Academic Dean

Purpose

The purpose of the Academic Dean position is to provide academic leadership for the upper school (6th-12th grade), with a focus on supporting and training Dialectic and Rhetoric (D/R) teachers. The Academic Dean will actively seek to partner with parents (home day teachers) by building strong relationships and consistently gathering targeted feedback, particularly in relation to major decisions.

About our school

The Covenant School is Jesus centered, family focused, relationally united, and classically minded. As a University-Model® school, our Grammar students (K-5th grade) meet on campus on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and our Dialectic and Rhetoric students (6th-12th grade) meet on campus on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. The mission of our school is to partner with parents in the education and spiritual formation of their children by providing a classical education taught from a Biblical worldview.  

Supervision Received and Exercised

The Academic Dean reports directly to the Head of School and serves on the school’s Admin Team. The Academic Dean must exercise judgment that aligns with the school’s culture, philosophy, education, beliefs, and values. The Academic Dean will have formal supervisory authority over Dialectic and Rhetoric (D/R) teachers.

Summary

The Academic Dean holds an important position of leadership and responsibility within the school, and they must embody and support The Covenant School’s mission, vision, and values. They will serve alongside the school’s administrative leadership team and the academic leadership team to protect and nurture the educational philosophy of the school. They should be an instructional leader who teaches at least one class and demonstrates personal enthusiasm for and commitment to the learning process. 

Work Schedule

This is a 45-50 hour-per-week, year-round position. As an exempt employee (from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act), the employee is expected to work beyond the typical 8-hour workday hours to perform duties outlined in the job description and as assigned.  

Time-off | 5.5 weeks of paid vacation:

• Spring Break (one week)
• Christmas Break (one and a half weeks)
• Summer school closure (two weeks)
• Part of the week during fall break and winter break (two half-weeks)

 Spiritual Leadership

• Live the life we’re calling others to live
• Exercise spiritual disciplines
• Be active in the local church
• Be a spiritual leader for your family
• Reflect Jesus to the Greensboro community
• Be a role model for teachers, parents, and students
• Pray for students, teachers, and parents

General Leadership

• Be a champion for TCS in the community
• Serve on the Head of School’s Admin Team, attending weekly meetings
• Supervise the implementation of TCS’s educational vision in the upper school
• Develop a culture of academic partnership with parents, ensuring a culture of openness and sensitivity to parental concerns
• Assist in leading staff and student retreats
• Provide open-door support for any teacher needs
• Be a champion for the Classical model of education
• Assist in leading the Information Meetings and school tours for interested parents
• Assist in leading school programs (End of Year Program, Grandparents Day, etc…)
• Address conflict and pursue unity and reconciliation (Matthew 18)
• Be visible at the school to the D/R staff during the school days and present before and after school.
• Know the names of all D/R teachers and students
• Exercise fiscal responsibility by staying within appropriate budgetary guidelines
• Observe, supervise, encourage, and evaluate D/R faculty in the development and implementation of curriculum and the teaching process
• Establish programs and systems for the orientation and training of all new D/R teachers to ensure that teachers are familiar with and adhere to school policies and culture
• Develop a D/R teacher mentoring program
• Develop a teacher certification program, working alongside the Principal
• Strive for unity, harmony, and cooperation through tact, helpfulness, respect, and a recognition of differences, abilities and strengths of each teacher
• Assist the Head of School and principal in leading all-school staff meetings
• Assist in leading Staff Training and Parent Training in August
• Maintain a culture of trust, respect, humility, unity, and responsibility within the faculty

D/R Academic Leadership

• Oversee about 30 D/R staff members
• Lead the D/R Academic Team and lead monthly meetings
• Oversee the D/R department heads, meeting regularly 1:1 to get updates on their teams
• Work with the department heads to onboard and train new teachers  
• Lead monthly department meetings
• Serve as the Head of the Humanities department, which includes Literature, Composition, History, Logic, and Rhetoric teachers
• Serve as a consultant to teachers in matters of classroom management and teaching methods
• Supervise ongoing curriculum development processes within the D/R faculty and make recommendations for improvements to the Head of School
• Regular communication with teachers (e-mails, classroom visits, phone calls, check-ins)
• Work with the department heads to continue training and developing current teachers, planning and executing a clear plan for professional development
• Work with the department heads to conduct regular meetings with partner teachers to ensure they are working in collaboration
• Do two formal observations per year with each D/R staff member
• Encourage the D/R staff in their spiritual formation
• Daily “learning walks” with brief observations of D/R classrooms
• Direct the D/R teaching staff in the performance of their duties 
• Work with the Principal to review and send the D/R WAS weekly and eventually take over that responsibility
• Learn from other Christ-centered and Collaborative schools through phone calls, school visits, and continued personal professional development.
• Ensure that the curriculum of all classes, such a scripts for drama productions, align with the mission and values of the school
• Be a regular presence at lunchtime for students and teachers
• Curriculum development
  • Review current resources and uses
  • Advise on additions and amendments in consultation with teachers
  • Review lesson plans for teachers and advise on improvements
• Work with teachers to provide learning support for students who need it
  • Revise policies and procedures
  • Join parent-teacher-student meetings
  • Advise teachers on how to support students
  • Connect with other entities for support (testing centers, tutors, public resources, etc.)
• Work with the school advisors to provide college counseling for students
• Assist in identifying broad annual professional development goals for the teaching staff
• Ensure teachers set professional development goals; help them achieve their goals
• Help plan and lead teacher meetings, focusing on teacher professional development and communication of important information
• Observe the teaching of teachers and provide assistance and advice as needed to ensure creativity, variety, balance, substance, and fulfillment of school requirements
• Observe teacher control of the classroom learning environment and provide advice and assistance as needed to ensure school standards of conduct are being enforced and student discipline is being maintained
• Create an environment in which teachers are focused on the spiritual formation of their students so that children are being formed into the image of Christ
• Meet regularly with each individual teacher in the department to discuss areas of mutual concern related to teaching and/or students
• Give formative evaluation and feedback to teachers in the department
• Review daily cover for absent teachers, assigning internal coverage or arranging for substitute teachers as needed; work with the Principal on arranging the substitute teacher roster and plan
• Provide ongoing support for new staff members
• Bring to the attention of the Head of School any concerns over the professional conduct of a teacher, including negligence or any concern about staff relationships, teacher/parent, or teacher/student relationships
• Work with the Academic Team, including attending monthly meetings, to discuss curriculum, teaching, and learning needs of the department
• Review yearly plans, weekly assignment sheets (WAS), and lesson plans to ensure they meet our quality standards and are completed on time; ensure consistency across classes and grade levels
• Assist with the review of student reports, including checking teachers’ grades and comments for accuracy and reliability
• Monitor assessment of students, including the validity and regularity of tests and other assessment instruments
• Coordinate and advise teaching staff on required stages of curriculum development, such as schemes of work, lesson plans, and teaching methodology
• Work with the Academic Team to create the class schedule and teacher schedule, and give input regarding class offerings and teaching assignments
• Analyze effectiveness of instruction at each year level, identifying areas for improvement, and making recommendations for improvement
• Make recommendations for special budget expenditures and significant spending initiatives that would improve the school
• Help acquire necessary resources through discussion with the Principal and other members of staff; this includes teaching aids, furniture, subject equipment and consumables
• Review the use of current resources to ensure good stewardship

Preferred qualifications:

• Previous leadership experience in a Jesus-centered school 
• Previous leadership experience in a classical school 
• Previous experience in a University-Model School/Hybrid school
• Master's degree in education, particularly in Humanities
• 10 + years of experience teaching middle and/or high school
• Experience supervising, leading, and training teachers 

For more information visit our school website: https://www.thecovenantschool.org/

To apply, visit: https://www.thecovenantschool.org/employment