Dean of Academics

Position Purpose: 

The Dean of Academics serves to advance the mission of Hill Country Christian School by promoting excellence at all levels of the school's academic program and by ensuring all academic programs embody a commitment to Christ-centered and classical education. 

Accountability:

Reports to Head of School

FlSA status:

Full-time, Exempt

Qualifications & skills

• Minimum of 1-3 years of experience in an academic leadership position, senior administrative or similar role in a school (Christian or Classical school preferred)
• Minimum of 1-3 years of experience leading faculty professional development or mentoring teachers
• A Masters degree or other advanced degree in education or relevant field of study  
• Must be a Christ-follower who upholds, in word and deed, Hill Country Christian School of Austin’s Core Values and Statement of Faith
• Must faithfully attend a church whose fundamental beliefs are in agreement with Statement of Faith of this school
• Successful record of developing academic programs and/ or overseeing curriculum and instruction practices is required
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with a high degree of competency to build and maintain effective professional relationships
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage and prioritize key tasks and projects 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to create, monitor and maintain systems that enhance organizational efficiency

Key Results Areas:  Dean of Academics will ensure academic excellence by:

• Working with Principals to create a consistent academic vision at Hill Country
  • Work with Elementary, Middle, and High School Principals to develop, implement, and maintain a consistently excellent academic program
  • Work with school leadership to develop a portrait of a master teacher 
  • Develop teacher evaluation tools that align with the school’s vision for excellent academics 
  • Develop a consistent schedule for Faculty observations with Principals and Dept. Chairs
  • Provide support to Principals and Dept. Chairs with classroom observations as needed
• Serving as top level advisor to the Head of School on all academic programs 
  • Keep Head of School informed on all levels of academic progress
  • Maintain and further develop academic dashboard to measure school’s academic performance
• Coordinating and analyzing all standardized tests
  • Work with school administration to coordinate CLT testing days (3-10 days)
  • Work with the College Board to schedule ACT, PSAT, and SAT testing on site. 
• Aligning Curriculum scope and sequence for grades K-12 
  • Work with Principals and teachers to ensure all curriculum scope and sequences are in alignment with our academic and cultural visions
  • When necessary, revise standards to meet current academic vision 
  • Review and refine current grade by grade scope and sequence documents to ensure they are reflect our academic aspirations
  • Develop any scope and sequence documents that are either non-existent or too outdated to be useful
  • Establish benchmarks and frameworks for academic curriculum standards based on successful models and approaches
• Developing, leading, and coordinating all K-12 faculty professional development 
  • Act as the primary point of contact and driver for all faculty development
  • Work with principals and Head of School to outline yearly professional development plans
  • Coordinate with outside/guest speakers to deliver excellent PD opportunities for faculty
  • Create a teacher training track to ensure new teachers are intentionally developed into master teachers according to the Hill Country way
• Providing teacher coaching to Department Chairs
  • Work with principals and Department Chairs to coach individual teachers under their care 
  • Provide master teacher level coaching for Department chairs so that they can be master teachers on their own, but also ensure all teachers in their departments are moving towards teacher mastery.  
• When necessary, providing teacher coaching to lowest performing teachers 
  • Work with principals and Department Chairs to pinpoint lowest performing teachers and work out a plan to provide intense coaching and feedback to quickly get teachers up to speed or moved out of their position
• Perform other related duties as required and assigned