Dean of Student Success

Dean of Student Success & Faculty MemberChinquapin Preparatory School seeks an exceptional, experienced educator and school leader to serve as Dean of Student Success & Faculty Member. This is a distinctive teacher-leader opportunity for someone who believes deeply in the capacity of young people, values high expectations alongside meaningful support, and wants to work in a small school where relationships matter.Founded in 1969, Chinquapin Preparatory School serves students in grades 6-12 from across the Greater Houston area. Our mission is to provide a high-quality college-preparatory education to highly motivated students from Houston’s under-resourced communities and schools. Through a rigorous academic program, community service, and a highly relational school culture, Chinquapin prepares students to become responsible citizens and constructive leaders in their communities.The OpportunityAt Chinquapin, no student should quietly fall through the cracks. The Dean of Student Success is the school’s primary student-facing leader for academic progress, intervention, accountability, attendance support, academic integrity, and coordinated student-success systems. The Dean ensures that concerns are identified early, families are engaged meaningfully, interventions are followed through, and students understand both the support available to them and the responsibility they hold for their own progress.This is also a faculty position. Chinquapin values school leaders who remain actively connected to classroom life, students, and faculty colleagues. The Dean will teach approximately two academic courses. Advanced Placement teaching experience is valued. The Dean works closely with the Head of School, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Registrar, College Counselor, faculty anchors, Athletics Director, school social worker, teachers, families, and other student-support professionals.Key ResponsibilitiesThe Dean of Student Success will:Lead Chinquapin’s regular two-week grade-check and academic intervention process, identifying concerns early and ensuring timely communication and follow-through.Meet with students experiencing academic difficulty and coordinate clear, achievable plans for improvement.Lead academic probation processes with consistency, compassion, and appropriate accountability.Coordinate family academic interventions and multidisciplinary student-support meetings.Monitor and respond to significant attendance and tardiness concerns that affect learning, credit, or school engagement.Coordinate credit recovery, Credit by Exam, summer-school opportunities, and unusual academic pathways.Help students successfully understand and navigate course, credit, and graduation requirements.Monitor academic eligibility for non-athletic programs, including student leadership, honor societies, and other activities as appropriate.Partner with the Athletics Director to coordinate academic support for student-athletes experiencing difficulty; athletic-eligibility determinations remain within the Athletics Department.Serve as the primary administrative owner of individual academic-integrity cases, including plagiarism, cheating, unauthorized collaboration, and inappropriate use of artificial intelligence.Help develop a student Academic Integrity Council that gives students meaningful opportunities to participate in building a culture of responsibility and academic honesty.Lead regular grade-level student-support meetings as pastoral coordination structures so that students are known well, concerns are surfaced early, and follow-through is clear.Maintain effective systems for documenting interventions, commitments, responsible adults, next steps, and follow-up.Coordinate the administration of schoolwide assessments assigned to the role by the Head of School, including testing logistics, rosters, approved accommodations, make-up testing, and appropriate follow-up when assessment results indicate a need for additional student support.Communicate regularly and professionally with students, families, faculty, and school leadership.Collaborate with the school social worker and other professionals when academic difficulties intersect with social-emotional or mental-health concerns.Escalate significant academic-standing, dismissal, policy-exception, or other high-impact decisions to the Head of School.The Dean manages student intervention, not instructional supervision of faculty. Curriculum, teacher coaching, instructional quality, professional development, and faculty evaluation remain within the Director of Curriculum and Instruction portfolio.Teaching ResponsibilitiesThe Dean will teach approximately two academic courses as a member of the Chinquapin faculty. The successful candidate should be an accomplished classroom educator who models thoughtful planning, strong student relationships, meaningful assessment, timely grading, professional family communication, and excellent instructional practice.Required QualificationsSuccessful candidates will demonstrate:Master’s degree in education, counseling, educational leadership, or a closely related field.Successful middle- and/or high-school teaching experience with evidence of highly effective classroom practice.Ability to build strong, appropriate relationships with adolescents while maintaining clear expectations and professional boundaries.Excellent professional judgment and emotional maturity.Strong organization, case-management skills, and reliable follow-through.Excellent written and verbal communication.Ability to communicate difficult information clearly, professionally, compassionately, and directly.Ability to lead meetings, coordinate adults across roles, document decisions, and move complex student concerns toward resolution.Ability to maintain confidentiality and apply school policies consistently.Capacity to balance accountability with compassion.Ability to work effectively as part of a collaborative leadership team in a small, highly relational school community.Preferred ExperienceStrong candidates may also bring experience with:Dean, assistant principal, advisor, grade-level leader, department chair, teacher-leader, or student-support leadership roles.Academic intervention and student case management.Credit recovery, graduation planning, secondary-school records, or academic eligibility.Student-support, advisory, or pastoral-care teams.Standardized or diagnostic assessment coordination.PowerSchool or another student information system.English Language Arts or Social Studies instruction.Advanced Placement courses.Spanish-language proficiency.Experience with PowerSchool or a comparable student information system is strongly preferred. Depending upon candidate expertise, technical aptitude, school needs, and the division of administrative responsibilities, additional SIS coordination responsibilities may become part of the role.What Success Looks LikeA successful Dean of Student Success will help create reliable systems in which:Two-week grade checks result in meaningful intervention rather than simply lists of low grades.Students experiencing difficulty have clear plans and adults who know what happens next.Families receive timely, professional communication and understand who is coordinating support.Academic probation, attendance, credit recovery, CBE, assessment coordination, and non-athletic eligibility processes are clear and well managed.Student-athletes experiencing academic difficulty receive coordinated support in partnership with the Athletics Director.Teachers and anchors experience the Dean as a collaborative partner.Academic-integrity expectations are consistent, educative, and connected to Chinquapin’s larger mission.School leaders can readily identify which students are at risk, what support has occurred, and where additional action is needed.Application ProcessPlease submit to ckorth@chinquapin.org:A cover letter of one to two pages explaining your interest in the position and the experiences that have prepared you for the role.A current résumé or curriculum vitae including contact information for at least three professional references. References will not be contacted without advance notice.A brief professional writing sample of no more than 500 words responding to the following scenario:A student has earned a failing grade across two consecutive grade checks. When you meet one-on-one, the student is open and receptive, but they have repeatedly skipped scheduled tutoring sessions. The primary reason for the failing grade is missing or unsubmitted assignments. Draft the email you would send to the student’s parent or guardian.Candidates who advance should expect a structured interview process focused on judgment, student support, collaboration, and realistic school-based scenarios. Finalists may complete an additional brief professional writing exercise and may be asked to demonstrate teaching practice or discuss unit and lesson planning relevant to the anticipated teaching assignment.Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. Full-time benefits are provided in accordance with school policy.Chinquapin Preparatory School is an equal opportunity employer.