Dean of Students Position Description

About the SailFuture Academy

The SailFuture Academy is a private nonprofit career preparatory high school in St. Petersburg, Florida. Our mission is to empower at-risk students to achieve economic freedom and social mobility through character development and pragmatic, project-based learning.

We believe that transforming student life outcomes is only possible through authentic and lifelong relationships between educators and their students. Faculty are provided a budget AND dedicated time throughout the year to build relationships with their students outside of the school environment.

The school model features thematically integrated coursework in business, technology, science, math, and language arts with practical application labs in construction, maritime, and culinary settings.

Students focus on foundational academic and character development curriculum in 9th and 10th grade and participate in an in-house internship in 11th grade and an external apprenticeship in their 12th-grade year.

Dean of Students Job Description

SailFuture’s Dean of Students leads student retention, school culture, and daily operations.

The Dean is expected to be a community builder and should view their role as the glue that keeps the broader school community together. This includes efforts both on campus, and efforts outside of the school building to develop authentic relationships with our families and their support systems. The Dean’s ability to build these relationships with students, parents, community members, and faculty will ultimately shape the student experience and catalyze life transformations.

Day-to-Day responsibilities vary, and include both on-campus leadership and partnership building.

The Dean reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer and supervises a bus driver, behavior specialist, and mental health counselor. The Dean co-supervises faculty members with the Curriculum Director.

The ideal candidate is a passionate and experienced leader eager to commit to reinventing the high school experience for students who need it most.

This is a year-round position and typical working hours are 730am - 5pm, Monday through Friday. Additional non-traditional working hours are required to assist with student recruitment and parent engagement goals.

Responsibilities:

• Serve on the school leadership team
• Assist with teacher training and onboarding along with Curriculum Director
• Lead school culture efforts, including the implementation of student professionalism scores, crew system, and campus-wide events
• Act as the lead administrator for student behaviors and discipline
• Manage student bussing and transportation logistics
• Establish meaningful relationships with students to assist in improving their behavior, educational performance, and social relationships
• Actively engage student families in campus activities, culture, and student performance
• Oversee student scholarships, and tuition awards
• Assist with DOE, SUFS, and accreditation compliance efforts
• Assist in student recruitment efforts including community events, campus tours, and enrollment
• Build and steer a positive school culture rooted in our core principles
• Develop strategic partnerships with middle schools, and community organizations. Assist in recruiting campus volunteers.
• Assist in providing behavior management and classroom management feedback to faculty
• Manage tools and platforms for general data systems and school operations, including student records, enrollment, ect.

The ideal candidate:

• The ideal candidate should be eager to begin, and capable of sustaining, the work needed to build a legacy project and should meet the following criteria:
• Has a successful track record working with at-risk youth
• Experience leading and managing teams
• Passionate about reimagining education
• Flexible and able to thrive in a start-up environment
• Entrepreneurial in their thinking and a creative problem solver
• Lead by example and be excited to work in the trenches

Compensation:

• $50,000 - $60,000 annual salary
• $250 per month employee health contribution
• 401k with 6% match
• 15 days PTO (accrual)