Dean of Students - 2026/2027 School Year (Woodlawn High School)

About the Campus:

The Woodlawn Campus of the University of Chicago Charter School (UCW) opened in September 2006. The high school currently educates students in grades nine through twelve and assists students in the following:

1. Developing the habits of mind, work, and heart to be successful in college and good citizens of their community.
2. Contributing to the community through student research, service, and leadership
3. Improving teaching and learning by serving as a site of professional development for teachers and school leaders.
4. Upholding the 4 core values of Scholarship, Leadership, Excellence and Grit.

Position Summary:

The Dean of Student Life will work collaboratively with the other School Deans to collect and manage the ‘metrics’ student life throughout UCW HS that include components of academics, social-emotional well-being, and behavior. The Dean of Student Life will discuss data with instructional and advisory teams to promote, support, celebrate, and improve any and all student life components. The Dean of Student Life will work collaboratively with parents and students as well as the advisors and teachers to bring resolution to situations where policies/protocols have been breached. The Dean of Student Life will report to the High School Director on a weekly basis to highlight gathered data, gain approval for proposed solutions/resolutions to data/issues, and evaluate the effectiveness of systems/protocols put in place. This is a 12-month position.

Primary duties and responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Demonstrate and work to instill Scholarship, Leadership, Excellence and Grit into the lives of all UCW HS stakeholders.
• Develop systems and structures to maintain a safe and supportive learning environment
• Provide guidance and philosophies for students to thrive in the areas of social, personal and emotional development
• Coordinate regular student discipline meetings with identified stakeholders
• Develop a professional learning community that provides training for staff regarding strategies for student engagement and success, i.e. restorative justice practices, classroom management, social-emotional learning strategies including, but not limited to cultural responsiveness
• Collaborate with the SEL Team weekly to ensure implementation of social-emotional strategies and support for students.
• Maintain positive interactions with students, staff, parents and the UCW community
• Develop a system for student life that is centered around inclusivity for all students regardless of any prejudice and bias.
• Collaborate with UCW Special Education Case Manager to ensure that all eligible students are protected by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
• Implement a system that engages and tracks community service hours/projects for students
• Produce regular communication to administration, staff, parents and the UCW community regarding behavioral expectations and/or presenting concerns, i.e. weekly communication to staff and monthly communication to the UCW community
• Successfully document and maintain an appropriate record of disciplinary actions taken for each student per UCW standards and practices.
• Collaborate daily with school security, including University of Chicago’s Police Department (UCPD Deputy Chief and UCPD school resource officer (SRO) daily regarding safety and behavioral concerns
• Serve as administrative point person in cases of severe discipline and communicate directly to High School Director.
• Collaborate weekly with the attendance personnel regarding behaviors that could increase and decrease the average daily attendance for students, i.e. cuts, tardies, interventions and campaigns.
• Develop and maintain a schedule that allows visibility during areas and times when students convene including, but not limited to arrival, lunch, dismissal, advisory, etc.
• Provide data analysis reports to UCW admin, UCW HS community and UCCS network
• Provide oversight of the standards, policy, and protocols set forth in the UCCS Student and Family Handbook to ensure that they are maintained by students, families, and teachers and, when necessary and appropriate, support the Director in overseeing this implementation.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum five years’ experience in counseling/administrative school experience (preferred)
• Documented history of personal and professional success (that can be demonstrated through data results.)
• Experience in leading full staff professional development that includes data with documented success as a result of the professional development.
• Experience with analyzing data around student life and leading full school initiatives around improving that data.
• Strong analytical, organizational, interpersonal, and diplomacy skills.
• Experience working with adolescents and/or families, particularly in traditionally underserved schools and communities (preferred)
• Ability to receive, internalize, and respond to feedback from campus and network leadership.

Salary Range: $65,000.00 – $75,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University of Chicago Charter School's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting. The salary will be commensurate of years of teaching experience and education.

Benefits

UChicago Charter School offers a wide range of benefits programs for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits guide.

UCCS recruits, hires, compensates, promotes and otherwise manages employees and prospective employees on the basis of individual merit without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status or any and all other factors protected by law. This policy includes UCCS’s commitment to maintain a workplace free from sexual or other unlawful harassment or discrimination of any nature.