Dean of Expeditions, SY23-24

The Dean of Expeditions will be responsible for ensuring the effective, efficient, and values aligned implementation of the Expeditions Program at the school site: “Explore Your Passions, Find Your Path”.

Reporting to the Executive Director for site-based work and the Director of Expeditions for program-based work, the Dean of Expeditions will be the school leader during the site’s Expeditions rounds and will lead the cultivation of community partnerships and best-fit experience options for students during the weeks the site is not in Expeditions. The Dean will oversee Expeditions approximately 10 faculty and staff that are part of their “home” campus as well as those that join part-time.  They will also be responsible for the support and management of community partners.

Additionally, the Dean of Expeditions will work with other campus leadership to ensure strong systems and resources are in place to promote reflection on experiences and conversation between mentors and their mentees that support student development of their Concrete Next Step.

The ideal candidate is a results-driven, systems-oriented leader with people and project management experience. The ideal candidate possesses excellent communication skills, and can quickly cultivate robust community partnerships and build strong relationships with faculty, families, staff, and students.  Candidates must deeply value collaboration and be willing to both offer and receive honest, actionable, and timely feedback.

Who We Are:

What if all students graduated high school with the knowledge, skills and habits they need to lead  a fulfilled life?  This is the question that guides our mission at Summit Public Schools.

Summit is a leading network of public schools that prepare a diverse student population for success in a four-year college and to be thoughtful, contributing members of society. We operate 14 schools serving over 4,500 students in the Bay Area and Washington state. 100% of Summit graduates are college-ready and Summit graduates complete college at double the national average.

We need exceptional, diverse, and mission-aligned leaders to join our team to help prepare our students for a fulfilled life. Join us!

What You’ll Do:

Leadership

• Serve as the acting Executive Director for 8 weeks of the year
• Coach and support Expeditions teachers, staff, and contractors
• Communicate and collaborate with the other school and network leadership as appropriate given the shared nature of the Expeditions staff
• Coordinate  and collaborate with other Expeditions Deans and the Director of Expeditions to plan for 4 weeks of staff PD over the course of the year
• Collaborate with other Expeditions Deans and the Director of Expeditions in order to share best practices and cultivate external partnerships that can be leveraged across multiple sites
• In collaboration with the Executive Director and Director of Expeditions cultivate a strong faculty culture that embraces the vision of the Expeditions program and understands and values the place it plays within the overall school model

Community Partnerships Recruitment and Health

• Develop and cultivate relationships with community partners by promoting the school site and the Expeditions program as a way to strengthen the local community via partnering to create real-world experiences that contribute to a pathway to a fulfilled life for students
• Develop and manage systems and processes to support adequate number and quality of community partnerships to ensure the maximum number of students have access to high-quality independent and group learning experiences in the local community
• Manage contracts with local partners
• Develop and maintain criteria and standards for community partners to ensure student experiences are high quality, safe, and in alignment with the intended outcomes of Expeditions

Student Experience Management and Scheduling

• Ensure students have robust opportunities to explore and deepen their passions-  including experiences offered by SPS Expeditions teachers, community partners, virtual partners, internships, and student-led projects
• Support design of Expeditions schedule in collaboration with the Network Director and other Deans of Expeditions
• Build individual student schedules that match them with the best fit experiences during each Expeditions round
• Support mentors with facilitating CNS-aligned reflection pre and post each Expeditions round
• Collaborate with mentors, caregivers, and students to deeply understand students’ passions, values, and identity in order to support experience matching

School Culture

• Lead all faculty, staff, students, and parents to support a strong school culture that embraces the mission and vision of the school; provides an engaging and supportive environment; and implement effective strategies to inspire students to implement student culture goals during the Expeditions program.
• Implement effective restorative practices and discipline strategy for students in alignment with school systems during the Expeditions program.

Operations

• Manage student Expeditions scheduling throughout the school year
• Manage systems and processes to support daily attendance and collaborate with Executive Director to ensure school meets student attendance goals during the Expeditions program
• Ensure regular attendance reports are submitted on time, accurately and in compliance during the Expeditions program
• Ensure that site is safe and secure and in compliance during the Expeditions program
• Ensure student incidents are recorded and reported accurately and on time during the Expeditions program
• Ensure that field trips and off-campus experiences are safe and compliant
• Oversee transportation management for field trips and other off-campus activities, in partnership with the Dean of Operations

What You Need:

Key Qualities and Skills   

• Bachelor’s Degree is required.
• A Teaching Credential in the relevant state is required, as is prior teaching experience.
• Commitment to uphold Summit’s values, belief that all children deserve a rigorous and equitable education that prepares them for college and for life.
• Community organizing and/or prior school leadership experience is strongly preferred.
• Prior experience in project and people management is strongly preferred.
• Prior experience with school operations and compliance is strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in Google Platforms, including Google Drive, Google Sheets, Google Docs, and Google Slides.
• Clear health and background check.

Who You Are:

About You

• You maintain high expectations for all students and believe all students can find success in school, college, and life.
• You thrive while collaborating and are excited to work with your colleagues. You find positivity in share successes.
• You possess excellent organizational and project management skills, with an obsession for details.
• You share our vision to reimagine what schools should be and are excited to make an impact on the public education landscape.
• You are positive and resilient in the face of big challenges.
• You take initiative and ownership in driving your work to meet personal and team goals.
• You have an ability to apply honest, actionable, and timely feedback that results in improved performance.
• You possess strong relationship skills, with the ability to motivate, inspire, develop, and communicate with a diverse group of faculty and community members.
• You are empathetic and culturally competent. You’re open to having hard conversations.
• You thrive in innovative environments, and are comfortable with the ambiguity that can come with a dynamic and progressive workplace.
• You’re committed to continuous improvement, see feedback as a positive, and have a growth mindset.

What You Get:

In addition to joining a highly motivated team and engaging in meaningful work, you’ll have access to a comprehensive suite of benefits including a retirement plan, “take what you need” PTO policy, 12 paid holidays, and 3 weeks of organization-wide closures during the year. You and your dependents will have access to multiple health, dental, and vision plans at 25% cost (we cover the other 75%) and employee life and disability insurance at no cost. Our compensation policy strives to be equitable and transparent. The salary for this position starts at $100,000 and goes up to $132,000 commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Summit is an equal opportunity employer. We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are directly intertwined with education. We are ALL better when we are able to bring our whole selves to work and honor each other’s voices across identities, cultural backgrounds, and life experiences. We welcome and encourage applications from individuals who are members of historically marginalized communities. Spanish language proficiency is a plus.