Dean of Instruction - Elementary

Aspire Public Schools; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Aspire Public Schools invites applications for the Dean of Instruction at our South Los Angeles elementary campus. The role supports the site principal in cultivating a positive school culture and advancing the academic program to meet student needs.

Expect teacher coaching, curriculum alignment, and leadership responsibilities across instructional teams. The Dean will conduct classroom observations, develop staff through professional development, and collaborate with families and community

Qualifications

• Experience with instructional leadership, including curriculum, training design and assessment.
• Excellent organization and time management; ability to manage multiple projects.
• Strong communication, presentation and interpersonal skills with diverse audiences.
• Knowledge of laws and regulations governing educational practices.

Responsibilities

• Assist the site principal in developing a healthy school community and culture.
• Lead or support instructional departments and grade levels.
• Conduct classroom observations and coach teachers to align with curriculum standards.
• Plan and deliver teacher professional development.
• Monitor student data and support interventions to raise achievement.
• Coordinate with after-school programs and SST/MTSS processes.
• Engage families and communities to foster a safe, productive learning environment.

Skills

Instructional leadership

Staff development

Data analysis

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Master’s or PhD in Education preferred

Job description

Dean of Instruction potential opportunity for our elementary school in South Los Angeles

Aspire Public Schools operates a network of high-performing, college preparatory charter schools serving TK-12 scholars in communities across California. Founded in 1998—in an effort to transform the inequitable racial, social, and gender outcomes that our communities persist through—Aspire is one of the largest and most forward-thinking open-enrollment public charter school systems in the nation.

Our purpose is to prepare our scholars for success in college, career, and life. At Aspire, we set a foundation for our scholars to gain knowledge, skills, and power to access and make choices for their families and post-secondary lives. Every day, our community of students, families, teachers and staff comes together to learn, work, and play in an environment grounded in our values of Bienestar (Well-Being), Culture of Belonging, Community Partnership, Agency & Self-Determination, and Joy.

JOB SUMMARY

The Dean of Instruction assists the site principal in developing a healthy school community and culture under the principals of “College for Certain”. This role is primarily focused on assisting the school in developing and refining the academic program provided to students. Deans of Instruction focus their energies on staff professional development and support, aligning educational offerings to match student needs and evaluating the success of the academic program. Due to the integrative nature of schooling, this position may also be part of leadership teams that examine issues pertaining to school culture, compliance and a wide variety of tasks at the discretion of the principal. The Dean of Instruction may be involved more with teacher coaching or have a more student facing role, depending on the needs of the school.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions

Instruction, Monitoring, & Staff Development

Support and assist administration with efforts to ensure academic and operational programs of high quality and in compliance with any applicable regulations

Implement instructional programs that strengthen teaching skills and contribute to the advancement of students

Lead or support least one instructional/content department team or grade level span

Participate in and conduct formal as well as informal classroom observations, grounded in the Aspire Student Learning Framework (ASLF).

Provide direct coaching to ensure alignment with curriculum standards to teachers using site, regional, or org-aligned coaching framework.

Plan and conduct teacher professional development in relation to new classroom procedures, instructional materials and equipment, and teaching aids

Monitor, identify trends, and analyze data including report preparation to increase student achievement using such systems as PowerSchool, the Aspire Data Portal and behavior response platforms

Coordinate and/or support Cycle of Inquiry sessions

Participate in and/or chair the RTI committee or academic components of MTSS.

Coordinate with after-school programs and other intervention personnel to insure coherent supports for students

Support teachers in developing and fostering strong classroom climates that support student academic achievement

Provide support with academic counseling and monitoring of student class schedules

Provide direct instruction to students in teaching coursework based on school site needs

Prepare teachers to support student testing and oversee administration of ACT (as applicable for secondary), GATE, SBAC, ELPAC and other state or Aspire-required assessments

Participate in and/or represent the principal in SST, IEP 504 or other meetings as required.

Work directly with families to support the development of students academically, intellectually, socially and behaviorally

Recommend, order, or authorize purchase of instructional materials, supplies, equipment, and visual aids designed to meet student educational needs

Leadership

Assign work of, supervise and evaluate direct reports.

Develops and cultivate a school wide culture that fosters positive relationships across all levels

Work collaboratively with Principal and Home Office to achieve site and organizational goals

Support administration in the delivery of student report cards

Lead projects as assigned by principal that may include; process improvement, cycle of inquiry-driven instructional improvements, or any other projects required

Lead and participate in appropriate staff meetings and trainings including traveling within and outside of school region

Effectively build and maintain relationships with parents, community stakeholders, sponsoring district and neighborhood schools that establish mutual trust and respect

Student Life & Culture

Implement, model and enforce policies and practices as they relate to student discipline and cultural norms.

Respond to and participate in complaints or investigations of student behavior.

Collaboratively work with students, parents and school staff to build a learning environment that is safe and productive.

Additional:

Demonstrate knowledge of, and support, the Aspire Public Schools mission, vision, value statements including antiracism, policies and procedures, operating instructions, confidentiality standards, and the code of ethical behavior

Perform other related duties as required and assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience with instructional leadership, including demonstrated knowledge of curriculum, training design, assessment, culture building and developing along with leading teachers.

Excellent organization, time management and follow-up skills; high sense of urgency; demonstrated ability to successfully handle multiple projects concurrently; ability to work as a team.

Ability to provide excellent communication, presentation and interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to write clearly and persuasively and interact effectively with different audiences.

Knowledge of business and management principles in leadership techniques, resource allocation, coordination of resource and people.

Knowledge of applicable laws, Education code, regulations that govern educational practices.

Ability to collect, analyze and interpret data.

Possess skill set to select and use training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

Minimum educational level:

Bachelor’s Degree required;

Masters or Ph.D. in Education preferred

Licensure/Certifications:

Valid Administrative Credential preferred

NCLB Highly Qualified preferred

Experience required:

3+ years working in underserved communities as a full-time teacher, required

5+years teaching and/or administrative experience, preferred

Physical requirements:

Stand, walk or bend over, kneel, crouch, reach overhead, grasp, push, and pull. Move, lift and/or carry up to 30 pounds to shoulder height

Repetitive use of hands (i.e. fine manipulation, simple grasping, and power grasping)

Sitting, walking or standing for extended periods of time

Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, operate standard office equipment, and use a telephone

See and read a computer screen and printed matter with or without vision aids

Hear and understand speech at normal levels and on the telephone with or without auditory aides

Clear the Department of Justice background screening

Authorized to work in the United States

Provide health (TB) clearance (most update every four years)

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics are representative of those in a normal office, classroom/school setting which one might encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work indoors in a standard office environment, computer lab, and/or classroom environment

Work is performed in indoor and outdoor environments

Exposure to dust, oils, and cleaning chemicals

Some exposure to childhood and other diseases in a school environment

May be required to work outside of typical work days and office hours to meet operational deadlines

EEO STATEMENT

Aspire Public Schools provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

This position description intends to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this position. It is not intended to include all duties and responsibilities. The order in which duties and responsibilities are listed is not significant.

Disclaimer

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.