Independent Schools of Saint Louis

Dean of Students and Families City Academy

City Academy Mission
Transforming children, families and our community through exceptional education and bold expectations that empower children to overcome barriers.

Summary of Position
City Academy is seeking a full-time Dean of Students and Families to join our Student Support team for the 2025–2026 school year. This role is essential in fostering a positive, inclusive, and mission-driven school culture rooted in bold expectations for student behavior and family engagement. The Dean of Students and Families will work with students and families in Kindergarten through 6th grade, ensuring the consistent implementation of Responsive Classroom practices and supporting a unified behavioral culture across all grade levels. This role will partner closely with faculty, staff, and families to reinforce our school’s values and promote student success.

Responsibilities

Student Behavior and School Culture:

  • Serve as the school-wide point person for student behavior and discipline, ensuring consistency and alignment with the school’s mission, Parent/Student Handbook and Responsive Classroom principles.
  • Develop and implement proactive systems to build community, reinforce expectations, and cultivate a respectful and inclusive school culture.
  • Provide coaching and support to faculty in the use of Responsive Classroom strategies and language.
  • Support students in restoring relationships and learning from missteps through reflection, restorative practices and age-appropriate accountability.
  • Maintain records of student behavior and use data to identify patterns and inform interventions.
  • Collaborate with the Director of Teaching and Learning, school counselor, learning specialists, and other team members to create student support plans, improvement plans and probation plans when needed.

Family Engagement and Communication:

  • Foster strong relationships with families and serve as a key liaison for student support and behavior matters.
  • Lead efforts to increase parent engagement, communication and participation in school life.
  • Build upon the use of digital tools to maintain records and enforce the completion of parent engagement hours.
  • Create systems to monitor student attendance and partner with families to ensure their adherence to community expectations.
  • Serve as the school’s liaison to City Academy Parents (CAPS).
  • Proactively communicate with families about student behavior and school expectations with transparency, warmth, and cultural responsiveness.
  • Offer support and guidance to families navigating challenges at school, connecting them to appropriate internal and external resources as needed.
  • Model and reinforce a culture of partnership and mutual respect between school and home.


Faculty and Staff Support:

  • Conduct faculty observations with an emphasis on social-emotional learning and classroom environment. 
  • Provide coaching, resources, and feedback to teachers and staff on student behavior management.
  • Serve as a Responsive Classroom ambassador, helping to reintegrate these practices across all grade levels.
  • Collaborate with teachers to ensure that classroom environments align with schoolwide expectations.
  • Offer professional development sessions and workshops related to student behavior and family partnership.
  • Coordinate substitute teachers and coverage in the event of faculty absences.

Qualifications

Education & Certification:

  • Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in Education, Counseling, Social Work, or related field preferred.


Experience & Skills:

  • Experience working with children in Kindergarten through 6th grade in a school setting.
  • Proven success working with families and fostering strong community relationships.
  • Deep knowledge of child development, restorative practices, and behavior management techniques.
  • Familiarity with the Responsive Classroom approach or similar student-centered behavior frameworks.
  • Excellent interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills.
  • Warm, empathetic, and culturally responsive approach to working with children and families.
  • Collegial spirit, positive outlook, and a commitment to collaboration.

City Academy offers a competitive compensation and benefits package and a sustained commitment in the budget to ongoing professional development for our faculty and staff. City Academy is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, or sexual identity in its hiring processes.

To Apply
Send a cover letter and resume with references to Jarrett Young, Head of School, at jyoung@cityacademystl.org.