Dean of STEAM Access and Innovation

26-27 Dean of STEAM Access and Innovation

Carmen Schools of Science & Technology (Carmen) is a public charter school network in Milwaukee, WI with a mission to graduate all students as critical thinkers and self‑directed learners prepared for success in college, meaningful careers, community involvement, and family life. The Carmen Schools network includes five schools with 1,900 students in grades 6th–12th.

The Dean of STEAM Access and Innovation plays a pivotal instructional and strategic role at Carmen High School’s Southgate campus, an urban, non-selective public charter school serving roughly 1,100 students on Milwaukee’s south side. This role is responsible for leading the vision, daily operation, and community impact of the school’s STEM lab; teaching multiple STEM courses; managing STEM-related logistics and programming;

and coordinating after‑school STEM clubs. A central mission of this position is to develop STEM and career‑connected pathways that open doors to high‑growth fields where students of color have been historically underrepresented
, helping students build skills, strengthen motivation, and prepare for competitive college majors and careers. The Dean of STEAM Access and Innovation embodies Carmen’s core values of Empathy, Belief, and Growth
, and models the essential mindsets of:
Believing in the limitless potential of every student, leaning into feedback to accelerate growth, choosing to engage in critical conversations consistently.

• Licensure issued by Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction (or eligibility for such licensure) in ALL subject areas to be taught
• Bachelor’s degree in STEAM education, engineering, computer science, or a related STEAM field.
• Demonstrated success teaching STEAM content at the middle or high school level.
• Strong organizational, communication, and project‑management skills.
• Commitment to equity, culturally responsive teaching, and expanding access to STEAM pathways.
• Ability to work occasional evenings, weekends, and summer hours as needed.

• Experience in an urban, non-selective school environment.
• Successful teaching experience, urban school(s) preferred
• Experience with makerspaces, design labs, robotics, engineering projects, or advanced STEAM technologies.
• Experience building community or industry partnerships.
• Bilingual proficiency (Spanish) is a strong plus.

• Empathy:
  Demonstrates care, understanding, and responsiveness to diverse student needs.
• Belief:
  Holds a deep, unwavering belief in the capabilities of every student.
• Growth:
  Models continuous learning and responds to feedback with openness.
• Limitless Potential Mindset:
  Assumes competence and possibility for all students.
• Feedback Orientation:
  Actively seeks, gives, and uses feedback to accelerate improvement.
• Courageous Communication:
  Engages in critical conversations directly, respectfully, and consistently.
• Instructional & Operational Excellence:
  Strong planning, execution, and follow‑through in both teaching and lab management.

• Oversee all aspects of the STEAM lab, ensuring it is a safe, innovative, and student-centered learning environment.
• Develop, articulate, and implement a vision for STEAM instruction and integration that aligns with Carmen’s mission and supports access to high‑growth STEAM fields. Curate and maintain tools, technology, and materials necessary for hands‑on, inquiry-based learning.
• Oversee STEAM lab during lunch/after school for student utilization.
• Lead and coordinate after‑school STEAM clubs, ensuring regular meetings, strong student engagement, and alignment to STEAM pathways. Support and mentor staff or volunteers assisting with club programming. Organize STEAM events, workshops, and student exhibitions.

• Teach 3-4 STEAM courses (e.g., PLTW, engineering, robotics, computer science, applied sciences) using culturally responsive and rigorous instructional practices.
• Design units and projects that promote problem‑solving, collaboration, and career-connected learning.
• Incorporate real‑world applications, industry…