KIPP Texas Public Schools is a network of 59 public charter, open-enrollment, pre-k-12 schools educating nearly 34,000 students across Austin, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Together with families and communities, our mission is to create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose —college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

Founded in Houston in 1994, and operating as KIPP Texas since 2018, our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism in our classrooms, in our offices, and in the communities we serve is unwavering. We are looking to hire a diverse team of dynamic, collaborative, and dedicated individuals with an unyielding belief that every child will succeed. Join our Team and Family and champion equity, chase excellence, persist with purpose, bring joy, and help us rise together.

KIPP Texas is part of the national KIPP network of 255 college-preparatory public charter schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia. Nationwide, KIPP students complete four-year college at a rate of 36 percent, comparable to the national average for all students and approximately three times higher than the average of students from low-income communities.

Every member of the Team & Family at KIPP Texas Public Schools plays a critical role in ensuring our students have the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose - college, career and beyond. Our educators are passionate advocates for their students and their families, working tirelessly to ensure that our students have access to opportunity. In our classrooms and across the KIPP family we embrace, honor and celebrate our differences across several characteristics that construct our unique identities in our little and big KIPPsters. We are especially committed to attracting and developing individuals who share the life experiences of our students because we believe the best work we do is grounded in the realities and experiences of our families and KIPPsters. The Dean of Students/Culture-Behavior Specialist assumes primary responsibility for the culture of the school, facilitating the development of student character and ensuring a positive and structured environment that creates the conditions for accelerated learning.  They will effectively asses the behavior needs of students with disabilities and those demonstrating behavior needs, design and monitor intervention plans for students, support schoolwide Positive Behavior Intervention Supports. This position requires an organized and consistent educator with a concrete vision of excellence, the ability to build outstanding relationships with stakeholders, and a talent for inspiring children to high expectations. This position furthers the mission of KIPP Texas as it helps ensure that all students have the tools and the supportive environment they need to learn.

will effectively assess the behavior needs of students with disabilities and those demonstrating behavior needs, design and monitor intervention plans for students, support schoolwide Positive Behavior Intervention Supports, this position furthers the mission of KIPP Texas as it helps ensure that all students have the tools and the supportive environment they need to learn.  

As a KIPP Texas Public Schools Dean of Students/Culture-Behavior Specialist, your core responsibilities include:
 
Family Engagement and Ownership

• Establish family volunteer program so that 70% of families volunteer at least 10 hours per semester and 25% of families volunteer, on average, at least 2 hours per week
• Establish KIPPster Family Association with at least 25% of families in monthly attendance
• Manage family facing communications such as newsletters, flyers, Facebook
• Work with grade level leaders  to plan special events and performances with at least 60% family attendance
• With grade level chairs, plan monthly achievement night with at least 40% family attendance
• Develop systems to ensure families receive communication around academics and character choices at least 2 times per month through goal folders.  Work with grade level chairs to support teachers in meeting communication expectations.
• Develop systems to track family engagement in academic goals such as reading logs, sight words, weekly skills assessments and work with grade level chairs to support teachers in meeting communication expectations.
• Work with special populations team, including RTI team, to ensure 100% guardian attendance for ARD meetings, LPAC meetings, RTI meetings, and grade placement committee meetings.​

Establishing, Maintaining, and Celebrating a Culture Rooted in Relationships and Restoration

• Lead school wide efforts in developing a restorative culture rooted in student achievement through family engagement
• Assisting teachers, students, and parents in the effective creation and implementation of individual behavior plans.
• Observing implementation of individual behavior plans for consistency and adjustments as needed.
• As needed, work directly with students in individual and small group settings with direct instruction on social skills and social emotional development
• Work closely and effectively with children who have/are experiencing trauma resulting in behavior challenges. Engage their families, along with mental health professionals, to partner with behavioral health organizations and support services to execute individual individualized behavior interventions when needed.
• Manage social skills and mental health team.
• Coordinating re-entry meetings with school staff and families of KIPPsters who have been suspended
• Attend and lead professional development on restorative practices with our staff.
• Serve as an advocate for core groups of KIPPsters to engage families and teachers effectively and meaningfully to support student success.
• Determine restorative actions and consequences for tier 3 choices
• Keeping accurate student discipline records, documenting all incident reports, conferences, suspensions, and phone calls for behavior. 
• Following KIPP Texas policies, determine in and out of school consequences
• Support student tier 2 and tier 3 choices, including out of class time with core group of students, in order to promote restorative culture
• Manage para-professional who responds to in-the-moment tier 2 and tier 3 needs
• Support operations staff in developing welcoming, affirming, and transparent environment that promotes restorative culture

Establishing, Maintaining, and Celebrating a School Wide Culture and Climate Where Kids Can Be Their Best

• Own the school’s character development program and ensure it builds and reinforces positive self-identity and necessary character strengths
• Partner with parents and families to build an authentic school-wide community, including organizing monthly Family Achievement Nights
• Lead recognition assemblies, parent academies, community meetings and other school-wide culture building activities
• Facilitate staff trainings on student-teacher relationships, classroom management, parent partnership and school culture
• Coordinate school wide character education programs
• Coordinate weekly celebration
• Coordinate weekly community meetings
• Working with and through advisory boards to build student culture and incentives
• Setting school wide culture goals, including parent engagement, designing systems to meet goals, tracking progress to goals, and designing celebrations and recognition.

 Family Support and Access

• Coordinating translation of all documents including family communication, report cards, and homework
• Support teachers that are not bilingual in translating high stakes family phone calls and meetings
• Supporting social worker in accessing community resources for immediate and external family needs such as bus passes, holiday meals, clothing drives, and meals.
• Build and maintain family resources center with information on health, recreation, and other family needs.
• Meet regularly with culture team and middle school counterparts in order to ensure consistent educational experiences.

​Community Partnerships and Service Learning

• Build at least 15 meaningful community partnerships in order to provide necessary resources to families and students
• Build a volunteer mentor ship program to have at least 15 regular volunteers each week
• Work with grade level chairs in order to coordinate 3 service learning projects per quarter

Behavior Intervention

• Conduct informal functional behavioral assessments
• Conduct informal evaluations and other professional activities consistent with the requirements of laws, rules and regulations, and local district policies and procedures
• Utilize various assessment instruments and techniques to assist in identifying appropriate intervention strategies and techniques
• Design, implement, and monitor restorative and behavior intervention plans
• Develop crisis intervention plans when needed
• Collaborate with Teachers, Social Workers, agencies, and other service providers, when needed  
• Consult with school staff working with students with behavioral needs on behavior management techniques
• Attend Admissions, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee meetings to serve as a member of the team for students with behavioral concerns and discuss behavior evaluation results
• Provide schools support with Response to Intervention processes and recommend interventions for students with behavioral challenges
• Serve as a member of the campus Response to Intervention Teams
• Supervise students assigned to in-school suspension and other consequences

Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in education, psychology, or related field from an accredited four-year college or university required
• A minimum of 2 experience working with students; experience working with behavioral/emotional needs preferred
• Bilingualism (English-Spanish), preferred
• Knowledge of the principles and practice of Applied Behavior Analysis including general behavioral assessment and Ethical Standards in Applied Behavior Analysis
• Knowledge of the behavioral impact of developmental disabilities, as well as the cognitive, educational, vocational, and social challenges encountered by persons with developmental disabilities
• Knowledge of state and federal regulations relative to special education and the behavioral requirements for students with disabilities
• Experience collaborating with team members and providing constructive and instructive support
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to work both on broad-based strategy and everyday details
• Ability to exercise excellent judgment in decision-making
• Ability to be flexible and adapt to changing priorities
• Ability to synthesize knowledge and present it to stakeholders in a comprehensive manner
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
• Independent, self-starter with a strong focus on student development  
• Dependable, organized, efficient, and creative
• Proven written and verbal communication skills; Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of special needs students and their parents
• Strong organizational and planning skills
• Possession of a passionate and loving attitude toward all children
• Committed to the mission of KIPP
• Responsiveness; Follow-up and follow-through with students, families, and faculty members is essential   
• Valid Texas Teaching Certificate with required certification for subject and level assigned*
• Satisfactory outcome of a background check. Employees are responsible for a non-refundable fingerprinting fee (approximately $50.00).

*Applicants currently pursuing a certification may apply before certification is received. All certifications must be acquired and on file with KIPP Texas before the end of the first year of employment.

Compensation

Salary is based on years of experience, degree of education, and level of expertise. A competitive benefits package is also offered.

KIPP provides equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees.

As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability