Supervises: Learning Specialist, School Counselor(s)
Position Summary
The Dean of Students will oversee various aspects of student life, including but not limited to policies and discipline, attendance, student support, experiential education programming, student government, clubs, service opportunities, and student health. The ideal candidate will have excellent executive functioning skills, a deep appreciation for educational access and truly enjoys working with high school students. This position requires someone who is willing and able to roll up their sleeves and do the on-the-ground work while keeping the big picture in mind.
Collaboration with and Coordination of Student Support Team (SST)
Team Coordination and Collaboration
· Collaborate consistently with the Counselor(s), Experiential Ed team, Learning Center team, and the Dean of Academics.
· Facilitate regular team meetings to align on goals, initiatives, and strategies for supporting students' academic, social-emotional, and spiritual needs.
· Ensure consistent communication and collaboration within the team to address individual student needs and broader school community concerns.
Strategic Development
· Collaborate with team members to create and implement programs that promote student well-being, equity, belonging, and academic success.
· Develop an integrated vision for student support services that aligns with the school’s mission and values.
Student Support and Advocacy
· Collaborate with the Learning Center team to support students requiring academic, emotional, or behavioral intervention.
Program Management
· Supervise the implementation of student life programs, counseling services, and learning support initiatives.
· Evaluate the effectiveness of programs and services, recommending adjustments based on student outcomes and community feedback.
Crisis Management
· Act as a point of contact for student-related crises, working collaboratively with team members to resolve issues effectively and compassionately.
· Ensure a proactive approach to addressing potential challenges, maintaining a safe and supportive school environment.
Cross-Department Collaboration
· Work closely with faculty, administration, and other departments to ensure a holistic approach to student development and support.
· Advocate for the integration of support services within the broader academic and extracurricular programming.
Policies and Discipline
Interpret, enforce, and collaborate with the AHoS on policies and regulations governing student discipline.
Manage the disciplinary process from start to finish, resolving discipline issues by keeping detailed notes and files, using methods that support accountability, growth, and confidentiality, and sending official notices when needed.
Annually review and update the Student-Parent Handbook with the AHoS; ensure policies and legal compliance.
Regularly monitor common student areas during the academic day.
Maintain a consistent and effective attendance policy; monitor trends and correspond with families.
Meet regularly with the School Counselor(s) to assess the social and emotional health of the student body; support in communicating with teachers regarding student needs, challenges, interventions and/or updates.
Consult with families on matters related to student behavior and overall well-being.
Collaborate with the Learning Center team to follow the SST model and ensure students are supported.
Approve and support field trips and required paperwork; manage trip procedures and lead chaperone training.
Ensure student safety and professionalism at school events and field trips.
Assign lockers; manage the end-of-year clean-out and collection of locks.
Collaborate with security to manage student parking lot etiquette along with other safety protocols.
Experiential Education Programming
Develop and supervise a school-wide Advisory program.
Provide training and set expectations for Advisors to help achieve the goals of the program.
Collaborate with the school Rabbi and student leaders on KabShab planning, as needed.
Manage logistics for Heart Work Programming, including room assignments, faculty leads, surveying & assigning students, and attendance.
Ongoing collaboration with the experiential education team to plan the educational travel program, which includes an overnight trip for each grade-level:
Work with travel providers to plan travel experiences, collect student travel information, and prepare students & families for travel experiences.
Communicate regularly with students & families about educational travel experiences, deadlines, important information to ensure students are prepared for travel.
Manage any disciplinary issues that arise on trips; meet with students & families to ensure behavioral expectations are clear; review and update the Educational Travel Handbook annually.
Support in collecting student health information before taking part in trips and travel; collaborate with organizers and chaperones for field trips regarding student health information.
Support in collecting roommate preferences and assigning student rooms on trips.
Student Life Programming: StuGov, Clubs, & Community Service
Attend weekly student government meetings to facilitate and support events, programs, ideas, etc.
Maintain student government funds and make purchases on behalf of student government leaders.
Lead the planning and execution of annual elections in the fall and spring, along with student government leaders.
Lead the Prom committee; maintain budget, organize logistics, and execute the event.
Assist student government leaders in registering student clubs; assist in finding club faculty advisors, as needed.
Help clubs organize fundraising; maintain budget and accurate financial records.
Organize and confirm staffing requirements for all programming.
Acquire, maintain, and store necessary materials and program supplies.
Coordinate and supervise set-up and clean-up for all events.
Manage day-of logistics including technology use, registration/check-in, security, and budget.
In collaboration with the the experiential ed team and the School Counselor, develop and implement service events.
Serve on the Crisis Response Team; develop safety protocols and schedule/run safety drills.
Adhere to all state and federally-required training including ADA, FERPA, and HIPAA compliance.
Core Competencies
Strong executive functioning skills
Knowledge of school technology platforms (Google, Powerschool, Schoology) or willingness and capacity to learn.
Strong organizational, problem-solving, and team-building skills are essential.
Detail-oriented strategic thinker with above-average time management skills.
Experienced managing human behavior and performance including differences in ability, and personality.
Adept at best practices in advancing equity and social justice that supports student well-being.
Strong personal leadership skills, including mentoring and developing student leaders.
Skilled at managing logistics and juggling various responsibilities at once.
Strong work ethic: shows initiative, demonstrates professionalism, and sustains integrity in all interactions.
Experienced in the appropriate strategies of conflict resolution methods.
A growth mindset and ability to give and receive guidance, constructive feedback, and support.
Applies common sense, extreme diplomacy, discretion, integrity, and confidentiality in all communications.
Demonstrates genuine humility and respect when interacting with others, regardless of their point of view.
Approachable and engaging personality, able to connect with multiple constituencies.
Excellent oral, written, and non-verbal communication skills, with a particular talent for active listening.
Takes personal responsibility for the continuous learning of new knowledge, skills, and experiences.
Makes timely and quality decisions based on a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment.
Passionate about supporting equal access to learning in a diverse community; customer-focused.
Nurtures optimism, flexibility, and a sense of humor; models taking responsibility when appropriate.
Knowledge of how to interact, develop interpersonal relationships, and work collaboratively with persons from varying backgrounds and experiences.
Requirements
Bachelor’s degree; Master’s preferable.
Background in Education, Counseling, or a related field desirable.
Minimum 2 years of experience in student affairs, student services, classroom teaching, or a related field.
Live in the State of California and work on campus during the Employee’s regularly scheduled hours
Preferred Qualifications
Experience working on/coordinating a team and supervising others is a plus.
Demonstrated experience working in an independent school setting is a plus.
Kehillah is distinguished by an exceptional academic program and a dynamic learning environment designed to foster inquiry, creativity, empathy, and belonging. In fact, Kehillah is the Hebrew word for community, and that value is at the heart of everything we do.
At Kehillah, students have the opportunity to learn about themselves and the world under the guidance of passionate and seasoned educators in subjects ranging from Mandarin, music theory, and Jewish ethics to robotics, marine biology and psychology. Kehillah students graduate with the knowledge, insight, and experience to create meaningful lives and make the world a more connected, more joyful place.
DIVERSITY AND BELONGING
We believe our strength lies in our diversity and our commitment to creating spaces of belonging for all who join us. Through belonging, our students and faculty find themselves and others, recognizing the unique contributions each person can make to healing our world. Our belief in the interconnectedness and value of all human beings compels us to work individually and collectively towards equity and social justice. We are committed to building a society that appreciates and celebrates differenc...es as well as a society that empathetically confronts the ways individuals, institutions, and systems have oppressed others based on gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, disability, and other aspects of identity. We believe that it is only by clearly understanding the past and the present of these dynamics that our community members will develop the capacity to help create a better future for all. We acknowledge that this work is ongoing and ever-evolving.