Middle School Dean of Students

At South Lake Schools, we believe great schools are built through strong relationships. Together with our community, we create an engaging and nurturing environment where students thrive and staff feel valued, connected, and supported. Our small-school setting fosters meaningful collaboration and the opportunity to make a lasting impact on learners. Located along beautiful Lake St. Clair in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, our district offers a welcoming community with convenient access to the cultural attractions, dining, entertainment, and professional sports of Detroit, as well as the region’s scenic orchards, cider mills, and outdoor recreation, making South Lake Schools an exceptional place to live, work, and grow.

The Dean of Students is a visible, student-centered member of the building leadership team who assists the Principal in creating and sustaining a safe, welcoming, inclusive, and academically focused school environment. The Dean leads school wide systems for positive behavior, attendance, student engagement, restorative practices, and tiered student support; responds to student conduct concerns with fairness and consistency; and partners with students, families, staff, and community resources to remove barriers to learning.

The Dean uses data to identify needs, coordinate interventions, monitor progress, and strengthen school culture while supporting the District’s mission, Board policies, and applicable state and federal requirements.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in education, counseling, social work, educational leadership, or a related field.
• Valid Michigan teaching certificate, school counselor credential, or other appropriate pupil-services credential preferred.
• Minimum of three years of successful experience working with students and staff in a secondary school setting.
• Knowledge of adolescent development, MTSS, PBIS, restorative practices, social-emotional learning, trauma-responsive practices, and behavior intervention strategies.
• Ability to investigate conduct concerns, apply a student code of conduct consistently, de-escalate conflict, communicate with families, and maintain confidential records.
• Strong leadership, organizational, technological, problem-solving, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to satisfy Michigan criminal history and District employment requirements.
• Such alternatives as the Superintendent or designee may find appropriate and acceptable.

Reports to:Middle School Principal

Supervises:Designated student-support personnel, paraprofessionals, lunch/recess supervisors, or other staff as assigned by the Principal.

• Student-Centered Leadership:
  
  Builds trusting relationships and centers student belonging, dignity, voice, safety, and success.
• Culture and Climate:
  
  Develops and reinforces clear, equitable, culturally responsive expectations and routines.
• MTSS and Data Use:
  
  Uses attendance, behavior, academic, and support data to match interventions and evaluate impact.
• Restorative Practice:
  
  Promotes reflection, accountability, repair of harm, relationship restoration, and successful reentry.
• Family Partnership:
  
  Engages families as collaborators and communicates promptly and respectfully.
• Collaboration:
  
  Works effectively with administrators, educators, student-support personnel, and community partners.
• Judgment and Confidentiality:
  
  Makes timely, fair, legally sound decisions and protects confidential information.
• Continuous Improvement:
  
  Seeks feedback, adapts practice, and persists in solving complex problems.

• Serve on the middle school leadership team and support the District mission, school improvement goals, Board policies, and building procedures.
• Maintain a visible presence during arrival, passing time, lunch, dismissal, and school activities.
• Lead school wide systems that teach, model, recognize, and reinforce positive behavior, attendance,…