Career Center
Sacramento, California
Phoenix, Arizona
Boston, Massachusetts
Posted: 17-Apr-23
Location: Menlo Park, California
Type: Full Time
Position Description
Director of Student Life and Belonging
Phillips Brooks School (PBS) is seeking a leader in a newly structured role, Director of Student Life and Belonging. This position leads strategy development and implementation to achieve PBS's goal of supporting students’ social-emotional learning (SEL) and an effective learning environment in alignment with current child development research and practices. This leader will work with individuals and groups of students to develop the skills they need to form authentic connections, be their best selves at school, and navigate their ever-changing world.
This leader will also serve as a resource to PBS faculty, staff, and families by promoting and implementing the consistent use of research-based approaches to teaching, conflict resolution, and behavior management. To achieve this, the Director of Student Life and Belonging will facilitate the continuous improvement of faculty and staff teams to teach social-emotional skills in a culturally responsive manner. This position will also help ensure that families understand and support the school’s SEL program and Behavior Management Model.
PBS is committed to teaching explicit and implicit ways of learning and reinforcing social and emotional skills, creating proactive and responsive systems of support, and meeting students where they are in their individual development. The Director of Student Life and Belonging will lead teachers in curricular and program innovation and growth, as well as collect and analyze data on an ongoing basis to identify strengths and areas of improvement and fuel systemic change. This role will also lead parent education sessions and individual conversations with families to optimize school-home partnership, an effective two-way feedback loop, and strong alignment with PBS’s research-based practices.
This role requires a high level of discretion and confidentiality; strong interpersonal skills for managing delicate conversations with families, students, and colleagues; and strong communication with teachers and families. The Director of Student Life and Belonging reports to the Assistant Head of School for Academics.
Key Responsibilities
- Cultivate an inclusive, welcoming, and supportive environment for all students and families, with their diversity of identities
- Serve as the school’s point person for emotional and behavioral support, offering individualized/group intervention and respond to challenges using the PBS Behavior Management Model
- Facilitate the implementation of the PBS Behavior Management Model both inside and outside of the classroom and continue to review, refine, and iterate upon the model based on emerging research and what the school learns on-the-ground
- Work closely with families both proactively and reactively to educate families about best practices in social-emotional development and the PBS approach to student behavior and needs
- Coach teachers in creating identity-safe classrooms and parent communication regarding behavior management and social-emotional learning
- Lead the ongoing work of enhancing curriculum and instruction by collaborating with students, faculty, and administration to promote culturally responsive teaching and a high sense of belonging among all students
- Act as lead learner in exploring best practices and next trends in social-emotional learning
- Monitor, evaluate, and engage in continuous improvement of the implementation of PBS’s SEL programs and Behavior Management Model
- Create and maintain a system for collecting data on students' emotional intelligence (EI) and work with teachers to provide an analysis of that data including recommendations for improvement
- Create a pacing guide, in consultation with faculty, and guide teachers to carry out EI assessments, including informal reflections, progress reporting, consistent qualitative observations with the timing of key milestones, such as family-teacher conferences and progress reports
- Ensure all faculty are trained in the PBS Emotional Intelligence programs, which include Responsive Classroom and Fly Five (curriculum)
- Organize and lead professional development for all teachers in response to themed areas of support
- Facilitate ongoing grade-level and cross-grade conversations around age- and grade-appropriate skills and concepts, clarifying the arc of progress across grade spans, with the purpose of ensuring consistency and cohesion of the scope and sequence across the student experience
- Provide push-in or small group support to classrooms across SEL areas, as needed
- Lead and attend family meetings to discuss student SEL support, as needed
- Design and maintain an EI online portal so the school can share curated and research-aligned resources with families
Other Responsibilities
- Serve as a member of the Academic Leadership Team by attending meetings, collaborating with other curriculum coordinators, and partnering with learning specialists to align and implement programmatic objectives
- Lead and/or participate in annual curriculum development through formal curriculum review processes and renewal of new initiatives, as needed
- Attend regular grade-level team meetings to provide support for planning and assessment, and for individual and group needs
- Serve as a member of the Safety Committee and Risk Management Committee
Key Qualifications and Background
- Bachelor's degree required, Masters preferred
- Experience as a school counselor, school social worker, SEL specialist or similar role
- Related professional certifications preferred
- School leadership experience, particularly in leading change, curriculum development, instructional coaching, and student support
- Familiarity with resources from the Center for Responsive Schools and restorative justice models
- Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to effectively manage deadlines and multiple tasks
- Grace under pressure and ability to manage and de-escalate stressful or difficult situations
- Commitment to confidentiality and adept at handling sensitive information
- Strong interpersonal and intrapersonal skills; active listener and open-minded collaborator
- Strong listening and follow-through
- Deep respect for children
- Commitment to and experience with anti-bias and anti-racism practices, both inside and outside of the classroom, to promote an equitable community and foster a high sense of belonging for all
- PBS culture carrier by demonstrating a commitment to the PBS mission, core values, educational philosophy, and a positive and inclusive climate for teaching and learning
Other Position Information
- Full-time position ranges from $120,000 to $140,000 depending on background, teaching experience, and tenure specifically at Phillips Brooks School.
