Dean of Instruction at KSPA

This role is at KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy - Middle School 

 

About the Dean of Instruction Role:

As a Dean of Instruction, your primary role is to manage, develop, and coach teachers to drive exceptional student experience and academic outcomes that equip all students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose —college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. In support of the mission, vision, values, and strategic plan of KIPP Colorado, the Dean of Instruction is responsible for leading and building capacity of all teachers to implement and continuously develop exceptional instruction, a strong focus on results and continuous improvement, and a culture of consistent and high expectations. The Dean of Instruction works from the belief that excellent schools develop and sustain the capacity for teachers to lead and take ownership of their classroom, grade level, and school’s success. KIPP Colorado Deans of Instruction are instructional leaders who prioritize the coaching and development of teachers to drive student success in the short and long-term aligned to KIPP Colorado’s instructional vision and academic priorities. The Dean of Instruction reports to the Assistant Principal of Instruction.

About KIPP: Together with families and communities, KIPP creates joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. KIPP is a national network of tuition-free, public charter schools open to all students. There are 255 college-preparatory KIPP schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 100,000 students. Nationally, KIPP students are graduating four-year colleges at three times the national average for low-income students. 

Who we are: KIPP Colorado Public Schools is a network of six free college-preparatory public charter schools open to all students. Our 350-person staff educates 2,600 students from ECE to 12th grade. At KIPP Colorado, we partner with our KIPPsters, educators, families and communities to ensure that we are all united around the goal of a choice-filled future for our KIPPsters. Our KIPP Forward Team supports our 1,000+ high school Alumni as they create their own paths. Our core values of excellence, belonging, belief, advocacy and courage are central to who we are and how we operate at all levels of our organization.

What we do: We believe in the unique gifts and brilliance of every student. We believe in setting a high bar for joy and academic excellence to ensure the infinite possibilities our students have before them become a reality. We aspire to create and reinforce a culture of achievement, belonging and support. We know that every student is different and we personalize learning based on a student's needs, skills, and interests.

Role Responsibilities and More About How You’ll Spend Your Time in this Role

Professional Responsibilities 

• Believe deeply in the mission, values, and Race, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (RIDE) commitments of KIPP Colorado Schools and that all children can and will learn 
• Assume personal responsibility for student achievement 
• Read, internalize, and adhere to the KIPP Colorado Policies and Procedures manual and guidelines
• Provide an active presence, strategic supervision, and intentional monitoring to ensure student safety and engagement in rigorous learning (regardless of my role and its proximity to students)
• Take ownership for the development of your craft and engage actively in coaching sessions (meet 1-2 times every 1 or 2 weeks (depending on need and role) with a manager, receive coaching, implement all provided feedback, engage in active practice, etc.)
• Commit to being prepared. Such as: internalizing and preparing for lessons, preparing for O3s/coaching, preparing for meetings, coaching, PD, reading and internalizing written communication, etc. 
• Meet professional obligations including and not limited to meeting deadlines and honoring schedules 
• Consistently leverage existing professional tools, including but not limited to Google Suite (google documents, etc.) and Microsoft Suite (including but not limited to your KIPP Colorado email, Teams chat / meetings, Teams phone, and Microsoft Outlook calendar) 
• Maintain strong attendance each day and be on time to all responsibilities
• Collaborate with colleagues and seek feedback in the spirit of continuous improvement 
• Reflect on professional practices to meet individual professional development goals 
• Actively participate in professional development, grade level, and department meetings
• Actively engage and implement in all school-wide and Org wide professional development
• Serve as a positive, contributing member of a grade team or functional team, collaborating with colleagues to tackle common challenges and implement org and grade-wide initiatives
• Share candid, solutions-oriented feedback with peers and leadership on a regular basis, assuring that feedback is shared directly with the intended recipient. Ensure that feedback is focused on improving outcomes and experiences for students
• Assist with both student and staff recruitment and engagement- including events, home visits, calls home, and other determined and related requirements
• Know that your role, professional development, org wide meetings, etc. may require you to travel around Denver to other KIPP Campuses, our Home Office, or other KIPP or PD events 
• Assist with other duties as assigned (such as but not limited to, lunch duty, arrival/dismissal duty, bathroom duty, hallway duty, school support duties, etc.) 

How We Work: 

The Dean works in close partnership with the Home Office to create a cohesive, coherent experience for our students and families and to realize the goals and priorities of our Strategic Plan. This includes (but is not limited to): 

• Aligning core work in their functional area to KIPP Colorado’s organizational vision, mission, strategy, priorities and scorecard
• Investing in and leading change management as we shift operating models and increase organizational alignment across KIPP Colorado 
• Partnering deeply with the Home Office Team to execute strategy (including priorities and initiatives) and develop staff 
• Building context and sharing context to ensure alignment of campus-based work with broader vision and strategy 
• Implementing and progress monitoring organizational priorities and initiatives at the campus level 
• Championing and stewarding KIPP Colorado’s vision, values, RIDE Commitments, and strategy 
• Providing input and insight to shape organizational strategy, including priorities, initiatives, and implementation 

Instructional Leadership

• Manage a cohort of teachers to achieve KIPP Colorado’s Big 3 and Wildly Important Goals by providing continuous coaching and evaluation through regular observation, coaching, development, and support. 
• As needed or in response to data, provide direct instruction to students or classes at the discretion of the Assistant Principal of Instruction and/or Principal. 
• Support the development teachers and realization of student achievement goals through frequent and consistent coaching protocols, including lesson/unit internalization, observation-feedback, and review of and action planning from student work and student data. 
• Perform performance reviews of assigned direct reports including the cohort of teachers that you manage. 
• At the direction of the Assistant Principal of Instruction, design, plan, and implement teacher professional development that drives to teacher mastery. 
• Ensure that all teachers have the knowledge, skills, and mindsets to support learning for all learners including the implementation of IEPs, 504s, ALPs, BIPs, strategies for multilingual learners, and universal design. 

Data-Driven Instructional Leadership

• Leverage instructional data (e.g. benchmark, formative, and summative) to make instructional decisions to support student growth and development. In collaboration with your Principal, make recommendations for staffing to support student learning. 
• Evaluate cohort performance data to make holistic as well as individual recommendations for improving school-wide instructional practices.
• Lead Teachers to ensure the effective execution of curricular based assessments (e.g. CKLA, Fishtank, Illustrative Math, Novel ELA) including reaching 95%+ completion on assessments to inform instruction. 
• Ensure the effective execution of curricular based assessments (e.g. CKLA, Fishtank, Illustrative Math, Novel ELA) including reaching 95%+ completion on assessments to inform instruction. 
• Regularly monitor and hold teachers and leaders accountable to grading timelines, deadlines, and communication to students and families about their academic progress
• Plan and execute ongoing data-driven instructional cycles to respond to data and build a culture of data-driven instruction in your school. 

Campus Leadership and Additional Responsibilities

• Sit on the Instructional Leadership Team and partner with teammates to ensure consistent implementation of whole-school systems. 
• Participate in active presence and strategic supervision and monitoring to ensure student safety and engagement in rigorous learning.
• Partner with the Dean of Special Services and Special Education Teachers to ensure proper implementation of 504s, BIPs, IEPs, safety plans, accommodations, modification, and language support for students.
• Enforce positive behavior systems and monitor behavior data.
• Attend designated school functions outside of school hours (Back to School Night, Family Conferences, Community Events, etc.).
• Perform necessary support duties including (but not limited to) bus, lunch, and dismissal duties,chaperone field trips. Participate in parent meetings, conferences, and periodic evening events.

• Develop strong relationships with the families of students through home visits, participation in school events and phone calls home.
• Communicate regularly with families about academic progress and behavior.
• Participate in daily duties (i.e. breakfast, lunch, dismissal) to support school operations.
• Maintain accurate records and student data tracking systems.
• Assist with both student and staff recruitment.

Role Level Specifics, Scope of Work, and Level of Responsibility

• For more about how you’ll lead at this level, please visit the KIPP Colorado Role Levels Matrix (this is an internal document, only) 

About a Successful Candidate 

About the skills and qualifications you will bring to this role: 

• Bachelor's degree (required)
• Spanish bilingual (preferred)

• At least 2 years of relevant and aligned experience in the area of instructional coaching or leadership (required)

• At least 2 years of K-12 teaching experience and a strong record of helping underserved students achieve academic success (required) 

• Past experience leading adults in a school environment (preferred) 

• A full understanding and Commitment to an Exceptional Student Experience (more about that HERE ) (required) 
• Outstanding organizational skills and high attention to detail; outstanding written and oral communication skills
• Ability to manage the ambiguity and multiple priorities inherent in an entrepreneurial environment
• Proactive problem solver who demonstrates initiative and teamwork
• Strong work ethic coupled with an enthusiastic and passionate approach to one’s work

• Multi-faceted, multi-skilled, resourceful and willing to do whatever it takes to help the school reach a level of academic excellence
• High level of detail orientation and sound excellent organizational skills
• Strong communication, feedback and facilitation skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Articulate, professional demeanor with strong self-confidence and initiative
• Entrepreneurial mindset, with the creativity and versatility to work productively in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced, high-energy environment with a proven ability to meet and complete multiple deadlines and tasks with meticulous attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to develop productive working relationships with stakeholders across functional and organizational lines
• Passionate commitment to KIPP Colorado mission and to high standards of excellence

Compensation and Benefits

Employee retention and satisfaction is imperative for KIPP Colorado. We seek to provide competitive compensation and benefits including the following:

• Competitive Market Salary: Starting salary for this role begins at $74,542 and is commensurate with experience
  • Please submit a comprehensive resume to assure all your experience is accounted for! Tip: We don't care if your resume is more than one page, we are eager to see and compensate you for all of your experience and accomplishments 
• Excellent Healthcare Plan: 100% of employee-only monthly premium paid by KIPP Colorado and options for family enrollment and coverage, through United Healthcare 

• Time Off !!!: More than 6 weeks of annual vacation and Paid Time Off (PTO) 
  • Based on hire date, employees are eligible for up to 8 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) 
  • All employees receive summer break through an organization-wide closure, based on work location and position
  • Access to parental and medical leave: includes 6 weeks paid and 6 weeks unpaid for a total of 12 weeks (after your first year)

• Career Trajectory: Access to opportunity to move up, across schools, and grow your career during weekly coaching sessions to refine your craft

• Mental Health Care: Immediate and ongoing access to mental health support through our Employee Assistance Program

• Technology & Access: Equipment provided: laptop & phone 

• Retirement Planning: Participation in the Colorado PERA retirement program , including a PERA 401k option
• Move to Join Us: Relocation reimbursement (when applicable)
• Additional Pay: Most schools offer various stipend opportunities
• Other Insurance Options:  
  • Wellness reimbursement
  • Voluntary employee, spousal, and child life insurance
  • Voluntary long term disability insurance
  • Voluntary short term disability insurance
  • Optional Basic Life and AD&D Insurance

• Additional Information: For more information, you can view our benefits FAQ here

 
KIPP Colorado Schools is dedicated to equal employment opportunities and fair labor practices. KIPP Colorado Schools, KIPP Denver Collegiate High School, KIPP Northeast Denver Middle School, KIPP Northeast Elementary, KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy, KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy and KIPP Sunshine Peak Elementary provide equal employment opportunities to all individuals based on job-related qualifications, and the ability to perform a job without regard to race, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religious creed, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, legally protected medical condition, veteran status, sexual orientation, or on any other basis made unlawful by federal, state or local laws. It is our policy to maintain a non-discriminatory environment free from intimidation, harassment or bias based upon these grounds.