Middle School Dean of Student LIfe

When applying to a position at Alexander Dawson School, candidates are encouraged to be among the first to submit their application to increase their visibility with the hiring team. All applicants are treated fairly in accordance with the school’s diversity and inclusion commitment.

The Alexander Dawson School seeks a passionate educator who is committed to the Dawson Mission and sensitive to and understanding of adolescents. The Dean of Student Life is student‑centered and integrates restorative practices into faculty and student responsibilities, while supporting the school’s DEI work. The Dean serves as a central architect and advocate for student culture at Dawson, nurturing a positive, inclusive environment through consistent interactions and intentional programming.

The Dean also oversees all disciplinary matters, ensuring that expectations and consequences align with the school’s values and support students’ growth.

• Consistently upholds personal presentation, punctuality, attendance, engagement at meetings, duty coverage, safety protocols, and decision‑making standards.
• Demonstrates a comprehensive understanding and support of Dawson’s mission, vision, core values, and diversity statement; actively participates in school‑wide events.
• Honors confidentiality of school, student, and family information and demonstrates ethical decision‑making.
• Upholds Dawson working agreements such as assuming positive intentions, holding self and others accountable, and proactively seeking solutions before problems arise.

• Supervises the implementation of consistent, fair, and equitable student disciplinary procedures.
• Develops and meets annual goals in support of the overall strategic plan and school‑wide goals.
• Facilitates training and coaching for students, staff, and families on restorative practices, mediation, and conflict resolution.
• Provides resources, coaching, and professional development to staff on classroom management and culture.
• Serves on community teams as needed and assists the Admissions team with testing and student shadow days.

• Models a relational approach and builds relationships within the community.
• Facilitates meetings with families regarding student performance, behavioral concerns, and overall academic and social development.
• Builds a school culture of equity, inclusion, leadership, and respect based on restorative justice principles.
• Supports students and staff through observation, coaching, restorative language modeling, and debriefing.
• Observes staff and provides frequent, non‑evaluative feedback on classroom management.
• Organizes and analyzes case‑management data to identify trends and opportunities for support.
• Facilitates community‑building engagements and learning circles as proactive measures.
• Collaborates with other teams to support student transition to Middle School and to monitor related systems such as attendance and uniform.

• Facilitates and oversees mediations, listening circles, and other restorative processes.
• Develops a system for responding to incidents, incorporating student and staff voice.
• Collaborates with division heads and counselors for appropriate community interventions.
• Manages student restoration plans and uses Canvas to create a restorative practices library.
• Tracks incidents to identify patterns and informs interventions.

• Supports and plans for “Plus” day and special events.
• Collaborates in designing community meetings.
• Develops skill‑building programs for student leaders and provides coaching.
• Teaches at least one course, in line with other school administrators.
• Chaperones annual field study experiences.

• Demonstrates deep self‑awareness, seeks feedback, and implements meaningful changes.
• Creates personal development plans and seeks learning opportunities.
• Communicates effectively with diverse stakeholders.

• Establishes reliable communication with families.
• Participates in team meetings and departmental collaboration.
• Consult…