Dean of Special Services at KIPP Northeast Elementary

Role Overview

Dean of Special Services reports to the Assistant Principal of Instruction and is a member of the Campus Leadership Team. The Dean leads the coaching, development, and accountability of Special Education teachers to strengthen instructional quality, legal compliance, and outcomes for students with disabilities. The Dean works closely with key stakeholders to support implementation of IEPs and 504 plans, establish progress monitoring practices, and build staff capacity to ensure high‑quality support for learners with disabilities across the school.

• Believe deeply in the mission, values, and RIDE commitments of KIPP Colorado Schools and that all children can and will learn.
• Assume personal responsibility for student achievement.
• Read, internalize, and adhere to the KIPP Colorado Policies and Procedures manual and guidelines.
• Provide an active presence, strategic supervision, and intentional monitoring to ensure student safety and engagement in rigorous learning.
• Take ownership for the development of your craft and engage actively in coaching sessions (meet 1-2 times every 1 or 2 weeks with a manager, receive coaching, implement all provided feedback, engage in active practice, etc.).
• Commit to being prepared—internalizing and preparing for lessons, coaching, professional development, reading written communication, etc.
• Meet professional obligations including, but not limited to, meeting deadlines and honoring schedules.
• Consistently leverage existing professional tools (Google Suite, Microsoft Suite, KIPP Colorado email, Teams, Outlook calendar).
• Maintain strong attendance each day and be on time to all responsibilities.
• Collaborate with colleagues and seek feedback in the spirit of continuous improvement.
• Reflect on professional practices to meet individual professional development goals.
• Actively participate in professional development, grade level, and department meetings.
• Actively engage and implement in all school‑wide and org‑wide professional development.
• Serve as a positive, contributing member of a grade team or functional team, collaborating with colleagues to tackle common challenges and implement org and grade‑wide initiatives.
• Share candid, solutions‑oriented feedback with peers and leadership on a regular basis, assuring that feedback is shared directly with the intended recipient and focusing on improving outcomes and experiences for students.
• Assist with both student and staff recruitment and engagement—including events, home visits, calls home, and other related requirements.
• Know that the role may require travel around Denver to other KIPP campuses, the Home Office, or PD events.
• Assist with other duties as assigned (lunch duty, arrival/dismissal duty, hallway duty, school support duties, etc.).
• Lead with KIPP Values—internalize, champion, and hold self & others accountable to KIPP Colorado values.
• Demonstrate the ability to understand and navigate issues of identity, power, and privilege.
• Value diverse backgrounds and strive to create an environment where those who demonstrate our values thrive.
• Express high expectations for all students and families and belief in their potential to succeed.
• Seek to understand the needs and motivations of students and families, making decisions with student best interests and needs in mind.
• Collaborate with the Assistant Principal of Instruction, Principal, key stakeholders, and the Regional Director of Special Services to drive vision for strong Special Education instruction, compliance systems, and programming.
• Manage and evaluate campus‑based Special Education teachers and aligned staff to achieve personal development goals, coordinate action plans for professional growth, and evaluate progress toward student outcomes, campus‑wide goals, and compliance timelines.
• Provide continuous coaching and evaluation on all competencies of the KIPP Colorado teacher performance rubrics.
• Lead a consistent coaching cycle for Special Education teachers that includes observation, feedback, modeling, lesson and intervention planning support, progress monitoring, and development of strong case management and compliance practices.
• Support teachers in…