Dean of Instruction

Job Description

Job Description

Company Description

KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of free, open enrollment, college preparatory public schools dedicated to preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and life. There are 255 KIPP schools across the nation and the District of Columbia, serving more than 100,000 students. Nationally, KIPP students are graduating at 3x the national average for low-income students.

Founded in 2008 with 50 students in 5th grade, KIPP Columbus currently serves nearly 2,000 students in grades Kindergarten through twelfth.  The mission of KIPP Columbus is to create a system of schools where students develop the intellectual, academic, and social skills needed to understand and take action on issues they encounter in everyday life.

KIPP Columbus continues to rank as one of the top five schools for academic growth of any school in the state of Ohio, and is a top performing urban school in the state for academic growth. In our second class of graduating high school seniors in the spring of 2021, 100% of students were accepted to college with over $20 million in merit scholarships from colleges and universities awarded.

In addition to academic excellence, KIPP Columbus also partners with more than 100 community organizations to provide extracurricular activities, programming, health and wellness services, meals, and more to KIPP students, families, and the broader community. KIPP is also a member of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, offering more than 10 varsity sports.

The KIPP Columbus learning campus will continue to advance student learning, expand partnerships, enable superior programming, and serve as a teaching and leadership lab for schools nationwide, reimagining education through a deeper lens of antiracism, excellence, and joy.

Interested in learning more about our school?  Please check out our website:

The Opportunity

At KIPP Columbus, we believe every student deserves a joyful, academically excellent education that prepares them to pursue the future they choose. The Dean of Instruction is a key member of the KIPP Columbus High School leadership team and partners closely with the School Leader to create the conditions for consistently excellent teaching and learning.

The Dean of Instruction develops teachers, strengthens curriculum and assessment systems, and uses data to accelerate student achievement. This leader helps set academic priorities, supports short- and long-term planning, and ensures instructional decisions prepare students for success in college, career, workforce, and military pathways.

Key Responsibilities

Instructional Leadership and Teacher Development

• Support teachers in planning and delivering rigorous, engaging, and inclusive instruction.

• Serve as a model educator by demonstrating and sharing effective instructional practices.

• Observe, coach, and manage teachers around curriculum, instruction, data analysis, classroom culture, and student achievement.

• Provide frequent, actionable feedback and differentiated support, including modeling or co-teaching when helpful.

• Set clear development goals with teachers and monitor progress through consistent coaching and evaluation.

• Design and facilitate professional learning aligned to school priorities and student needs.

• Lead content teams, collaborative planning, data meetings, and the sharing of effective practices and resources.

Curriculum, Assessment, and Academic Systems

• Oversee the implementation of a rigorous, standards-aligned, college-preparatory curriculum, including coherent vertical and horizontal alignment.

• Lead schoolwide assessment and data practices that help teams identify unfinished learning, adjust instruction, and improve outcomes for all students.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum, interventions, and instructional resources; guide implementation and recommend improvements, including supports for students with disabilities and multilingual learners.

• Coordinate the assessment calendar and oversee effective, compliant administration of state and other required assessments.

• Develop and execute clear systems for using student and staff performance data to drive teaching, learning, and professional development.

• Partner with the School Leader and leadership team to set academic priorities, monitor progress toward school and regional goals, and take timely action when results are off track.

College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness

• Ensure academic planning, curriculum, and instructional supports prepare students to meet graduation requirements and pursue a range of postsecondary pathways.

• Partner with the School Leader, KIPP Forward, counselors, and teachers to monitor leading indicators connected to Ohio’s College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness component.

• Strengthen instructional systems that support equitable access to and success in advanced coursework, college credit opportunities, career-focused pathways, industry-recognized credentials, work-based learning, and military readiness opportunities, as applicable.

• Use readiness and subgroup data to identify gaps, coordinate interventions, and improve student participation and successful completion of postsecondary-readiness experiences.

School Leadership

• Serve as a visible, solutions-oriented member of the school leadership team and contribute to a safe, joyful, and inclusive school culture.

• Help translate school priorities into clear expectations, aligned adult actions, and measurable student outcomes.

• Advance KIPP Columbus’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

• Support additional school leadership responsibilities as designated by the School Leader.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university.

• Minimum of three years of successful, full-time lead teaching experience; high school experience strongly preferred.

• Minimum of three years of experience leading and/or coaching teachers in roles such as Dean, Instructional Coach, Assistant School Leader, Assistant Principal, or Principal.

• Current Ohio teaching license strongly preferred, or willingness and ability to obtain appropriate licensure by the start date.

• Strong track record of student results and adult leadership in a school setting.

• Deep knowledge of standards-aligned instruction, curriculum implementation, assessment, and data-driven decision-making.

• Demonstrated skill in coaching adults, facilitating professional learning, building teams, and managing change.

• Strong judgment, problem-solving ability, organization, and written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment while driving toward clarity and solutions.

• Commitment to learning, collaboration, and the belief that all students can achieve excellent outcomes.

• Ability to model the KIPP Columbus values of Imagine, Navigate, Seek, Persevere, Integrity, Responsibility, and Empathy.

Compensation and Benefits

KIPP Columbus offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefit plan including medical and dental insurance, as well as group term life insurance, retirement plan and paid time off.

Statement of Non-Disclosure

KIPP Columbus is committed to a policy of equal treatment for all individuals applying to the school for consideration of any position (admission, employment, etc.). KIPP Columbus does not discriminate on the basis of disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that is contained in the definition of hate crimes set forth in Section 4112.02 of the Ohio Revised Code.