Dean of Instruction 2025 - Kauffman School : Job Details

Dean of Instruction. Ewing Marion Kauffman School, Inc., Kansas City, Missouri.ABOUT THE POSITION The Ewing Marion Kauffman School is a free, public charter school serving more than 1,200 students in 5th through 12th grades. Focused on student achievement and strong character, the school's mission is summarized in three words: create college graduates. The school serves a student population of which 87% qualify for free and reduced lunch and 90% identify as students of color. Students are accepted by a lottery that prioritizes the six highest-need zip codes within the district. In 2019, 2020 and 2021, 100% of students in each graduating class earned at least one acceptance to a college or university - we believe this provides true choice and opportunity as students pursue post-secondary goals. More than 70% of our students identify as first in their families to attend college. The Kauffman School seeks results-driven and culturally responsive educators to join its team - we anchor ourselves around four guiding principles about what it means to be culturally responsive educators and create a school with strong student and staff culture:

• Belief and Connection: We show belief in every student through setting and holding them to high expectations while building relationships. We build connections and relationships with each student side by side by providing excellent rigorous content in order to value the individual child. We do not allow differences in identity or our personal biases to cause us to lower expectations because we know that when supported, our students can achieve.
• Clear is Kind: We show care through direct and clear communication of our high expectations rather than allowing them to 'slip through the cracks' by assuming they will know how to meet our standards without telling them. We also know that one of our roles is preparing our children for a world as college students/graduates that might play by different rules than they have previously experienced and it is our job to help them understand how to navigate, challenge the norms of, and dismantle that world.
• Intent and Impact: All of our actions are executed with the purpose and intent to empower every student to reach their full potential. We also believe that as educators, we are called to assess the impact of our actions and adjust course if they are not meeting the intent. Positive intent cannot mean we ignore the impact of actions and we believe continually assessing and reassessing practices to ensure they are effective is a critical reflection process to ensure we are being culturally responsive.
• Cultural Context + Critical Thinking: We approach rigorous learning as an activity that is responsive to students' cultural contexts and pushes them to think critically. We seek opportunities for them to engage with and respond to the world around them - both in their immediate lives and in their broader society - while being pushed intellectually at all times.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide high-quality coaching to Kauffman School educators through classroom observations, written and verbal feedback, and debrief cycles rooted in developing teacher instructional skills.
• Develop systems and protocols to ensure academic achievement.
• Coach teachers on best practices and interventions to raise achievement for struggling students.
• In partnership with the Director of Schools, Principals, and Curriculum Manager, responsible for research, design, and align scope, sequence, and curriculum with Missouri and Common Core standards.
• Following the Leverage Leadership 2.0 model, advise, support, and mentor individual teachers to improve instruction through daily classroom observation and feedback; curriculum, unit, and lesson collaborative planning and review; continuous, high-quality assessment preparation; and comprehensive and evolving professional development programming.
• Collaborate with the Principal to evaluate school staff.
• Work with Principal, Data Team, and Assessment Team to evaluate school performance data to make holistic and individual recommendations for improving practices.
• Facilitate data-driven discussions with instructional staff regarding student performance.
• Work with parents and the community to achieve maximum involvement in and support of student performance.
• Coordinate summer staff orientation and summer curriculum development.
• Participate in staff recruitment.
• Serve as a key member of the Kauffman School Leadership Team, representing the school to a variety of audiences and supporting all necessary functions for school management and success.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Requires a Master's degree in Education, Educational Leadership, or a related degree.
• 2 years in any instructional leadership role of educators for K-12 students.
• 2 years of experience utilizing the Leverage Leadership 2.0 model for educator curriculum development and professional educator development.
• 2 years of experience establishing government-set education performance goals for educators.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS The Kauffman School offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with relevant experience and anticipated duties and responsibilities, including comprehensive health benefits TO APPLY To apply, send resumes to Kauffman School, Katie Pasniewski, 6401 Paseo Blvd., Kansas City, Missouri 64131 or by email to [email protected] The Kauffman School is an Equal Opportunity Employer, welcoming people to flourish in an open and inclusive work environment. A diverse pool of candidates is welcomed and encouraged.