Middle School Dean of Students (5th/6th Grade) - 2025/26 School Year

Join the Young Scholars Charter School team and help us Imagine New Possibilities in education. We have reimagined our schedule to be more sustainable for teachers and better for students. The upcoming 25-26 school year is exciting year for YSCS because we will start serving students in 5th grade and become a full 5-8 school!

Who are we?

Young Scholars Charter School (YSCS) is a free, lottery-based, open-enrollment charter school serving students from across Philadelphia in grades 5-8. The mission of Young Scholars is to provide a personalized middle school education that challenges, engages and prepares all students to passionately pursue their dreams and lead a life of active citizenship. We aim to inspire and equip every student to lead a life of achievement, service and success. Our structured and nurturing community, comprehensive programming and rigorous academic curriculum are designed to build self-motivated citizens, eager learners and strong leaders – regardless of circumstance. Our graduates are driven young people who are prepared for the future demands of high school, college, career and, eventually, the world.

We seek to provide project-based learning and high-quality instruction to help students grow as learners and citizens. We believe in rigorous and culturally relevant curriculum where all students are given an opportunity to reach high academic success. Our teachers engage in extensive planning, strong instructional execution, and common skill-based assessments. Our curriculum engages students in building their academic proficiency and social-emotional skills to be successful.

Who are we looking for?

We are currently looking for a Middle School Dean of Students to join the YSCS team in the 2024-2025 school year and work with us to Imagine New Possibilities in Education.

The Dean of Students will work closely with the culture team to support overall building culture and student life initiatives. The person in this role will foster and maintain a positive and engaging school community by supporting with programming, culture-building activities and leadership opportunities that enable students to flourish. The Dean of Students will specifically work to actively integrate instruction and school culture through creative incentive systems that align to curriculum. The person in this role will regularly assist with lunch duty, detention coverage, and afterschool activities as needed. The Dean of Students is a 10-month role and will report directly to the Director of Culture.

Responsibilities

• Work with the culture team to implement school wide routines to maximize instructional time and ensure support for all scholars.
• Actively support the culture team in bridging the gap between instruction and school culture by creating incentive systems that align to curriculum.
• Report and document student infractions, attendance, and afterschool participation by tracking all data in a thorough, organized, and professional manner.
• Active hallway and bathroom monitoring.
• Champion consistent and fair implementation of positive reinforcement and consequences aligned to school expectations.
• Reward positive student engagement and hold students accountable using school-wide systems.
• Foster a joyful school community where all scholars experience a sense of belonging.
• Support the culture team with arrival, dismissal, community meetings, event planning and facilitation (all school trips and ceremonies)
• Support the operations and culture team with late student sign-ins and regular attendance calls to families.
• Ability to schedule and lead parent meetings and disciplinary hearings.
• Communicate with families and other stakeholders, as needed.

Qualifications and Skills

• Demonstrated skill in student de-escalation techniques.
• Ability to remain calm and self-regulate even in challenging situations.
• Demonstrated skill in building relationships with a variety of stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and coordination skills.
• Passion for developing and implementing systems and procedures.
• The ability to motivate students and cultivate a culture of achievement.
• Resilience and professionalism.
• Collaborative approach to problem solving.
• Ability to thrive in a goal oriented, fast-paced environment.
• Passion for our mission and vision.

Educational Background and Work Experience

• At least 1 year of experience working in a K-12 school strongly preferred.
• 2 years of prior Dean experience in a middle school strongly preferred.
• Strong organizational and operational skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Experience with PowerSchool and Kickboard (or a similar school-based system) is highly preferred.

The Rewards

• Competitive salary and benefits package;
• Comprehensive medial, dental and vision benefits;
• 403(b) retirement plan with an increase match based on years of experience;
• The opportunity to maximize your impact in schools where we are raising the bar for student achievement.