Summer Academy Dean of Instruction

Student U is a community organization that uses the power of education to build a just and equitable Durham.

We empower and equip first-generation college students in Durham Public Schools, their families, and educators to become the leaders that will transform our city. Together, we’re creating a Durham where all students succeed.

As a result of structural racism, poverty and other systemic injustices, we acknowledge that first generation college-bound students face significant personal and institutional obstacles to educational success. We want to change the odds for children in our community.

The Work:

Each summer, Student runs a full-day Summer Academy for our ~250 rising 6-10th grade students. During Summer Academy, students attend both academic and elective courses, engage in intentional community and culture building, and attend a weekly field trip and/or enrichment experience. At Summer Academy, we are committed to helping our students feel success and growth by providing thoughtful, intentional academic experiences, and sharing our own excitement around academic content.

At Student U, we believe our classrooms should reflect best practices in instruction, encourage academic rigor, develop critical thinking skills, and engage students in becoming change agents in their communities. Student U provides a base curriculum for all content classes taught at Summer Academy, and mentor teachers work to ensure our summer educators (a combination of experienced and novice educators) have the tools and support they need to implement these materials effectively with our students.

The Role:

The Dean of Instruction collaborates with Student U staff to plan, oversee, and evaluate academic instruction across Student U’s Summer Academy. This work includes:

• Instructional Planning: Assist in the creation of clear, measurable, motivating program-wide instructional goals and ensure Student U’s in-house curriculum materials are refined and ready for teacher use at Summer Academy
• Leading Mentor Teacher Team: Recruit, train, supervise, and coach a team of five Mentor Teachers to effectively support summer teachers to be reflective, innovative, and effective educators
• Staff Training: Collaborate with Student U staff to plan, oversee, and evaluate Student U’s two-week Orientation and ongoing professional development for summer teachers
• Program Leadership: Engage as a part of Student U’s Summer Academy Leadership Team

The Dean of Instruction position is designed for a high achieving and innovative educator with curriculum development and teacher coaching experience. Our ideal candidate is passionate, motivated, proactive, innovative and data driven.

Job Responsibilities:

The commitment for this role is January 2026-August 2026. The schedule, hours, and responsibilities for this position change over the course of these months, as Student U moves from programming planning and staff recruitment to program implementation with students:

Season + Schedule

Job Responsibilities

January 2026 - May 2026:

Program Planning and Mentor Teacher Recruitment/Training

20 hours/month

Hybrid

Program planning:

• Read and understand the scope/sequence of Student U’s Summer Academy curriculum (21 units of study across 6 grades and 4 content areas)
• Collaborate with Student U’s Program Leadership Team to create of clear, measurable, motivating program-wide instructional and academic goals for Summer 2026
• Participate on the Summer Orientation Planning Team, helping to plan a strong and impactful two-week training for summer teachers

Mentor Teacher Team recruitment, planning, and training:

• Function as a part of the Mentor Teacher Recruitment Team (screen applications, participate in interviews)
• Collaborate with Director of Academic Support to review and refine Student U’s goals, frameworks, and trainings for Mentor Teachers
• Lead 3 Mentor Teacher Trainings in Spring 2026
• March 17, 2026, 5:00-6:30 PM
• April 28, 2026, 5:00-6:30 PM
• Mentor Teacher Training #3, in May:
  Date TBD

Instructional Leadership:

• Help plan and lead Student U’s Spring Staff Training for all teachers
• April 10, 2026, 5:30 PM-7:30 PM: Summer Staff Launch
• April 11, 2026: 9:30 AM-12:30 PM :
  Pre-Summer PD Day
• Ma…