Middle School Academic Dean

Empowerment Academy is hiring an Academic Dean for our Upper Elementary/Middle School to begin in July for the upcoming school year and beyond! You will oversee Middle School Teachers, with a focus on ELA and Social Studies. Please read the job post carefully and only apply if you meet the qualifications. Thank you!

Position Overview

Empowerment Academy Charter School is a high-performing, college preparatory charter school in culturally vibrant Jersey City, located just minutes by subway from New York City, Hoboken and Newark. It has approximately 120 students per grade level and is divided into a Primary, Upper Elementary/Middle School, and High School “academy.” It adds a grade level each year, currently serves grades K-9, and will be adding 10th grade next school year!

Each Empowerment academy is led by a Principal and 1-2 “Academic Deans”. We use the Academic Dean title because Principal certification, while desired in candidates for this leadership position, is not required. Most important to us is expertise, experience and demonstrated effectiveness professionally developing teachers, both individually and as a team.

We have other school leaders who focus on administration and operations management. We want our Academic Deans to be focused on developing their academy’s cadre of teachers, and through them, the effectiveness of our instructional program.

If you have the expertise, experience and 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 today!

We truly value our faculty and work hard to control other costs so we can focus our resources on supporting them. In fact, throughout our history, we have annually increased faculty salaries by far more than at other public schools and now, among those with similar experience, OUR FACULTY MEMBERS ARE AMONG THE HIGHEST PAID IN NEW JERSEY.

Salary - $97,000-$127,000 (12 month position)

Responsibilities

Academy and Schoolwide Leadership

Academic Deans are members of Empowerment Academy’s K-12 instructional leadership team and report to the building Principal, schoolwide Director of Education (Head Principal) and Executive Officer (Superintendent).

Teacher Hiring, Induction and Certification Oversight

Academic Deans are centrally involved in teacher interviewing, hiring and induction and oversee teacher certification at their academy.

Teacher Professional Development, Coaching, Support and Evaluation

Academic Deans are expected to:

• Oversee teacher professional development in classroom management, data-driven instructional planning, the creation of effective lesson plans, the delivery of engaging and effective instruction, and in the effective use of technology and learning programs;
• Periodically meet one-on-one with academy teachers throughout the school year to review and guide the periodic revision of their Personal Professional Development Plans;

• Provide observation and feedback, as well as real-time coaching and instructional modeling for academy teachers;
• Ensure teachers and students are receiving the support they need from other instructional and student professionals; and
• Work with the school wide Director of Education (Head Principal) in the evaluation of teachers.

Grade Level and/or Academic Subject Head Teacher Training in Assessment Data Analysis and Professional Learning Community Leadership

It is important that Academic Deans are expert and effective at coaching grade level “Head Teachers” or academic subject “Department Chairs” in how to conduct effective Professional Learning Community meetings with their grade level or department peers -- meetings that focus upon the kind of “test-in-hand” data analysis that:

• Goes beyond what scholars got wrong to why scholars got it wrong;
• Facilitates teachers taking responsibility for (either individually or as part of a team) successfully addressing their scholars’ learning challenges; and that
• Develops teachers’ ability to effectively use data to drive high quality instructional planning.

Parent Meetings

When requested by an academy teacher or as otherwise appropriate, the Dean will be expected to meet with the parents/guardians of a scholar.

Requirements

Minimum Certification

• Standard teaching license from the NJ Department of Education
• Principal and/or Supervisor Certification is a bonus (but not absolutely required)

Qualifications

• Minimum seven years teaching experience at the middle or high school level (ELA or Social Studies Domains)
• Experience as an education program leader at a high-performing charter public

school (e.g., UnCommon Schools, KIPP, Success Academy), traditional public school or

privately managed school

• Proven strengths in the area of teacher professional development and coaching
• Expertise in the analysis of assessment data, in how to use data to drive instruction, and in

training teachers in how to conduct effective Professional Learning Community meetings

• Commitment to the mission and goals of the school

Dean Professional Development

The candidate hired will be asked to read and master:

• Leverage Leadership by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo;
• Driven by Data by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo; and
• Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov.

The Dean of an Academy will also be expected to attend professional development workshops and training if so directed by the Executive Officer or Director of Education.

Benefits

• 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

Empowerment Academy’s school leaders and teachers receive fully competitive salaries and benefits and participate in TPAF, New Jersey’s public school faculty pension system.

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

INDINSTRUCTION