The Lovett School, an independent, coeducational day school in Atlanta, is seeking an experienced Middle School Dean to begin in July 2025. The Middle School Dean plays a vital role in coaching and supporting the professional growth of Middle School faculty to uphold best practices in student accountability systems and ensure that life both inside and outside the classroom is engaging, rewarding, and aligned with the School’s mission and values. Serving as the primary point of contact for the class’s academic and behavioral matters, the Dean is also responsible for collaboratively designing and implementing the Middle School advisory program. Additionally, the Dean will teach up to two courses as needed.
Love of working with adolescents and a willingness to engage them as whole students, balancing care and compassion with challenge and accountability.
Experience implementing restorative practices and relationally based accountability systems.
Desire and ability to develop an atmosphere of trust and knowledge of students as individuals
Research-based understanding of the challenges of growing up as a digital native in a post-pandemic world including the pressures of substance abuse, social media and technology use, and social-emotional wellness and for parenting children in this ecosystem.
Deep understanding of the way unconscious bias impacts relationships.
Knowledge of best practices in mind brain education and developmentally appropriate classroom management.
Self-directed with good time management skills and the ability to manage concurrent responsibilities.
Demonstrate positive interpersonal skills, professionalism and ability to communicate clearly and effectively with various constituencies of the school to build effective partnerships.
Ability to read the emotions in a room, shift perspective, and actively listen.
Excellent written and oral communication skills to facilitate timely and effective communication with students, parents, colleagues, and school employees.
Models authentic vulnerability and continuous professional growth.
A graduate degree, a track record of impactful teaching in the middle years, and a desire to invest in their own leadership presence and mindsets. Independent School experience preferred.
Essential Functions
Proactively constructs a positive student culture that mitigates disciplinary infractions before they occur. Designs and implements a system of corrective actions in which our critical values are represented through an approach of restorative practices.
Trains faculty, staff, students, and parents in this system.
Addresses students’ individual academic, disciplinary, and attendance issues
Designs and implements an advisory program dedicated to helping students best understand who they are and where they fit.
Provides support to teachers, helping them create a warm, structured, consistent, developmentally appropriate and responsive classroom culture (proactive classroom management side of accountability) rooted in meaningful relationship agreements.
Ensures a common language exists between students, faculty, parents, and administration when talking about appropriate behaviors rooted in core values.
Keeps the Division Head informed of the status and progress of all programming beyond the classroom, and of school climate, student morale, and current issues and dynamics within the middle school.
Collects annual data about behavior trends to design meaningful professional growth experiences.
Teaches two Middle School classes, or the equivalent, as needed.
Is involved in the life of the school outside of the classroom, attending various evening meetings, programs, athletic contests, and extracurricular events.
Fulfills additional duties as assigned
Physical Demands:
NOTE: The Lovett School employment process includes a post-offer drug (hair) test and background check. See the employment application for more information.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands from wrist to finger, and talk or hear. The employee is regularly required to stand; walk; and reach with hands. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.