Job Description

School: Girls Athletic Leadership School (GALS)

Job Title: Dean of Academics

Category: Full-time

Classification: Administrator/School Leadership, Advisor, Instructional/Educational Coordination

Work Year: 2010-2011

DEAN OF ACADEMICS
The Girls Athletic Leadership School (GALS) seeks a team to successfully launch a new school in Denver. GALS is an Expeditionary Learning, public charter school that will serve 200 girls in grades 6 and 7 this fall and will grow to serve 700 girls in grades 6-12 at full capacity.

GALS PROGRAM OVERVIEW: (For more information visit www.galschools.org)
To achieve our mission, we offer an extended school day consisting of the following components:

Expeditionary Learning: Learning expeditions serve as the primary way of organizing our curriculum. Learning expeditions, or in-depth case studies, are aligned with district and state standards and feature projects and fieldwork that demand students to develop higher order skills.
Movement-Based:  As opposed to relegating movement to physical education class or after-school sports, at GALS we incorporate movement into day-to-day instruction and classroom activity as a way of engaging students both mentally and physically. 
Wellness: We offer a full advisory/crew curriculum focused on the psycho-social dynamics of growing up female in today’s world.  All staff participate in and support this curriculum.
Liberal Arts: Students follow a rigorous liberal-arts academic program that will prepare them for four-year colleges and universities and that includes world language and electives.
Tight-Knit Community:  Through advisories, community meetings, shared core values, and opportunities for students and teachers to connect both in and outside the classroom, GALS emphasizes the development of a close learning community. 

JOB DESCRIPTION
Reporting directly to the director of instructional development, the dean of academics will serve as one of two senior academic leaders of the school responsible for creating a thriving professional learning community and strong student achievement results.  In addition to supporting the director of instructional development with teacher observations, coaching, and assessment, the instructional guide will serve as the school’s site assessment leader. As such, s/he will organize the administration of assessments; track and monitor academic data; and utilize data to design and lead the school’s Response to Intervention (RtI) program. Additionally, the dean of academics will support teachers in designing expeditions and fieldwork and by planning and leading the school’s professional development program.  Finally, the dean of academics will be one of the senior administrators of GALS, interfacing on a daily basis with teachers, parents/guardians, and students to address concerns, staff events, and project the school’s mission and values with constituents.

QUALITIES SOUGHT
For all available positions, GALS seeks candidates who demonstrate:

Mission alignment: Belief in GAL’s mission of providing a college preparatory education in a supportive environment that fosters the academic mastery and personal development necessary for every young woman to become a powerful advocate for herself and leader of her community.  Experience in gender-specific and movement-based educational environments a plus. 
Pedagogical alignment: Belief that learning expeditions—or long-term, in-depth studies that focus on specific case studies— help students construct deep understandings and skills and prepare them to create authentic products that meet a need for real audiences.   Ability to differentiate, utilize data to drive instruction, and employ constructivist instructional skills.  Experience developing expeditionary curriculum and/or teaching in an EL school a plus.
Entrepreneurial spirit: Ability to thrive in the ambiguity and intensity of a start-up environment.
Team orientation:  Ability to work collaboratively in a professional learning community by jointly planning and delivering instruction; participating fully in professional developing; and engaging in an on-going exchange of ideas.
Drive for excellence: Hard-working, self-starter who takes initiative and is committed to learning and self-improvement.
Qualifications:  No Child Left Behind (NCLB) compliant. Previous teaching and/or administrative experience.  Strong classroom management and organizational skills.  Urban school experience and experience with diverse communities preferred

Please send your resume and a personal statement explaining 1) for what position you are applying; 2) how your interests and professional experiences align with and qualify you to be part of GALS’s vision and mission; 3) the challenges you anticipate encountering working in an urban start-up school.

Documents should be in Word format sent via email to hiring@galschools.org While resumes will be accepted until all positions are filled, those received by February 5th will be given priority consideration. Candidates invited to move to the interview round will be expected to partake in a series of simulation exercises, including teaching to the hiring committee.
 

Date Posted: 2010-01-21

Closing Date: 2010-04-21