Dean of Students

Empowerment Academy Charter School is hiring a Dean of Students at our Middle School. This is for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond, beginning ideally this summer. This is a 12-month Leadership Position. Please read the requirements carefully before applying.

Base Salary: $88,500-$103,500

Hours: 7:15am-3:45pm (with some additonal later nights)

OUR SCHOOL

Empowerment Academy is a dynamic and successful charter school that truly supports its teachers and staff. Empowerment has 3 of its own campuses, and BelovED is our “sister school.” We serve a mix of students that are among the most diverse in America while enjoying the cultural vibrance of Jersey City, Hoboken and New York City. The school served grade levels K-1 when founded in 2015, but has added one grade level of apx. 120 students each year since then.  In SY24-25, we will be a K-10 school with 3 different academies. 

ABOUT THE POSITION

The school is broken down into academies -- Primary, Upper Elementary/Middle School and High School -- each led by a Principal, Academic Dean(s), and Dean(s) of Students. Deans of Students are responsible for the maintenance of a safe and orderly environment at their academy and the development of a scholar culture that leads students to aspire to academic excellence and a socially contributory life. They work closely with their Academy Dean and Principal.

To this end, the Board expects Deans of Students to implement the school’s uniform system of positive discipline at their academy; help educators develop their classroom management skills; and to support the development of student life organizations and activities that will advance Empowerment's target scholar culture.

If you have the demonstrated effectiveness we are looking for and want to help lead a cutting-edge education program serving a student body that is among the most economically and ethnically diverse in America, then apply at www.empacad.org/careers today.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Behavioral Management

Deans of Students are responsible for

• Implementing and managing the school’s uniform system of positive discipline at their academy;
• Using age-appropriate behavior management tools;
• Overseeing academy staff training in behavior management policies, techniques, and strategies;
• Serving as an expert resource to teachers on issues of scholar culture, classroom management, discipline, and relationships with scholars;
• Ensuring consistent and uniform implementation of behavior management and incident documentation protocols;
• Meeting with students referred by teachers for behavioral problems;
• Communicating with scholars’ parents/guardians regarding discipline, and ensuring that proper records are kept of such communications;
• Appropriately addressing acute behavioral issues;
• Coordinating the temporary class and school removal of scholars; and
• Looking for patterns of misbehavior and coordinating appropriate responses with the Academy Dean and Principal.

Scholar Culture

• The Dean of Students is expected to take a lead role working with school leadership on the development of a Scholar Culture Plan for their academy.
• In addition, the Board sees it as the Dean’s particular responsibility to devise academy rituals and protocols (e.g., morning meetings, songs, chants, celebrations, distinctive assemblies, scholar rewards and recognitions) and to think about how hall and classroom posters and other elements of the school physical environment can be used to promote the Board’s vision for scholar culture.

Attendance and Efficient Use of Time

• The Dean of Students is expected to engage scholars and parents relative to the school’s demanding standards for attendance and on-time arrival.
• The Dean is further charged with monitoring class transitions and is responsible for the implementation of classroom systems that minimize the non-productive use of time and promote a sense of urgency in learning. The Dean of Students will be expected to attend professional development workshops and training if so directed by the Principal. As a regular part of the Dean’s responsibilities, a Dean of Students should expect periodically needing to stay afterschool during the school year to provide teacher professional development (technique modeling, coaching, mentoring) or to meet with school leaders and/or teachers for planning purposes.

Reporting and Other Important Relationships

Deans of Students report to the Academic Dean and/or Principal of their academy and work closely with their academy’s teachers and student support professionals, as well as with the school’s Executive Officer, Principal, and other Deans of Students. Outside of the role described above the Dean of Students is a crucial part of the leadership team and will have other leadership related tasks such as leading PD, coaching teachers, scheduling, and whatever the Principal deems appropriate.

Certifications / Qualifications

It is critical that candidates possess:

• A minimum of five years working in a similar school environment;
• N.J. Teaching Certificate or Student Support Certificate (any content area);
• Significant experience and proven success regarding the job responsibilities outlined above; and
• A powerful commitment to the mission and goals of Empowerment Academy Community Charter School.

In addition, the Board requires that the Dean read and master:

• Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov; and
• With All Due Respect by Ronald Morrish.

Charter schools ARE public schools.  Our teachers are part of the New Jersey Teachers’ Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF), same as teachers at traditional public schools, and can transfer their pension credits from a traditional public school to our school and vice versa.  Additional benefits include:

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Training & Development

As an equal opportunity employer, Empowerment Academy hires without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or disability.

INDSUPPORT