharing administrative functions would help them operate more efficiently and enable them to serve many more students. As a result, they formed Breakthrough Public Schools in 2010 with the mission to develop a growing network of distinctive school options that prepare Cleveland area students for success in life. Breakthrough manages core administrative responsibilities for the six elementary and six middle schools in its network and has recently embarked upon a strategy to coordinate its academic initiatives as well to bring national best practices to all of the 3,600 students within the network. The Breakthrough Public Schools network remains committed to setting its scholars on an early pathway to lifelong success in school, college, and career. For more information, visit https://breakthroughschools.org/.

OPPORTUNITY

The Associate Dean of Student Culture will partner with the Dean of Student Culture and the School Leadership to lead the faculty and staff in their work with families and scholars to promote and maintain a positive, supportive, and responsive school culture. In turn, this positive culture is the foundation for continual improvement in student achievement and the fulfillment of the school mission. The Associate Dean supports the Dean with coaching teachers, staff, and families to help students make positive choices regarding behavior and seeing the link between behavior and academics. The Associate Dean supports school culture systems related to student conduct from preventative discipline through consequences for infractions.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Key responsibilities of the Associate Dean of Student Culture include:

School Culture

• Train teachers and staff on school-wide classroom management strategies;
• Observe and support teaching staff by modeling and offering feedback on effective teaching practice and classroom culture;
• Empower teachers with the confidence to handle the bulk of classroom discipline within the classroom;
• Oversee the implementation and continued promotion of grade-level student councils;
• Support the implementation of school-wide and grade-level community meetings and special events including social events that introduce students to and involve students with the greater community;
• Co-present professional development sessions for teachers and staff to promote a strong school community during the Summer Institute and throughout the school year. Co-present workshops for teachers in need of extra support in the promotion of school culture. Differentiate in these professional development programs.

Family Support and Communication

• Build a strong rapport with families in order to best support student achievement and social-emotional needs;
• Support the communication with families as a whole community on a regular basis;
• Differentiate communication with families, and attend to those with greater needs on an individual basis;
• Support faculty on family communication and support them with accountability for regular, unbiased communication;
• Collaborate with the Dean and School Leadership Team to develop wrap-around services for families.

Discipline

• Work with teachers and staff to update and consensus build around the tenets of the school Code of Conduct;
• Support the Dean’s Office so that office referrals are addressed efficiently and effectively;
• Work with the ESE school team to implement behavioral plans for students in need of additional support;
• Support and lead specific parent/student/teacher meetings and disciplinary hearings for students of behavioral concern;
• Oversight of Common Areas;
• Co-lead in the oversight of transition between classes;
• Co-lead in the oversight of breakfast and lunch;
• Co-lead in the oversight of after-school dismissals;
• Co-lead in the coordination of accountability for after-school programming.

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty accurately. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Excellent communication skills, especially with students and parents
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Extremely high standards for student achievement
• Ability to work well in a team
• Exceptional ability to bridge and enhance cooperative working relationships
• Ability to create, monitor, and maintain systems that enhance organizational efficiency
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment; flexible, able to work autonomously as well as take direction as needed
• Unquestioned integrity and commitment to the mission and values of the school
• Knowledge and experience managing and coaching adults
• Minimum of two years of teaching or leading experience in an urban district or charter school setting

Breakthrough Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability.

Any person who knowingly makes a false statement is guilty of falsification under section 2921.13 of the Revised Code, which is a misdemeanor of the first degree.