What are the responsibilities and job description for the Dean of Instruction (2025-2026) position at Southwest Schools (Educational Leadership, Inc.)?
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OUR MISSION
Our mission is to prepare college and career-ready students for life-long success.
OUR VISION
We are a premier district of choice that meets the diverse needs of all students by creating an inclusive community that fosters a strong sense of self-worth.
DISTRICT CULTURE
Southwest Public Schools believes in promoting a culture that embodies and fosters a collaborative approach to learning. Staff relationships are collegial, collaborative, and productive, and all staff members are held to high professional standards. Mistakes are not seen as failures, but as opportunities to learn and grow for both students and educators.
POSITION SUMMARY
Assists and supports the Principal in providing overall instructional and administrative leadership necessary for increasing academic achievement and school effectiveness.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES
Assists and supports the Principal in developing and implementing plans to:
- Comply with federal, state, and local laws and Board policies and procedures and other school district initiatives.
- Increase attendance
- Increase graduation rates
- Increase student achievement
- Provide a safe learning environment
- Provide extracurricular activities and academic programs
- Provide student services
- Recruit and retain student enrollment
- Strengthen instructional opportunities
- Assists and supports the Principal in communicating, collaborating, and building strong relationships with key stakeholders including:
- Teachers and staff, students and parents, community and business partners, and other members of the school and district community.
CTE Support
Assists and supports the Principal in:
- Designing and updating CTE course offerings aligned with industry standards and student needs.
- Selecting appropriate instructional materials and technology for CTE classrooms.
- Conduct regular classroom observations for both CTE and teachers, providing actionable feedback to improve instructional practices.
- Lead efforts to incorporate cross-curricular integration of CTE concepts into core academic courses.
Instructional Leadership and School Management
Assists and supports the Principal in:
- Administrative responsibility and instructional leadership for the campus.
- Analyzing and assess past school performance to support new programs
- Appraising, coaching, and providing feedback to teachers to improve academic outcomes for students through the T-TESS appraisal process
- Building a common vision for school improvement with staff.
- Demonstrating thorough understanding of state and federal accountability systems.
- Developing and implementing the master schedule and student course of study
- Developing, maintaining, and using information systems, records and student assessment program to show progress on performance as well as college readiness and success in advanced courses and CTE Pathways.
- Developing, reviewing, revising, and continuously updating the Campus Improvement Plan.
- Directing the development and implementation of campus specific Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and staff development.
- Establishing clear expectations for staff performance with regard to instructional strategies, classroom management, and communication with the public.
- Fostering collegiality and team building among staff members. Encouraging their active involvement in decision-making process.
- Implementing, communicating, and monitoring a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) expectations to staff, parents, and students.
- Monitoring department and teacher lesson plans
- Remain abreast of current curriculum trends, instructional strategies. Practices, developments, instructional materials, and updated local, state and federal guidelines
School/Community Relations
Assists and supports the Principal in:
- Analyzing and interpreting available data to address needs of school and community.
- Communicating effectively with students, staff, parents and other administrators to share information, develop plans, resolve conflicts, and maintain a positive culture and climate.
- Establishing techniques to ensure parent and community involvement.
Student Management
Assists and supports the Principal in:
- Conducting campus level investigations and responding appropriately.
- Conducting conferences about student and school issues with parents, students, and teachers.
- Ensuring that school rules are uniformly applied, and that student discipline is appropriate and equitable in accordance with Student Code of Conduct and student handbook.
- Working with faculty and students to develop and communicate a student discipline management system that results in positive student behavior, enhances the school climate, and addresses at-risk students.
Personnel Management
Assists and supports the Principal in:
- Coaching staff and helping them identify and develop appropriate professional goals and identify growth opportunities as well as accomplish improvement goals, recognizing them for efforts and achievements.
- Conducting campus level investigations and responding appropriately.
- Defining expectations for staff performance regarding instructional strategies, classroom management and communication with the public.
- Enforcing contractual provisions and administrative regulations regarding employee’s conduct and performance.
- Interviewing, selecting, evaluating, and growing high quality school staff
- Observing employee performance, recording observations, and conducting evaluation conferences with staff.
- Recommending to the Principal decisions regarding termination, suspension, transfer, promotion, renewal or non-renewal of employees assigned to the campus.
Fiscal, Administrative and Facility Management
Assists and supports the Principal in:
- Assuming responsibilities for requisitions, supplies, textbooks, equipment, fixed assets, and all materials necessary to the operation of the school.
- Compiling, maintaining, and filing all reports, records, and other documents required including accurate and timely reports of maximum attendance to requisition textbooks.
- Managing the use of and coordinating the maintenance of school facilities and grounds to ensure a clean, orderly, and safe learning environment.
- Overseeing expenditures, maintaining fiscal control based on documented program needs, and accurately report financial information.
EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor’s degree; Master’s degree preferred
- Valid Texas Administrator’s Certificate preferred
- T-TESS certification preferred
- Minimum of 3 years successful teaching experience, preferably at the secondary level
- Minimum of 3 years leadership experience, preferably at the secondary level
- Experience working with diverse student populations, parents, and other stakeholders
- Experience with campus reconstitution and/or turnaround preferred
OTHER POSITION REQUIREMENTS
- Ability to adjust the eye to bring an object into focus; judge distance (close and distant); reach with arms extended and use hands to manipulate the keyboard, smart board and other campus technology.
- Ability to lift/carry up to 25 pounds, including but not limited to: books, paper and presentation materials/supplies.
- Ability to travel districtwide and statewide as needed by means of personal/private or public transportation in compliance with the state’s department of motor vehicle and/or public transportation laws.
- Maintain regular attendance.
- May work prolonged or irregular hours; maintain emotional control under stress.
- Perform other job-related duties as assigned by the Principal.
- This position requires frequent standing, walking, sitting, bending, kneeling and/or the ability to be mobile.
EXPECTED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Ability to build and sustain positive, collaborative relationships both internally and externally
- Ability to collect, analyze and interpret data
- Ability to facilitate various size groups using facilitative leadership skills
- Ability to interpret federal, state and districtwide laws, rules, and policies
- Ability to manage budget and personnel
- Ability to plan and present information to a variety of audiences
- Ability to utilize soft skills such as emotional intelligence, flexibility, teamwork, problem solving, creativity, organization, communication and possess a strong work ethic
- In-depth knowledge of assigned program and service area
- Knowledge of current educational trends, methods, research, and technology
- Knowledge of federal, state and local educational goals, objectives, accountability and compliance
- Knowledge of learning theory, program planning, curriculum and technology integration in the classroom and management of instructional programs
- Knowledge of statutory and regulatory requirements in area of responsibility
- Skills in written and oral communication, planning, and organization
