Anticipated Dean of Students, Thomas Harrison Middle School

Position:

Dean of Students, Middle School

Reports to:


Principal, Middle School


Contract:

250 Days (July 1st - June 30th)


Salary Scale:


Coordinator/Supervisor Scale


FLSA Status:


Exempt


Revised:


3/2026

POSITION SUMMARY:


The Middle School Dean of Students supports school administration in fostering a safe, respectful, and positive learning environment. The Dean provides leadership in student behavior, restorative practices, and school climate initiatives while working collaboratively with staff, students, and families to promote high expectations for conduct and student success.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Demonstrated knowledge of student behavior supports, restorative practices, and school discipline procedures.
2. Holds a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in education or in a human services related field.
3. Possess or qualify for a Virginia Postgraduate Professional license in Administration and Supervision PreK-12 endorsement or a Master's Degree in a related field preferred.
4. Strong interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills.
5. Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound professional judgment.
6. Experience working directly with individuals and families from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
7. Experience working with diverse learning needs and with children who may benefit from alternative learning models is preferred.
8. Familiarity with racial equity and inclusion frameworks.
9. Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to present to diverse audiences, specifically racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically, and other marginalized communities to foster professional relationships and express and/or exchange ideas.
10. Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to flex communication style to multiple cultural environments to improve instructional practices.
11. Proficiency in the use of a variety of office equipment and technology with experience using Microsoft Office, email, and information system applications.
12. Demonstrated leadership qualities and personal characteristics necessary for working effectively with students, teachers, administrators, and the community.
13. Proficiency in business English: spelling, grammar, and spoken language.
14. Emotionally mature, objective, and sensitive to people and their concerns. Able to handle responsibility, work independently, and maintain collaborative working relationships with students, families, administration, co-workers, and the community.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Effectively assists the principal and assistant principals in maintaining a positive school climate and promoting appropriate student behavior.
2. Supports the development and implementation of schoolwide behavior expectations aligned with division policies.
3. Leads proactive initiatives that reinforce a safe, inclusive, and supportive school environment.
4. Provides professional learning and guidance to staff on topics such as classroom and behavior management strategies, restorative approaches, cultural competency, cultural humility, implicit bias, and inclusive practices.
5. Models and promotes restorative and relationship-centered practices.
6. Collaborates with leadership to create effective systems and supports that focus on school-wide culture and promote social, emotional, and academic learning for all students
7. Coordinates a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) for behavior and restorative justice practices
8. Provides MTSS support and coordinates school-based interventions for individual students.
9. Lead the SEL/B Tier 1 and Tier 2/3 teams at the building by scheduling meetings, setting the working agenda, ensuring systems and processes are followed and maintained, and helping with problem solving for whole-school needs down to individual student needs.
10. Helps build a strong school/district culture of achievement and dignity based on principles of Restorative Justice
11. Provides strong leadership in overseeing new initiatives and current programs related to school-wide behavior expectations and implementation of restorative practices - promotes restorative justice programming related to positive school climate, positive behavior, and procedures
12. Reviews and ensures that all students are safe, welcomed, and able to maximize learning time, through oversight of the implementation of school-wide behavioral expectations and supporting all through restorative practices.
13. Collaborates with building leaders to review previous years' student climate surveys and staff well-being surveys and create action steps.
14. Collaborates with leadership to create and support efforts to eliminate barriers to educational access, including academic, social, economic, and cultural obstacles.
15. Collaborates with leadership to support diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives
16. In collaboration with classroom teachers, promptly and effectively navigates student behavior situations to ensure a safe and positive environment for all students and staff.
17. Investigates discipline referrals and determines appropriate consequences in alignment with the Student Code of Conduct and division guidelines.
18. Communicates clearly and professionally with families regarding student behavior concerns and resolutions.
19. Maintains accurate and timely documentation of discipline incidents.
20. Analyzes behavior data to identify emerging school-level needs and develop targeted, preventative school-wide and individual interventions.
21. Collaborates with the principal to provide guidance, feedback, and supervision to the Behavior Specialist to effectively partner and provide coaching to teachers, and partners with teachers, counselors, and support staff to develop behavior intervention plans and provide tiered supports for students.
22. Participates in student support meetings, including MTSS, 504, and other collaborative teams as appropriate.
23. Support with school-wide attendance initiatives, along with building administrators
24. Builds positive relationships with students to support growth in social, emotional, and behavioral skills.
25. Collaborates with the principal to provide guidance, feedback, and supervision to the Restorative Practice Facilitator to effectively facilitate conflict resolution and restorative conversations among students.
26. Assists with supervision of students during arrival, dismissal, lunch, and transitions.
27. Supports crisis response and safety procedures in coordination with school leadership.
28. Provide support to the Athletic Director of the school and supervision during after-school sporting events, along with other building administrators
29. Effectively collaborates with the Dean of Students at the sister middle school.
30. Actively participates as a member of the HCPS leadership team.
31. Takes all necessary and reasonable precautions to protect students, staff, equipment, materials, and facilities.
32. Maintains appropriate state licensure; assumes responsibility for and participates in staff development (professional growth) and training to keep materials, supplies, and skills up-to-date.
33. Follows appropriate safety procedures and properly maintains equipment.
34. Responds to telephone, email, and in-person requests, inquiries and questions in a professional, polite and responsive manner.
35. Serves as a role model by developing and effectively maintaining professional boundaries with students and staff at all times. Ensures respect for the ethical and legal duties in the staff-to-student and administrator-to-staff relationships.
36. Serves as a role model for others, as an educational leader, by demonstrating good attendance, punctuality, appearance, demeanor, dress and behavior.
37. Actively participates in and attends all required meetings.
38. Maintains confidentiality in all matters.
39. Models professional, moral, and ethical standards as well as personal integrity in all interactions, including non-discriminatory and cultural inclusion practices by respecting the worth, dignity and individual beliefs of others.
40. Complies with and supports school division policies, regulations and procedures.
41. Effectively performs other duties as assigned by the Principal.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS / WORK ENVIRONMENT:


Light work, lifting up to 25 pounds occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds frequently. Regular travel throughout the school and effectively interact with students, staff, and community members. Vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels; visual acuity is required for preparing and analyzing written or computer data, determining the accuracy and thoroughness of work, and observing general surroundings and activities; and subject to inside and outside environmental conditions. Occasional travel with students on field trips as necessary. Attendance at evening and weekend student or staff activities, Parent Teacher Organization meetings, and other functions, as required. Regular contact with staff members and parents/guardians is required. Not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

EVALUATION:


Dean of Students' performance will be evaluated in accordance with school board policy and


administrative regulations on the evaluation of administrative personnel.

The above is intended to describe the essential functions of and requirements for the performance of this position. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of the duties, responsibilities and requirements of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions and meet the demands of this position.