Career Center

Breck School

Job Description

Title: MS Grade Level Dean

FLSA Status: Exempt

Reports to: MS Division Director

Hours: Core Hours are 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Vacation: Holiday Break, Spring Break, Month of July

Effective Date: 5/2023

School Overview

Breck School is a preschool through twelve, coeducational college preparatory, Episcopal day school located in Golden Valley, Minnesota with a national reputation for excellence and achievement in academics, athletics, and the arts. Our School’s Episcopal roots are lived through an unwavering commitment to equity, inclusion, and belonging where we respect the dignity of every human being. We are a close and caring community that focuses on lifelong learning and a commitment to the greater good. 

We are a community of highly engaged and motivated students, faculty, staff, and school leaders focused on building trusting relationships, strong scholarship, through a practice of bridging research to practice. Upon graduation, Breck students are prepared for a life of intellectual curiosity, self-knowledge, and social responsibility, matriculating to colleges and universities throughout the world. 

Position Overview

The Middle School Dean shares responsibilities for the Division with the Middle School Administrative team, serving a leading role in the collective effort to establish and maintain a culture that is conducive to all members feeling a sense of belonging. Responsible for the oversight and leadership of two grade levels in the Middle School, the Dean consistently engages with students, colleagues, parents and guardians.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

Communication

General 

• Communicate effectively and timely, both in written and oral form

• Maintain appropriate documentation

• Share expertise in the growth and development of early adolescents

Colleagues

• Serve as the lead for weekly grade-level meetings

• Work with advisors to ensure that individual students’ overall experiences are being appropriately synthesized

• Provide support and supervision of faculty.

• Collaborate with the Lower and Upper Schools to ensure consistency in practice

• Serve as a member of the Middle School’s Student Support Team

• Work with the Program Directors to ensure that school-wide initiatives are being effectively implemented at the grade level

Families 

• Work with the Parents Association to identify appropriate parent education opportunities

• Monitor student attendance and contact home to follow up on extended absences

• Develop supportive home/school relationships with parents and guardians as they and their children navigate the middle school years

School Culture and Community

• Establish a consistent presence in and around the Middle School

• Provide a presence beyond the academic day at performances and games

• Oversee and record student disciplinary concerns and advise/involve the Middle School Director as appropriate

• Coordinate and facilitate a restorative approach to discipline

• Implement a behavior management system that is reflective of Breck’s Mission & Values. Ensure that infractions are all opportunities for learning and growth.

• In collaboration with the other Dean, run the Middle School’s Community Meetings

• Develop and implement student programming that is both engaging and builds community

• Provide leadership, vision, and coordination of the Middle School’s Advisory Program

• Advise the Division Director on setting policies that reflect best practice

• Organize and supervise student social activities

• Lead the planning of class trips

Other Responsibilities

• Teach one class

• Serve on committees, as requested by the Division Director and/or Head of School

• Take part in interviewing prospective colleagues

• Take part in the admissions process

  • Provide the necessary outreach to prospective families 

  • Read and evaluate applicants’ files\

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree; Master’s preferred

• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in a middle school setting

• Previous independent school administrative experience desired

Competencies

• Displays good judgment, time management, and an ability to prioritize

• Actively seeks avenues for personal and professional growth

• Deep knowledge and understanding of middle level child development

• Is reflective

• The ability to triage and support 

  • Schedules (creation, implementation, and modification)

  • Social dynamics

  • Faculty concerns

  • Parental concerns

see job description

About Breck School

Breck School is a single-campus, P-12, Episcopal independent school where living our mission means always reimagining, reinventing, and reanimating learning — both to model the process and rewards of authentic, meaningful learning for Breck students, and to continually grow, evolve, and reinvigorate as a learning enterprise. Founded in 1886, Breck is located in Golden Valley, Minnesota, about five minutes west of downtown Minneapolis. We serve a community of approximately 1150 students on our 50-acre campus. Visit www.breckschool.org for more information. Breck students are independent thinkers, self-starters, socially conscious problem solvers, thoughtful athletes, visionary artists, perpetually curious and perpetually learning citizens. We want every Breck graduate to be fully realized human beings, confident, capable, and compassionate enough to change the world in the way he or she sees fit. If that approach mirrors yours, we encourage your further interest.

Connections working at Breck School