Dean of Students - Summer 2026

Job Description

Dean of Students - Summer 2026

POSITION OVERVIEW
Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia seeks a Dean of Students (DOS) for its 2026 summer session at Germantown Friends School. Designed for professional educators or future educators looking to gain experience in teacher leadership and student support, the position supports students and maintains a safe and productive community. The DOS is vital in preparing and supporting our young teachers and the students in the program and is also responsible for providing general program support to the Program Manager. The DOS will work approximately 8 hours a day, five days per week from June 22-August 14.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Breakthrough/Family/Student Relationship

• Serve as an additional contact to Breakthrough families.
• Advise and support students on their social and academic growth throughout the summer.
• Meet and conference with faculty, administrators, teacher-coaches, and other professionals as needed to problem-solve and create support plans for students.

Teaching Fellow and Student Support

• Support teachers with student-related issues, behavioral and otherwise.
• Facilitate training sessions during orientation week for faculty on the student discipline policy and the role of the DOS.
• Develop individual student action plans for behavior, attendance, and homework completion (or other issues), and enforce the terms of these plans.
• Compile and track student attendance, homework completion, and behavior data.
• Be available and present to provide informal feedback, advice, and support to teachers.

Site Logistics

• Collect and record daily student attendance with accuracy.
• Develop and implement program-wide incentive plans to encourage regular attendance, homework completion, and positive behavior.
• Oversee food program (breakfast, lunch, and snack), attend mandatory training sessions, and complete all necessary paperwork.
• Support the site manager in mentoring and supervising two or three high school interns by delegating appropriate tasks.
• Assist with daily operations of the Breakthrough program and attend to urgent issues as needed.
• Meet formally and informally with the Site Manager to ensure effective communication and feedback.
• Engage fully in the Breakthrough community, sharing our passion for teaching, learning, and leading.

QUALIFICATIONS

• One to two years of teaching experience or equivalent experience in youth programming
• Commitment to and passion for working with middle school students
• Ability to work with students and teachers from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills
• Familiarity with Google Suite
• Energy and enthusiasm
• Flexibility, ability to multitask between several different projects
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to respectfully project authority to students
• Professionalism
• Breakthrough experience preferred

COMPENSATION

$3,500 summer stipend (starting)

To apply or for more information: contact Breakthrough at 267-257-1581 or email [email protected]

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW
Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia launches talented students, beginning in middle school grades 5-8, on a path to college success and inspires outstanding college students to pursue careers in education. Breakthrough increases educational opportunities by focusing on the development of both students and teachers. Through academic enrichment and college preparation, Breakthrough prepares students who have limited educational opportunities to attend and succeed at competitive high schools and four-year colleges. Simultaneously, Breakthrough develops future educators by providing professional teaching experiences to college students through its selective residency programs. Breakthrough Philadelphia is part of a national educational movement called The Breakthrough Collaborative, which operates in 26 cities across the country.

Germantown Friends School is a Quaker, independent, co-educational day school, serving early childhood‐12th grade. Located in northwest Philadelphia, the school is home to a vibrant intellectual community, located in a historic neighborhood, serving a diverse school community, with a robust educational program that is grounded in Quaker principles. For more information about the school, visit www.germantownfriends.org.

Breakthrough for Greater Philadelphia at Germantown Friends School is an equal-opportunity employer committed to diversity in its student body, faculty, and staff. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class status. People demonstrating a commitment to diversity and multiculturalism in education are encouraged to apply. For more information about the school, please visit our website at www.germantownfriends.org. For more information on Breakthrough, please visit www.breakthroughphilly.org.