Middle School Dean of Students

Deadline: September 11, 2026 District/Organization: South Lake Schools Position/Type: Other, full time Salary: $79,613 – $85,734 SOUTH LAKE SCHOOLS Job Description 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. Job Summary/Goal: 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 schoolwide 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. Minimum Qualifications: 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. Performance Duties and Responsibilities: Leadership, Culture, and Schoolwide Systems 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 schoolwide systems that teach, model, recognize, and reinforce positive behavior, attendance, engagement, citizenship, and belonging. Coordinate implementation and improvement of MTSS, PBIS, restorative practices, social-emotional learning, and culture initiatives. Gather student, staff, and family voice to identify strengths, barriers, and improvement opportunities. Support orientation, transition, reentry, mentoring, leadership, recognition, and student-engagement programs. Student Behavior, Discipline, and Restorative Response Investigate student conduct referrals; interview involved individuals; review information; document findings; and determine or recommend responsive action consistent with the Student Code of Conduct, Board policy, due process, and law. Use developmentally appropriate, equitable, restorative, and educational responses that promote accountability, repair harm, and reduce recurrence. Communicate with students, families, and staff regarding incidents, outcomes, expectations, supports, and reentry plans while maintaining confidentiality. Monitor behavioral suspensions and exclusions, coordinate continuity of learning and reentry supports, and track required documentation and timelines. Facilitate conflict resolution, restorative conferences or circles, mediation, reflection, and problem solving when appropriate. Develop and monitor student behavior-support, safety, attendance, or reengagement plans with the appropriate team. Review discipline data for patterns or barriers and recommend improvements in fairness, consistency, and outcomes. Attendance, Engagement, and Student Support Monitor attendance, chronic absenteeism, tardiness, school avoidance, and engagement data and coordinate tiered prevention and intervention. Partner with students, families, staff, and community resources to address academic, behavioral, social-emotional, health, transportation, housing, and other barriers. Coordinate check-in/check-out, mentoring, incentives, goal setting, progress monitoring, and targeted supports. Connect students and families with counseling, mental health, basic-needs, and community supports through appropriate referral procedures. Collaborate with instructional staff and student-support teams to reinforce academic progress and effective learning habits. Team Collaboration and Staff Support Participate in MTSS, child study, IEP, Section 504, behavior support, attendance, crisis response, threat assessment, and other multidisciplinary teams. Consult with staff regarding classroom management, de-escalation, relationship-based practices, student-specific supports, and consistent expectations. Provide or coordinate staff learning, resources, modeling, and feedback related to student behavior, attendance, supervision, and school climate. Collaborate with special education and Section 504 teams so disciplinary and intervention decisions are consistent with student plans and procedural safeguards. Assist with recruitment, interviewing, onboarding, supervision, and support of assigned staff as requested. Safety, Crisis Response, and Operations Assist with building safety, emergency response, crisis communication, visitor management, supervision, and reunification procedures. Respond to critical incidents, secure immediate assistance, contact appropriate personnel or emergency services, and complete follow-up documentation. Support drills, safety training, first aid/CPR readiness, and review of supervision plans and high-traffic routines. Assist with school events, activities, assemblies, arrival, dismissal, transportation areas, and assignments outside the regular school day. Act as administrative designee when assigned, within the position’s scope and applicable credential requirements. Data, Records, Communication, and Compliance Maintain accurate, timely, confidential records for behavior, discipline, attendance, interventions, family communication, safety, and student support. Analyze disaggregated attendance, behavior, academic, climate, and intervention data; prepare reports; and recommend action. Communicate expectations, procedures, resources, trends, and celebrations through accessible District-approved channels. Maintain current knowledge of Board policy, the Student Code of Conduct, student records, disability protections, civil rights, attendance obligations, and relevant law. Build productive relationships with students, families, staff, service providers, emergency responders, and community partners while following District protocols. Participate in administrative meetings, professional learning, and relevant training. Employment Conditions: Employees shall remain free of any alcohol or non-prescribed controlled substance abuse in the workplace throughout their employment with the District. Employees shall comply with all Board policies and applicable federal and state laws and regulations, including but not limited to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), applicable non-discrimination requirements, and related educational regulations. Perform other responsibilities and duties as assigned by the Principal, Superintendent, or designee. Terms of Employment : 202 days Base Salary Range: $79,613 – $85,734 ADA Requirements The following are representative of the demands and conditions necessary to perform essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made for qualified individuals with disabilities. Communicate effectively in person, in writing, and electronically. Read, analyze, interpret, and maintain student records, reports, policies, and plans. Use office equipment, computers, student information systems, and job-related technology. Move throughout classrooms, offices, hallways, common areas, outdoor areas, and transportation zones for supervision and incident response. Remain seated, standing, or walking for extended periods and stoop, bend, or kneel as needed. Monitor active, noisy, crowded, and changing environments and respond promptly to emergencies or escalated behavior. Work a flexible schedule for assigned meetings, events, supervision, and emergencies. Maintain first aid and CPR certification if required by the District. Work is performed in offices, classrooms, hallways, common areas, athletic spaces, outdoor areas, transportation zones, and school events. The position involves frequent interruptions, competing priorities, varied noise and activity levels, and urgent student, safety, or operational concerns. If you have questions, please visit theSouth Lake Schools websiteor contact the Human Resources Office at View phone number on click.appcast.io or via email View email address on click.appcast.io. The Board of Education is committed to maintaining a learning and working environment in which all individuals are treated with dignity and respect, free from discrimination and harassment. There will be no tolerance for discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, creed or ancestry, sex, marital status, genetic information, height, weight, sexual orientation, disability or age. The School District prohibits harassment and other forms of discrimination whether occurring at school, on School District property, in a School District vehicle, or at any School District related activity or event. Furthermore, the Board is committed to equal employment opportunities and the prevention of discrimination in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, selection, training, promotion and retention of staff. The Superintendent will designate compliance officers and develop and implement regulations for the reporting, investigation and resolution of complaints of discrimination or harassment. For additional information, contact the Director of Human Resources or the Director of Special Services, 23101 Stadium Blvd., St. Clair Shores, MI 48080, View phone number on click.appcast.io. #J-18808-Ljbffr