Dean of Students

Dean of Students

Overview of School

Prospect Sierra is an independent, coed TK–8 school located on two campuses in El Cerrito, California, serving 440 students. Prospect Sierra gives students the tools to build a better world by integrating rigorous academics with a deep understanding of human emotions. Every day our exceptional teachers connect students’ academic experiences to ethics, empathy, and social and emotional intelligence. The result is deeper intellectual engagement, greater self-knowledge, and compassionate relationships. Prospect Sierra students develop courage to become more than great students, but great people. Please visit our website, www.prospectsierra.org, for more information.

Overview of Position

This position is for Dean of Students/Life Skills Teacher in the middle school,  beginning August 2026. The Dean reports to the Middle School Division Head and works in close collaboration with the Middle School Head, Director of Equity & Inclusion, Student Support Team, all faculty, staff, students, and parents/guardians. This is a full time teaching position.

• Work collaboratively with the Division Head and Director of Equity & Inclusion in all school matters
• Work collaboratively with Team Leaders and Student Support Team (counselor and learning specialists)
• Develop trusting relationships with students and families
• Develop and manage school culture
• Lead faculty and staff in clarifying the school’s expectations for behavior
• Handle all student issues and disciplinary situations
• Communicate with the Division Head, team leaders, teachers, advisors, learning specialists, counselors, and parents as necessary regarding student issues and disciplinary situations
• Oversee social emotional curriculum
• Manage school wide logistics (ie; student assignments & faculty schedules, supervision duties, arts rotations and other master calendar responsibilities) along with the Division Head
• Assist in faculty hiring
• Support Director of Admissions with admissions information sessions, tours and assessing student applicants
• Edit the student and family handbook along with Division Head
• Manage day to day operations of 5-8 campus in Division Head’s absence
• Coordinate chaperones and student attendance at dances
• Serve as Student Council faculty advisor (support student events like dances and fundraisers, support student store)
• Run the Student Electives Program (3 rotations per year)
• Participate in 6th-8th grade overnight field trips
• Teach 7th & 8th grade Life Skills classes (8 class periods per week)

School Wide-Duties

• Participation on other committees as needed and appropriate
• Ancillary duties include responsibilities that are part of middle school life

Qualifications

The candidate must have:

• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
• A genuine enjoyment of working with early adolescents
• Experience working with middle school students
• Strong track record of working with parents
• Ability to handle disciplinary situations with courage, grace, compassion, and fairness, and willingness to follow through with students, parents, colleagues, and the division head on all disciplinary matters from beginning to end
• Experience in independent schools
• Excellent attention to detail
• Sense of humor
• Flexibility
• Strong organizational and record keeping skills
• Commitment to anti-bias learning
• Awareness of differentiated learning and teaching styles
• A team player and previous successful experience in leadership positions

Salary

The salary range for the Dean of Students job will be between $95,000 – $130,000 depending on experience along with full benefits.

How to Apply

Send a cover letter, resume, and contacts to three references to:

Nathan Tanaka, Middle School Head

Attn: Dean of Students Position

Prospect Sierra School

960 Avis Drive

El Cerrito, CA 94530

Email: avisjobs@prospectsierra.org  (Please put “Dean of Students” in the subject line)

Prospect Sierra School is an equal opportunity employer. Our community is diverse in many ways, inclusive of race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender spectrum, age, ability, and more. We welcome and value the same in our faculty and staff.