Lower School Dean of Students and Service Learning Coordinator

Why St. Michael’s Prep?

Located in the hills of southwest Austin, Texas, St. Michael’s Catholic Preparatory School is an outstanding co-educational Independent Catholic school serving students from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade in Austin, Texas. The Lower School is comprised of PreK 3-4th grades, the Middle School houses grades 5-8, and the Upper School contains grades 9-12. We are distinguished by our Catholic tradition, a welcoming and diverse community, excellent academic programs, and a variety of extracurricular activities. Additionally, we are a technology-rich school. Thus, teachers and staff are expected to demonstrate meaningful skill with technology and an enthusiasm for technological growth in order to create authentic learning experiences for their students. Teachers and staff at St. Michael’s Prep further serve as role models that inspire students to think critically, reflect, explore, and apply their faith concretely to their lives. We are one community with three divisions, united in our commitment to put students first as we educate them in mind, body, and spirit.

Our values: Integrity, Courage, & Excellence

Our mission: St. Michael’s Prep cultivates a transformative, Independent school experience rooted in Catholic spirituality where we seek excellence in every pursuit and form virtuous leaders who positively impact the world.

We are anchored by the Catholic Social Teachings (CST) and promote inclusion by advocating for a society based on love and justice, where all people have inherent dignity. We are passionate about cultivating a diverse and inclusive working and learning environment, celebrating and supporting differences.

We employ and optimize practices that promote growth of critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity.

Ideal Candidates

Ideal candidates for positions at our school are experienced in and continue to develop expertise in social-emotional learning, project-based learning, cross-curricular integration, technology-rich and differentiated instruction. Ideal candidates thrive in a collaborative environment, designing and delivering innovative and creative cross-curricular instructional units to students with diverse learning styles and needs. 

Summary of Position

St. Michael’s Catholic Preparatory School seeks a dynamic, experienced, collaborative, and creative individual who finds joy and delight in working with students and has a deep understanding of childhood development and social-emotional learning (SEL), particularly the Responsive Classroom practice. A successful Dean must be both empathetic and firm, both supportive and demanding, both attentive to detail and broad in vision. Additionally, this individual should possess a commitment and understanding of service, project based, and inquiry based learning to serve as our PreK 3 - 4th Lower School Dean of Students and Pre- K 3 -8th Service Learning Coordinator. The ideal candidate will be a leader, thinker, and instructor who is responsible for building effective and collaborative relationships with students and faculty. The Dean of Students and Service Learning Coordinator will report to the Head of Lower School (HOLS) and work closely with the Middle School Dean of Students, the Head of Middle School (HOMS), the Academic Deans of Humanities and STEM Curriculum, as well as the PK-8th grade faculty. She/he must possess and demonstrate a growth mindset and a student-centered approach to best support faculty development and instructional innovation. This is a full-time, 12 month position that begins in August 2026.

Responsibilities

Mission and Identity

• Support the mission of the school as a vital member of the Educational Leadership Team
• Communicate effectively to connect with and work with Lower School (LS) parents, including parent education, individual student topics, and events
• Help students uphold the behavioral standards of our mission and student expectations as defined in our student handbook
• Oversee the consistent implementation of Responsive Classroom
• Communicates and further develops the Dress Code and Uniform policies
• Communicates and enforces school policy (i.e., uniform, tardiness, cell phones).
• Support teachers with formative discipline in the classroom
• Cultivates a spirit of school unity by coordinating, planning, and overseeing multiple activities
• Works closely with the Division Heads to foster our Catholic identity among the students, faculty, and staff
• Oversees a variety of student services and on-campus activities
• Supports the MS Dean of students to ensure consistency in advisory, discipline, and oversight of events
• Collaborates with the Division Heads on serious student discipline issues to determine disciplinary action
• Collaborates with the School Counselor and the Student Support Services team to provide students with consistent emotional and academic support
• Works with faculty and staff to support SEL curriculum in the LS
• Assist with the alignment of scheduling between LS and MS

Curriculum and Instruction

• Participate in the recruitment and hiring of teachers
• Inspire, promote, and support excellence in teaching and learning
• Possess a deep understanding of early childhood, elementary, and adolescent development; recognition, articulation, and implementation of best practices in teaching and learning
• Support of faculty in the implementation of an innovative and dynamic curriculum 
• Foster a growth mindset and support faculty in their pursuit of professional goals 
• Attend monthly faculty and department/or committee meeting
• Read and review teacher comments

Service Learning

• Develop enduring, authentic community connections that allow us to integrate meaningful service with innovative instruction and thoughtful reflection
• Create opportunities for collaboration 
  • Community/business school partnerships (SEL)
  • Parental collaboration (SEL)
  • Curriculum connected to real world experiences (SEL and PBL)
  • Student voice (SEL)
  • Cross-generational learning (SEL)
  • Designing solutions to local problems (PBL and SEL)
• Work with faculty to develop direct and indirect service opportunities that include research, advocacy, and hands-on projects
• Perform assigned duties such as carpool, lunch, and recess duties

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• Ability to create and maintain positive, supportive, and trusting relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds and positions
• Ability to problem solve, compromise, and collaborate, bringing flexibility and the ability to give and take direction, when necessary
• Exceptional written and verbal communication and collaboration skills, interpersonal abilities, positive attitude, and patience
• Organized, structured thinker with strong time and priority management skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a demonstrated ability to collaborate with students, department chairs, faculty, staff and parents
• Experience working on a team in a dynamic community with a strong collaborative spirit
• A positive attitude and the willingness to approach learning new skills in flexible and creative ways
• Capacity to facilitate difficult conversations and mediate conflict between various members of our community (students, faculty, parents, alumni, etc)
• Master’s Degree in Education or related field
• At least 5+ years of teaching experience with lower and middle school students
• Demonstrated leadership experience in a school setting

Please submit an online application for employment and attach a cover letter and resume. Please send questions to [email protected]

St. Michael’s Catholic Preparatory School is an Equal Opportunity Employer and offers equal employment opportunity to all applicants for employment and all employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, military service, application for military service, or any other status protected by applicable law.