Dean of Equity and Inclusion

Full-time Position: Dean of Equity and Inclusion

Expected Beginning Date: July 2019

Deadline to Apply: December 15, 2018

Position Description:

The Athenian School believes that diversity, equity, inclusion and cultural competency/fluency (DEIC) are not special interests, and therefore the Office of Equity and Inclusion at Athenian is woven throughout every part of the institution from Admissions, throughout the 6-12 curriculum, and in Advancement.  Therefore, the Dean of Equity and Inclusion sits on the Head’s Advisory Committee (i.e. the senior administrative team) and reports directly to the Head of School.

The Dean of Equity and Inclusion serves as a leader, collaborator, guide, resource, and facilitator for faculty and students on inclusion.

The Dean supports the Director of Teaching and Learning, the Upper and Middle School Division Heads and the Director of Admission.

The Athenian School is an Inclusion Dashboard leader and the Director of Teaching and Learning leads the Inclusion Dashboard Consortium. The Office of Equity and Inclusion at Athenian participates, supports, and helps to steward this transformative work.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Sits on the Head’s Advisory Committee (HAC)
• Leads the Equity and Inclusion Committee (EIC)
• Participates in the Board of Trustee Equity and Inclusion Think Tank (EITT)
• Like the Head of School, Division Heads, and Director of Teaching and Learning, the Dean of Equity and Inclusion will be expected to teach in either both divisions, or alternatively two classes in one
• Sits on the Administrative Committee
• Writes and annual report on DEIC for the Head of School

Diversity

• Supports the Office of Admission through the following:
  • Open Houses
  • Neighborhood recruiting events
  • Active participation in A Better Chance (ABC), and other relevant organizations
  • Reads Admission files for applicants to Upper and Middle School Divisions
  • Participates on both the Upper and Middle School Admission Committees
• Supports the Director of Teaching and Learning (DTL) in the following:
  • Active recruitment
  • Active participation in BAISTAC, POCIS, and other relevant organizations
  • Participates in Interviews and filling out The Athenian School Cultural Competency Rubric for each candidate
• Maintains the Diversity Monument

Equity

• Sits on the Financial Aid Committee
• Identifies gaps in alignment between the vision of equity and the policies and procedures in place
• Guides the direction and vision of school programs and events that focus on equity and inclusion.

Inclusion

• Directs and runs the Athenian Connect Program
  • A special two-week long “summer bridge program” for new incoming students, to help both underserved groups and allies build a cohort before the school year begins
• Inclusion Dashboard
  • Supports the DTL in participation in the Inclusion Dashboard Consortium (Attending two annual retreats)
  • Conducts annual Inclusion Dashboard Surveys, analyzes results, populates the dashboard, and supports the DTL in making recommendations for action.
• Participates in the Teaching and Learning Committee
• Supports the Upper School (US) with the following:
  • Supervises the club advisors in the following Equity and Inclusion Clubs:
    • Interfaith, Interweave (GSA), Students of Color/Color Collective, Gender Equity Coalition, and the Political Inclusion Club
  • Organizes, plans and runs school wide Equity and Inclusion Events
• Supports the Middle School (MS) with the following:
  • Organizing, planning and running Equity and Inclusion based “Focus Days”
  • Organizing, planning and running “Inclusion Week”

Cultural Competency/Fluency

• Leads New Faculty Cultural Competency/Fluency Training
• Leads an annual All Faculty and Staff Training
• Sits on the US Curriculum Think Tank
• Participates in the People of Color Conference (POCC) and White Privilege Conference (WPC)
  • Includes taking and supporting interested students and deserving faculty to STLC and WPC as needed

• Supports DTL and US/MS Division Heads with Teacher Observations
• Participates in the Professional Development (PD) Committee as needed
• Supports the Athenian Parent Association (APA) in this work
• Facilitates dialogue between students, faculty, and staff
• Provides leadership on curricular discussions that increase pluralistic perspectives in disciplines

 

Articulates the School’s Commitment to Equity and Inclusion

• Serves as a central resource for DEIC for The Athenian School community
• Engages the community to build a welcoming and inclusive culture at The Athenian School
• Supports and advises the community on issues of equity and inclusion
• Demonstrates leadership and best practices for adults to follow when interacting with all students, and continuously engages students to share their perceptions of equity and inclusion
• Facilitates dialogue related to equity and justice issues among constituents in the school community
• Demonstrates initiative and nurtures optimism, flexibility, and a sense of humor

Additional Responsibilities:

•  Participates in all-school events
• Alternates attendance at MS/US Faculty meetings
• Performs administrative duty one afternoon each week as directed by Head of School
• CPR / AED TRAINED AND CERTIFIED – must have up-to-date certifications in both cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and proper operation of a defibrillator (AED)
• Sexual Harassment training

THE ATHENIAN SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO EQUITY, INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY

Diversity, equity, inclusion and cultural competency/fluency are much more than social principles at Athenian; they are educational imperatives. Upholding these imperatives is at the core of Athenian’s philosophy and the School counts on its families to support this ideal. Athenian respects students, faculty, staff and board members of varied race, national or ethnic origin, socioeconomic class, faith, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Required course work and co-curricular programs advance equity, inclusion, diversity, and social justice. Speakers, affinity groups, cultural celebrations, neighborhood gatherings, and all-school activities foster compassion, spark dialogue, and further a more just world. Athenian is committed to upholding and protecting the dignity and worth of all people, recognizing everyone’s shared humanity.

Qualifications:

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree, although a Masters’ degree is preferred
• Minimum 5 years working on issues of equity, inclusion, and cultural competency/fluency
• Minimum 5 years teaching experience
• Experience with nationally recognized diversity and inclusion workshop(s) or seminar(s) preferred
• Experience
  • providing strategic leadership
  • working with diverse faculty and students
  • leading and supervising staff
  • collaboration and consensus building
• Skilled in analyzing and making sound recommendations on complex interpersonal and administrative issues
• Strong written, organizational, technological, and communication skills

This is a Full Time, exempt position. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The benefits package is excellent and includes medical, vision, and dental insurance, professional development opportunities, a retirement plan, a smoke-free environment, and a daily prepared lunch.

Please send letter of interest, current resume, and three references (in MS Word format or PDF as attachments) via email to: hiring@athenian.org.

Please also include the particular source through which you learned about this position: i.e. Athenian website, personal referral, professional referral organization, online job network web link (i.e. POCIS, CAIS, others _____________), etc.

School Description:

The Athenian School is a distinctive independent school that prepares its students for college and for lives of meaning and purpose. Athenian encourages students to become life-long learners and infuses them with confidence, independence, personal responsibility and a sense of community. Enrollment in grades 6-12 is 530 students, including 60 boarding students, 40 of whom are international students. For more information about Athenian’s unique educational program, applicants are encouraged to visit our website: www.athenian.org.

Every employee is an Athenian community member, and as such, embraces the cornerstones of Athenian’s philosophy: respect; open, direct communication; honesty; fairness; responsibility; and dedication to the students in their intellectual and personal growth. Additionally, active support for environmental conservation, international understanding, equity, inclusion, justice, participatory government, outdoor education, and service is essential. Cultural competence is an expectation of employment for all teaching and professional staff at Athenian. As a school that from its founding has valued the worth and integrity of each individual, we are particularly interested in candidates with a proven commitment to teaching and working in a diverse, multicultural setting.