High School Dean of Instruction

COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY

To prioritize our school community's well-being, health, and safety, Brooklyn Laboratory Charter School will require all staff members to have completed their full COVID-19. In compliance with federal and state laws, we will be offering exemptions to employees who, for medical or strongly held religious reasons, cannot be vaccinated.

Teaching at Brooklyn Lab is unlike teaching in a traditional environment. Our teachers know the individual strengths and areas for growth of each of their scholars. By design, our schools are small communities where every scholar is known.

In addition to teaching their course, our faculty understands the value of collaboration.  They share best practices across the network, mentor young educators who serve as Small Group Instructions, get and implement feedback from coaches and their instructional lead and work as a team to provide their scholars with a high-quality education.  

Our focus on the whole scholar and in building our school community has established Brooklyn Lab as one of the best schools in the country for academic growth – adding two and three years of academic growth on average for our scholars.  We invite you to be part of a transformation in education and to inspire a diverse group of scholars with a lifelong love of learning.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Dean of Instruction at LAB will support delivery of innovative blended learning approaches, including enhancing the instructional, planning and classroom management skills of leaders across the school network. This role will partner with school leadership and the curriculum team to provide instructional and administrative leadership to the teaching staff, oversee the implementation of the curriculum, coordinate assessments, and monitor students’ academic performance. The Dean will report to the Principal, serve scholars from grades 9-12, and will be a key member of the school leadership team.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Dean will be responsible to:

• Ensure the coherence of instructional practice and routines.
• Facilitate intellectual prep and co-planning amongst grade-level and intervention teams, previewing upcoming: material, articulating the nuance and/or key understandings / predictable misconceptions. This might include lesson planning or tweaking.
• Ensure effective, rigorous instructional practice across all LAB classrooms, using professional development, instructional coaching, and educator communities of practice.
• Be a champion of and cultivate cross-campus academic collaboration and knowledge sharing, building the LAB lesson plan and instructional resource library.
• Support school leaders in planning and delivery of Summer Institutes and weekly professional development, including leading instructional content blocks.
• Participate in evaluation of teacher effectiveness, promoting focus and constancy.
• Review data and analytics to identify opportunities to improve instructional delivery, and address concerns with  lesson plans, and pacing.
• building-out lesson plan banks, curating content for quality and rigor, and championing the adoption of effective content and practices.
• Support the coordination of protocols and planning for all assessments, including Interim Assessments and mock state and Advanced Placement administration.
• Work with the Student Services team to ensure coordination of academic services for students at risk of academic underperformance because of academic, mental health, or physical challenges.
• Support the provision of coordinated professional development, support, and best practice adoption for school-based staff in special education, ELL instruction, and at-risk student services.
• Support educators to be strategic, deliberate, and purposeful at supporting diverse and complex learners, including students at risk of academic failure, students with disabilities, and ELLs. 
• Observe instructional delivery and provide feedback to enhance and support the development of teachers’ content expertise.
• Build the ability of teachers to analyze student data in order to identify key gaps and misconceptions to help guide future planning and support.
• Discuss student work to unpack the elements that make it college-ready or not, coordinate an instructional action step designed to close the identified gap of highest leverage.
• Lead regular content or department  meetings so that LAB teachers can reflect on success and challenges and plan improvements for successful lesson planning 
• Provide real time coaching, to help teachers get better faster by focusing on a specific practice, aiming to set the teacher up with the tools to employ the technique before the coach leaves.
• Work with academic team and school directors to lead weekly half-day PD sessions designed to ensure a focus on a rigorous academic culture with common language and consistent expectations. 
• Analyze data in order to modify curriculum and forms of assessment to meet students' needs.
• Build deep and meaningful relationships with staff, scholars, and families in order to make informed recommendations for how to best serve LAB’s scholars;
• Work cooperatively and collectively with the LAB staff to ensure that instructional programs and services are coordinated in the school and are administered uniformly and equitably;
• Collaborate with the Principal to ensure that appropriate reference materials are available to support instructional programs;
• Remain current in the research that support curriculum development, instructional program design and delivery, and assessment in assigned content areas; and
• Does anything to uphold the mission.

QUALIFICATIONS

• At least four years of teaching experience; urban, charter experience preferred
• A Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree strongly preferred;
• Possesses superior expertise of instructional pedagogy and Humanities subject matter expertise across 6-12;
• Proven ability to coach others towards improving their practice;
• Firm grasp of curriculum and an unwavering commitment to data-driven instruction;
• Deep experience in the design, integration, implementation and management of a school including knowledge of best practices in curriculum, instructional practices, and professional development;
• Has proven ability to manage/supervise, can create/facilitate effective systems and structures for supervision;
• Experience in an urban public school or charter school setting preferred, but not required;
• The ability to focus and thrive in a fast paced, entrepreneurial environment;
• The ability to work effectively in a team environment and the willingness and desire to support others in doing their best work;
• A demonstrated belief that every student can work hard, excel academically, and graduate from college; the ability to lead in a way that reflects LAB’s values and beliefs

COMPENSATION

Salary range: $85,000-$93,000, commensurate with experience and education.

In addition to competitive salaries, LAB benefits package includes:

• 80% cost share of health, dental, and vision plans
• Short & long term disability for eligible employees
• Free life insurance benefit of salary (up to a maximum of $100,000)
• Premium gym membership discount to LIFETIME GYM nationwide
• Pre-tax commuter and parking benefits
• 100% matching contribution up to 6% to a LAB 403(b) retirement plan
• An individual professional development allowance per school year

BECOME BROOKLYN LAB!

Brooklyn LAB is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes candidates of diverse backgrounds and is  committed to equal access for those with disabilities in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).