Interim Dean of Students (One Year FY27) (3252)

Job Description

The Natick Public Schools Seeks a

Interim Dean of Students - Natick High School (One Year-FY27)

Start Date: 08/24/2026

We invite you to explore a career with Natick Public Schools!

The Natick Public Schools educate approximately 5,300 students from Pre-K through age 22. We are an innovative, supportive, and high-performing district whose outstanding staff provides high quality services for our diverse students and their families from Natick and Boston. Natick Public Schools is a community dedicated to all students achieving high standards in a safe, trusting, respectful environment where learning is exciting, dynamic, and engaging, and where connectedness and belonging are valued and actively cultivated. We are home to families that speak almost 60 different languages and our student population is approximately 29% Students of Color and 71% White students. With a graduation rate of 97% and 90% of our students attending post-secondary schools, we are proud of our commitment to excellence in educating students to be informed and successful citizens of a global world.

We enthusiastically welcome educators to our district who seek and thrive in a diverse environment that focuses on the whole child in a strengths-based approach. Please partner with us in our mission to support the diversity of our school community, promote and deliver equitable practices for all of our staff, students, and families, and create meaningful connections that enable everyone to feel included and thrive.

Job Title

Interim Dean of Students (One Year-FY27)

Location

Natick High School

Reports To

High School Principal

Work days /FTE

205 days/

1.0 FTE

Salary/

Benefits

Salary and benefits per the Educators Association of Natick Unit B Contract

(Range: $115,331 - $157,519)

Benefits Eligible?

Yes

Profile of a Natick Educator

Job Goal

A Dean of Students at Natick High School is responsible for fostering a safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environment. This student-centered leader is committed to equity, promotes a safe, positive school culture, supports consistent student attendance and engagement, and collaborates with educators, caregivers, and community partners on behalf of students' academic and social-emotional success. A Dean of Students plays a critical role in the NHS MTSS structure, implementing tiered responses to student behavior including restorative practices, reflective learning opportunities and disciplinary consequences.

Education

• Master's degree, preferably in educational leadership.

Qualifications

• Massachusetts DESE licensure as a Vice-Principal/Principal, 9 - 12 required.
  
• At least five years of successful experience in a secondary education position, either as a teacher, counselor or in a related position.
  
• Prior leadership experience preferred.
  
• Fluency in Spanish and/or Portuguese are highly desired.

Essential Duties

1. Student Culture, Climate, and Engagement

The Dean of Students promotes a positive, inclusive, and equitable school culture that supports student achievement, well-being, belonging, and engagement by

• • Building strong relationships with students, staff and families to foster trust, accountability, and connection to the school community.
    
  • Maintaining a visible presence throughout the school during the school day, at extracurricular, co-curricular and athletics activities and at school events.
    
  • Developing, implementing and supporting programs that encourage student leadership, civic engagement, school pride, and connectedness.

2. Student Conduct, Behavioral Consequences and Restorative Practices

A Dean of Students responds to student behavior fairly, consistently, equitably, and educationally by

• • Conducting investigations of behavioral incidents to determine appropriate interventions and consequences in accordance with district policies, state and federal regulations and laws, the NPS Code of Conduct and the Student Handbook.
    
  • Assigning progressive, appropriate disciplinary consequences and providing educational opportunities in response to incidents to promote accountability, and student growth.
    
  • Addressing behavioral referrals in a timely, thorough manner.
    
  • Investigating allegations of bullying and harassment in compliance with all required procedures and timelines.
    
  • Collaborating with the School Resource Officer (SRO), district personnel, and local agencies to address student safety concerns.
    
  • Deescalating student conflict.
    
  • Engaging students in restorative practices to repair harm, including but not limited to student-to-student and student-to-teacher conferences, mediations, restorative circles, and problem-solving meetings.
    
  • Communicating with stakeholders following student behavioral incidents to ensure follow through and accountability.
    
  • Conducting suspension hearings and participating in manifestation determination meetings in accordance with district policies, state and federal regulations and laws, the NPS Code of Conduct and the Student Handbook.
    
  • Coordinating re-entry meetings and safety/support plans.
    
  • Maintaining detailed, accurate, and timely disciplinary records and documentation.
    
  • Coordinating student privileges in accordance with academic, attendance, and behavioral expectations.

3. Attendance, Academic Monitoring, and Student Support

The Dean of Students supports students academically, socially and emotionally by

• • Implementing key pieces of the building-wide MTSS structure including:
    • Leading the schoolwide Response to Intervention Team
      
    • Chairing the Child Protection Team and overseeing compliance with all mandated reporting procedures, student safety protocols, and interagency collaboration.
      
    • Chairing the Child Study Team (CST) for their cohort of students.
      
    • Supervising the daily operation of the PACE (Planning and Coverage Efficiency) program to maximize instructional continuity.
      
    • Serve as the administrative lead for the CORE program, coordinating programming, staffing, scheduling, and communication with stakeholders.
  • Monitoring individual students' attendance and identify trends related to absenteeism, disengagement, and school avoidance.
    
  • Tracking students' academic performance and proactively identifying students in need of intervention.
    
  • Developing, implementing, and monitoring individualized support plans for students including graduation contracts and graduation support plans.
    
  • Coordinating school-wide and individualized interventions to improve attendance, academic success and student engagement.
    
  • Working collaboratively with students, families, counselors, social workers, school psychologists, teachers, community agencies and outside providers to support students experiencing academic, behavioral, or attendance challenges.
    
  • Supporting student mental health interventions in coordination with school-based support staff and outside providers.

4. Family and Community Engagement

A Dean of Students communicates with caregivers and student support teams effectively on behalf of individual students' needs, and communicates with the broader community to develop relationships that allow for student success by

• • Proactively and effectively communicating with students, families, and staff regarding attendance, behavior, and student support concerns using a variety of means.
    
  • Maintaining culturally affirming practices that build trust with all students and families.
    
  • Facilitating meetings involving students, families, staff members, and community partners and participating in 504, IEP and ICAP meetings, as needed.
    
  • Developing and maintaining partnerships with community organizations that support student success.
    
  • Assisting students and families in accessing available supports and resources, including financial assistance programs and school-based services.
    
  • Communicating with the School Resource Officer to support student safety and wellbeing in and out of school.
    
  • Interfacing with DCF and the court system to file and follow up on 51As and CRAs, respectively.

5. Safety and Student Supervision

A Dean of Students maintains a safe, orderly, welcoming school environment by

• • Implementing school safety plans, emergency response procedures, and crisis management protocols.
    
  • Participating in threat assessment, crisis response, and safety planning teams.
    
  • Supervising student arrival, dismissal, lunch periods and other school activities.
    
  • Supervising athletic competitions, dances, performances, assemblies and other student activities outside of the school day.
    
  • Leading the school's substitute teacher program, including
    
  • Recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training, supervising, and evaluating substitute teachers
    
  • Developing and implementing the daily teacher coverage plan.
    
  • Supervising the Substitute Coordinator, 9-12.

6. Operational Management

A Dean of Students manages key parts of school operations, including

• • Operational planning for certain school events, including but not limited to, Open House and the annual girls football game.
    
  • Coordinating PSAT administration including scheduling, staffing, testing procedures, accommodations, and communication with students and families.
    
  • Supporting and assisting with graduation rehearsals, prom and other large school events.

7. Hiring, Supervision and Evaluation

A Dean of Students coaches, supervises and evaluates assigned staff in accordance with district evaluation procedures, including

• • Supporting, supervising and evaluating Main Office administrative staff, substitute teachers, and other school support staff.
    
  • Conducting regular classroom walkthroughs and contributing to the educator evaluation process.
    
  • Providing guidance and support to faculty and staff regarding student behavior, classroom management, restorative practices, and student engagement strategies.
    
  • Leading and/or participating in hiring processes.
    
  • Supporting teacher induction, mentoring, and professional growth initiatives.
    
  • Designing and facilitating professional development, including but not limited to school climate, student support, student behavior, restorative practices, and student engagement.

8. School Improvement and Administrative Leadership

A Dean of Students is a member of the school's Leadership and Administrative Teams, as well as the District's Administrative Council. As such, this role

• • Contributes to the development, implementation, and monitoring of the School Improvement Plan.
    
  • Analyzes attendance, discipline, engagement, and climate data to inform decision-making and continuous improvement efforts.
    
  • Collaborates with district leaders and school staff to advance strategic priorities.
    
  • Attends school, district, and administrative meetings as required.

9. Supports the daily operation of the school and performs additional duties as assigned by the Principal.

Skills

• Proven leadership ability, including the capacity to motivate others and foster professional growth.
  
• Strong interpersonal, team-building, and organizational skills
  
• Strong work ethic and attention to detail
  
• Ability to analyze and utilize data to inform decisions.
  
• An unrelenting focus on student success.
  
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills.
  
• Strong technical skills and an aptitude for managing details.
  
• A track record of building and maintaining positive, collaborative relationships with adolescents and their families
  
• Skills in various technology systems such as Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and PowerSchool.
  
• Ability to make independent, sound decisions in alignment with school goals, district policies and procedures.
  
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to multitask and meet time-sensitive deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
  
• Demonstrated flexibility and collaboration in responding effectively to changing needs and priorities.
  
• Bilingual skills, particularly in Spanish and Portuguese, are highly desirable.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands listed below are representative of those required to perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

• Moving throughout classrooms, school, grounds, offices, or off-site locations, including occasional rapid movement across even or uneven surfaces.
  
• Remaining stationary for extended periods and operating productivity tools such as computers, iPads, printers, and assistive technology.
  
• Reading materials from screens, handwritten documents, or printed text, with or without visual aids.
  
• Positioning oneself to access and maintain files, materials, and resources.
  
• Communicating effectively in person, via video conference, by telephone, or in writing to ensure accurate understanding and collaboration.
  
• Observing details at close range to maintain safety and support students.
  
• Multitasking and responding to multiple demands from various individuals.
  
• Supporting students in developing life skills such as eating, cleaning, and toileting as needed.
  
• Occasionally lifting or moving up to 25 pounds.
  
• Working in environments with moderate to loud noise levels.

Selection Guidelines

• Formal application
  
• Rating of education and experience
  
• Oral interviews
  
• Reference check
  
• Strong record of work performance in current and previous roles required
  
• Successful completion of Criminal Records Check (C.O.R.I.), Sexual Offender Record Check (S.O.R.I.), and fingerprints.

The Natick Public Schools do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, creed, color, religion, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, physical and intellectual differences, immigration status, homeless status, or any other class protected by law.