Associate Dean of Students

Uncommon Schools is a nonprofit network of high-performing public charter schools dedicated to providing an exceptional K-12 education in economically disadvantaged communities. Operating in Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark, and Rochester, we are committed to closing the college completion gap and preparing every student for college and beyond. Our students consistently exceed national benchmarks, reflecting our dedication to their success. With over 70% of our staff identifying as people of color, we exemplify diversity, equity, and inclusion. We invest deeply in our educators, offering weekly coaching, feedback, and professional development to ensure excellence in teaching and leadership. Join us to work hard, do good, and make a lasting difference!

The Associate Dean of Students at Uncommon will work with the school’s Dean of Students to ensure that all students demonstrate dramatic student achievement gains and internalize the school’s values. This individual will also help lead the school’s efforts to create a positive, structured, consistent, caring, and disciplined school culture.
 

Essential Duties & Responsibilities 

• Working closely with Dean of Students to establish a positive, structured, achievement-oriented, and creative school culture. 
• Supporting teachers to hold all students to high and consistent behavioral expectations. 
• Serving as a point person for dealing with behavioral crisis-intervention and acute behavioral issues. 
• Acting as a resource to teachers in their instructional practice, especially as it relates to issues of discipline, relationships with students, classroom management, and school culture. 
• Assisting teachers, students, and parents in the effective creation and implementation of individual behavior plans. 
• Supporting staff efforts to ensure all students have excellent attendance and arrive at school on time, and working aggressively with students and parents to ensure excellent attendance. 
• May participate in summer home visits highlighting the responsibilities of parents, teachers, and students. 
• Arranging for efficient homework collection in the morning, and ensuring homework is delivered to staff from students appropriately and accurately. 
• Helping to reinforce the effective use of a school-wide behavior plan, including managing the school’s demerit and rubric systems. 
• Supporting the Dean of Students as the point person for discipline/culture issues. 
• Ensuring that the physical environment of the school reinforces school culture and facilitates student achievement 
• Being highly present and visible during school hours, relentlessly ensuring the school has an exceptional school culture. 
• Proactively circulating throughout classrooms and hallways during the day, to gain valuable context on student behavior and help support positive school culture Monitoring behavioral pull-out and in-school suspensions. 
• Modeling the school’s values and the standard for professional behavior. 
• Coordinating student apologies and school culture messages at Community Meeting. 
• Supervising breakfast, lunch, in-between class transitions, enrichment, and dismissal, making sure students are always where they are supposed to be and ensuring a professional school culture at these times. 
• Managing afterschool detention. 
• Keeping accurate student discipline records, documenting all conferences, suspensions, and phone calls for behavior. 
• Ensuring that behavioral expectations and school culture standards are met outside of the classroom as well as inside, including establishing and monitoring bus behavior/culture as well as cafeteria/meal time behavior and culture 

• Drive to improve the minds and lives of students in and out of the classroom. 
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, and strong interpersonal skills with students, parents, colleagues, and community members. 
• Understanding of the nuances of urban school environments and school culture. 
• Bachelor’s degree is required 
• Belief in and alignment with Uncommon’s core beliefs and educational philosophy is non-negotiable.

Our people are what make us Uncommon. We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits that support the personal health, wellness, and finances of our staff and their families. Our compensation philosophy values equity & fairness and attracting & retaining top talent.

Compensation

Compensation for this role is between $72,000 to $115,000. Most candidates who meet job description requirements will receive an offer of $72,000 - $82,400. 

Starting pay is determined using various factors including but not limited to relevant professional development, education certifications, and tenure with Uncommon Schools. 
 

* The range above represents our compensation scales for the 2025-2026 school year. If starting prior to June 30th, 2025, compensation will be based on a slightly lower range, reflective of current compensation scales. New hires who fall into this category will see an increase in their compensation starting on July 1st, 2025 for next school year which aligns to the scale above.

Benefits

• Generous paid time off inclusive of sick time, paid holidays, and 10 weeks of paid breaks (Spring, Winter, and Summer). 
• Extensive, best-in-class training and development  
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans + pre-tax flexible spending (FSA), dependent care (DCFSA), and health saving accounts (HSA)
• Financial Planning
  • 403(b) retirement savings program + employer match
• Paid leave of absence options (parental, medical, disability, etc.)
• Mental health and counseling support + wellness benefits

*A detailed list of all benefits is located HERE.

Uncommon believes in the importance of being a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization that enables our students and staff to thrive. We are committed to building an exceptional team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. We also strive to ensure an inclusive community by creating a space for meaningful dialogue about issues of race and identity for our staff and students. As an equal opportunity employer, Uncommon 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. We also ensure that individuals with disabilities receive all privileges and benefits associated with employment and are provided reasonable accommodations for the interview process and to perform core job functions. If you would like to request an accommodation, please email [email protected].