Director of SEL & Culture

Director of Social Emotional Learning and Culture

Join Our “Relationships-First” Team:                                

Join School in the Square in reimagining PreK-12th grade education in Washington Heights and Inwood. A tuition-free public charter school, we were founded in 2016 on our "relationships first" philosophy: making sure that we engage, educate, and empower our students, families, and professional team members. We invite you to be a part of a 175+ team whose mission-aligned culture offers sustainable, rewarding career paths in teaching, operations, and leadership, built on relationships-first collaboration and mutual support. Experience the difference at a workplace that celebrates and cultivates each team member’s passions, skills, and multi-disciplinary interests as we build a brighter future together, one student at a time. 

Why School In the Square?       

As a “relationships first” community, we... 

• Demonstrate care for colleagues, students and families,
• Commit to learning and growing together,
• Invest in relationship-building work,
• Support each other with competitive benefits including a 6% 401k match, 93% coverage of healthcare premiums, generous full company closures and PTO policies, and more!

Our Director of Social Emotional Learning and Culture

The Director of Social Emotional Learning and Culture will play a pivotal role in developing, implementing, and overseeing a culture of belief and belonging and strengthening social emotional learning throughout our organization. This individual will collaborate with staff, students, families, and community partners to ensure that all students receive the social emotional learning instruction and support to achieve academic success and personal growth. The Director of Social Emotional Learning and Culture ensures that all schools in our network have classrooms where students feel affirmed and welcome; school-wide, consistent Tier I - III supports; and that teachers are implementing high-quality, age appropriate social emotional learning practices to meet the diverse needs of our students. This is an ideal position for an educator with a strong educational background who is a systems thinker. This position will work closely with the Bilingual Associate Director of Student Support Services and school-based coordinators.

• Ensures quality, implementation, coherence, and schedule of age-appropriate social-emotional learning curriculum for all students from PreK-12.
• Establishes and supports refining age-appropriate classroom culture norms and routines, morning rituals, and student-led initiatives from PreK-12.
• Establishes and supports refining structures for age-appropriate restorative practices from PreK-12, including training and supporting staff to implement the practices. 
• Partners with Bilingual Associate Director of Student Support Services to ensure that social workers and counseling staff develop measurable and achievable goals for each child based on their unique strengths, challenges, and learning objectives, in alignment with state standards and educational best practices
• Lead professional development for social workers and counseling staff and support them in leading training at their campuses
• Work as a highly effective partner on the central S2 academic team, participating and facilitating meetings, solving challenges and building a cohesive team.
• As a crucial member of the team for the Head of Schools, supports school-based coordinators in managing site-based issues
• Performs other tasks and assumes other responsibilities as the Head of Schools may assign or delegate
• Lead professional development and coaching of staff to improve planning and implementation of social-emotional learning, school culture, and classrooms centered in belief and belonging. 
• Lead social-emotional learning workshops with students, families, and community partners to promote strong relationships and support healthy social emotional learning from home.
• Collaborates with the Data Manager and School-Based Coordinators to ensure quarterly reports to the Principal and Head of Schools describing achievement, strengths in implementation, and suggested areas for growth.

Qualifications

• An expert in current teaching methods and educational pedagogy, with deep knowledge of social-emotional learning, restorative practices, and classroom culture;
• A strategic, solutions-focused thinker with strong communication and planning skills;
• A consummate coach and strong relationship builder, you get personal fulfillment by succeeding through others and developing leaders;
• A strong believer in anti-racism education, culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogy, trauma informed practices;
• A graduate of a Master’s Degree and possess a valid New York State Teaching Certification;
• Experienced as a full-time effective, impactful teacher or service provider with a minimum of three years and have at least four years of previous experience in school or district leadership. Experience in an urban charter school setting is strongly preferred

What Can You Expect From Us

At S2, we take as much care of our staff as we do of our students. S2 is committed to supporting our staff by helping them build sustainable, rewarding careers that center on each individual’s passions and multi-disciplinary interests. All of our faculty and staff are valued professionals and we are proud to provide team-building and collaboration, comfortable and friendly working conditions and more, to ensure our team members have the tools they need to succeed.

In addition to meaningful and rewarding work, School in the Square provides ultra competitive salaries. The salary range for for the Director of Social Emotional Learning and Culture at School in the Square is $110,000-$140,000.

Additionally, we provide opportunities for supplemental compensation, an excellent benefits package with 

• a 401K program with a 6% organizational match
• 93% coverage of healthcare coverage
• longevity bonus
• generous paid time off
• access to a federal student loan debt reduction program
• a supportive work environment. 

School in the Square understands specific groups are subject to marginalization. We believe these powerful groups should be centered in our community and are highly encouraged to apply. We are an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.