Job Description
About FirstLine Schools
In 1998, FirstLine Schools started the first charter school in New Orleans. FirstLine now operates several PreK-8th grade
schools. Our mission is to create and inspire great, open admissions public schools in New Orleans.
We do this by:
● Ensuring college and career readiness for all students, as demonstrated by achievement, aspiration, love of
learning, and confidence
● Providing a rich variety of education experiences to nurture our students’ character, health, and active citizenship
● Developing the skillfulness of our team members
● Building a sustainable organization that facilitates our long-term success
Our faculty is a diverse and talented group dedicated to our students’ success and to their own growth as teachers. Our
schools are led by leaders who hold themselves accountable for student achievement and teacher development.
Position Summary:
The Dean of Students is responsible for leading efforts to develop and sustain a school culture and learning environment
in which all students are on track to possess college readiness skills by the time they graduate from high school.
Specifically, the Dean of Students will drive the development and/or management of school culture. They will:
● Ensure the safety of all students and adults in the school;
● Create and maintain a calm, orderly, and aspirational classroom and building environment that preserves the
sanctity of teaching and learning;
● Develop and implement behavior management and positive incentive systems and practices which support
students and allows staff to maximize their teaching and learning.
Position Responsibilities:
School Safety
● Works with the school director, assistant principal, and operations manager to ensure building and grounds
are free of potential hazards
● Ensures students are properly supervised at all times
● Monitors cafeteria and playground for a safe, calm positive culture
● Investigates student incidents and determines next steps for student safety and consequences
● Supports the school crisis intervention head and serves as team member; assists in the development of the
school’s crisis plan
Behavior Management Systems
● Following the directives of the school director, principal, and assistant principal, develops and manages
behavior management systems, plans, and practices to support student learning
● Facilitates on-going revisions of the discipline system using data
● Handles daily low-level discipline issues with the aim of freeing up school leaders
● Leads on behavior management implementation—on-going coordination, tracking, follow through, ensuring
consequences are served
● Communicates with parents about discipline issues; works with parents as partners on behavior issues
● Oversees and ensures focused, orderly detention and ISI/ISS
● Supervises other culture team staff members (detention monitors, ISI/ISS coordinator, Assistant Deans);
works closely with behavior interventionist
● Manages student discipline report and records, including transportation discipline and reports
● Enters, tracks and analyzes behavior data on a regular basis; generates reports for weekly behavior meetings
and for school leadership teams
● Investigates serious disciple incidents; recommends consequences (need principal or school director for final
sign off; completes necessary paperwork; communicates with parents; enters and tracks data; follow-up
communication with parents and teachers;
● Under the direction of the school director, manages suspension process and reporting in collaboration with
the Special Education, RTI, and 504 coordinators
● Collaborates with the RTI coordinator to ensure proper interventions are developed, implemented with
fidelity, and tracked
● Leads/co-leads weekly behavior meetings with RTI Coordinator, SpEd Coordinator and Social Worker to
review behavior data, track progress of students, determine need for interventions, support RTI
Coordinator with oversight and monitoring of behavior plans
School Culture and Environment
● Supports the school director, principal, and assistant principals in the development and management of the
School Cultural Blueprint
● Supports the school director, principal, and assistant principals in training students and teachers on school’s
behavior management system and positive incentive systems
● Observes and provides feedback to teachers around culture and behavior; provides continuous support to
teachers on developing positive, effective relationships with students and to developing classroom
management skills
● Provides continuous counseling and coaching to students ; facilitates relationship development between
students and teachers
● Builds positive parent relationships; works with parents on how to best support their child; conducts home
visits when necessary
● Conducts regular classroom walk throughs and uses the walk through data to coach teachers on improving
classroom culture
● Conducts monthly/quarterly school culture walk throughs for the entire school and building
FIRSTLINE SCHOOLS – EDUCATION FOR LIFE
P.O. Box 791729, New Orleans, LA 70179-1729| (504) 267-9038 | www.firstlineschools.org
● Facilitates the process of micro-scripting routines and procedures: arrival, dismissal, cafeteria, transition,
etc.
● Establishes and manages calm, orderly transitions at the beginning of the school year; by mid-year, reinforce
calm, orderly transitions
● Leads on transportation protocols: manages student behavior, provides bus driver training; communicates
with parents re: bus discipline incidents; supports general practices and routines around bus culture
● Ensures the physical environment and branding is of high quality; bulletin boards, walls, displays, etc.
Aspirational Culture
● Coordinates positive incentive system (may lead on design); ensures consistent tracking system; supports
teachers to develop classroom-based positive rewards; provides quality assurance with teachers to ensure
quality and consistency
● Develops, leads and/or supports school culture activities (school dependent) such as: assemblies, Friday
Experiences, Grade Level Experiences, Advisory, Special events such as dances, honor roll assemblies, etc.
Additional Responsibilities May Include:
● Supporting or facilitating the design of new student and mid-year student induction
● Supporting or leading on new school year orientation; facilitating the design and quality assurance
● In some cases, as directed by school leaders:
o Recommends and provides behavior interventions for students
Other duties as assigned
Education & Experience:
● Bachelor’s degree
● Experience teaching in an urban, open admissions school (preferred)
● 1-2 years leadership in an urban, open admissions school
● Experience working with and a commitment to high needs students and families
● Demonstrated record of setting high expectations for student behavior and school culture
● Demonstrated record of disciplining students in a positive, productive manner
● Demonstrated record of developing and managing systems effectively
● Demonstrated record of supporting and managing adults
● Strong organizational and record keeping skills
● Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel
● Proficient in student information system such as SchoolRunner preferred
Desired Qualities & Characteristics:
● Believe in every student’s ability to achieve in a rigorous college or career prep curriculum
● Achieve results based on agreed-upon expectations
● Take personal responsibility
● Highly detail-oriented
● Collaborate effectively with a range of stakeholders
● Share a commitment to creating great schools in New Orleans
Grade Range
Subject
School Year
About FirstLine Schools
Mission & Vision
Our Mission
The mission of FirstLine Schools is to create and inspire great, open admissions public schools in New Orleans
Our Vision
Our schools will prepare students for college, fulfilling careers, and a healthy life by nurturing students in mind, body, and spirit.
Why FirstLine Schools?
We Believe In:
-
Deeply Committing to Teacher Support and Growth
- FirstLine recruits and retains a diverse group of teachers who hold high expectations for their students and strive to create joyful classrooms where students are responsible for doing the majority of thinking, writing, and discussion in class.
- FirstLine teachers receive weekly coaching and lesson feedback from a school-based instructional coach and also participate in network-wide bi-weekly Professional Learning Time.
- FirstLine teachers are developed over their career using our “Vision of Excellence” classroom teaching rubric.
- FirstLine has instituted a teacher career pathway that focuses on our commitment to developing teacher skillfulness. Teachers have access to increased teacher leadership opportunities and compensation as they grow.
-
Working to Becoming an Antiracist Organization
- FirstLine’s commitment to doing what is right for kids is rooted in doing the necessary work of deeply examining policies, procedures, and practices to ensure we are working toward dismantling the effects of systemic racism on our students.
- FirstLine partners with Overcoming Racism, an organization that seeks to build more equitable institutions through comprehensive race and equity training, which benefits all staff, and through us, our students, and their families.
-
Focusing on Social / Emotional Learning and Community Building
- FirstLine is committed to training teachers in trauma-informed approaches that nurture supportive and caring relationships as the foundation of positive culture, enabling teachers to de-escalate behaviors and thus reduce suspensions.
- FirstLine’s signature program, Edible Schoolyard New Orleans (ESYNOLA), teaches children and adults to make healthy connections through food and the natural world. Hands-on garden and culinary / nutrition education classes have provided FirstLine students with social/emotional learning opportunities since we built the first school garden at Samuel J. Green School in 2006 immediately following Hurricane Katrina. Through this work, students learn respect for life, the power of personal choice, and the value of community.
- FirstLine is implementing the Valor Collegiate Academies’ social/emotional learning curriculum, involving staff and student individual personal storytelling and reflection work and community circles.
- We are committed to innovation, to constant assessment, and to making the thousands of small changes needed to keep improving our practice.
-
Creating a Sense of Belonging
- FirstLine aims to create school environments that are nurturing and supportive for students, families, and staff of all races, socioeconomic status, and abilities to ensure inclusive, safe, and brave spaces where people can show up as their whole selves.
- At FirstLine, we live by these Commitments:
- I commit to my own and others’ development.
- I commit to listening and understanding.
- I commit to speaking with honesty and respect.
- I commit to doing what it takes to serve others.
- I commit to keeping myself and others safe in mind, body, and spirit.
- I commit to bringing my personal joy to our work.
- I commit to holding myself and others accountable.
-
Striving for Academic Excellence
- FirstLine fosters a culture of academic excellence and intellectual curiosity through instruction that meets the learning needs of every student. A FirstLine education helps students develop the academic skills and character strengths needed to succeed in school and in life.
- We set expectations high for our students and develop teachers to have the will and skill to help them meet these expectations.
- FirstLine aspires to offer classes that are rigorous, engaging, and joyful, where students drive most of the thinking and discussion, and we coach and develop our teachers and leaders to get there.
- FirstLine utilizes culturally relevant curriculum that provides “windows and mirrors.” Our children are more engaged when they see themselves represented through a historically accurate socio-political lens that broadens students’ choices and develops them into justice-oriented, curious, creative global citizens.
-
Cherishing Family and Community
- As New Orleans’ oldest homegrown charter school organization founded in 1998, FirstLine was created and always values its deep and long-standing partnerships with families and community-based organizations, churches, and local universities.
- FirstLine partners with Valor Collegiate Academies and Tulane University’s Safe Schools program, a National Institute of Justice initiative, to teach teachers how to incorporate social/emotional learning and trauma-informed practices in their instruction – encouraging relationship building and providing emotional support for students during class, which promotes learning.
- FirstLine engages artists, musicians, writers, and athletic educators to create a rich array of afterschool and summer programs and classes, all of which are free and open to all students.
- FirstLine maintains communication with our families and understands the challenges our families face economically, especially during a pandemic, and works to link families to community resources and social services, working in partnership with Communities in Schools and our team of mental health professionals.