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US Dean

Employer
polyprep country day school
Location
New York City, NY
Closing date
Aug 8, 2022

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Sector
Other
Organization Type
Corporate
Job Description
Poly Prep seeks applicants for the position of UPPER SCHOOL DEAN.

The Upper School Dean works with approximately 100 students to optimize the Upper School experience and help shape their educational path, both during and after their time at Poly. The dean is a student's principal advisor for academic, extracurricular, social-emotional, and disciplinary matters. From figuring out how to find more success in classes, to connecting families with opportunities at school, to guiding a child through facing the consequences of mistakes, to creating a college application strategy, the dean is the co-pilot - with each student in the pilot's seat - of Upper School. They are also the primary contact for families from Grade 9 through graduation, as well as college counselors - in these capacities they are a crucial outward-facing representative of the School. The deans also work daily with US faculty/staff to help manage student, parent, and teacher concerns.

The deans operate in a team of five led by a chair and supported by the deans' coordinator. They meet multiple times weekly on shared concerns and rely on each other's judgment, support, and wisdom to do their best work. The deans report directly to their chair, also a dean. The team as a whole works closely with and receives feedback from both the Associate Head for Enrollment Management and Student Outcomes and the Upper School Head. The US Dean is not a classroom teacher but must have a strong understanding of academic life and school culture with skill at counseling adolescents. The Upper School Dean is a 12-month administrative position.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

Dean-Specific Student Guidance and School duties include:
  • Leading and setting tone in school daily (and occasional after-school meetings, presentations, etc.), managing schedule and routines with other administrators


  • Meeting with every student and family in caseload of 100+ students, with ¼ of total cohort in each of Grades 9-12, at key points in the year


  • Maintaining relationships with students to support their achievement and well-being; short and long-term academic planning


  • Collaborating with fellow administrators, faculty, and staff to attend to students' needs, develop policies, and shape the student experience


  • Collaborating with US Head to guide and support students when their choices have led to disciplinary outcomes


  • Responding to family inquiries in a timely fashion; connecting them with appropriate resources at the school


College Guidance duties include:

  • Providing strategic, comprehensive advice throughout the college research and application process to full cohort of students (approximately 25-30 per grade level)


  • Co-creating and contributing fully to materials and presentations for use in educating students and families about the college research and application process


  • Innovating to continually improve deans' college counseling approach, both individually and as a team; pursuing relevant PD to enhance college counseling practice


  • Crafting counselor recommendations for all rising seniors in spring/summer prior to Grade 12


  • Supporting US Dean Coordinator in ensuring the school's role in supporting all college applications (document delivery, school profile, teacher recommendations etc.) is performed to the best possible standard


General Administrator Duties:

  • Attending conferences and PD opportunities to stay current with best practices


  • Joining committee, department, staff meetings and other appropriate faculty-staff events


  • Speaking in school venues both small and large, participating in / attending school events, and engaging fully in the life of the school


  • Other tasks as may be assigned by Head of School


QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Master's degree

Experience: At least five years of secondary school and/or college counseling / admissions experience; accountability to multiple stakeholders in prior positions

Specific Skills: Excellent spoken and written communication, sound and independent judgment, ability to collaborate well and manage time efficiently, strong understanding of academic life and secondary school routines, and skill at counseling adolescents

Certifications/Licenses: None

Special Requirements: All employees must be fully vaccinated and show proof of their full COVID 19 vaccination and booster.

Poly Prep strives to be an equitable, just, and diverse community, one proud of and deeply committed to empowering students to discover who they are and what they want to be. In keeping with the country day school philosophy, we seek community members who will share a passion for learning. Every community member at Poly Prep aspires to uphold our mission "to support and inspire the next diverse generation of leaders and global citizens to act with intelligence, imagination and--above all--character."

We offer a supportive environment, with a full benefits package (medical, dental, vision, life insurance, a generous match on our 403(b) retirement plan, long-term disability, flexible spending account, pre-tax commute benefit, and free lunch).

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