Charter School Dean Leaving After 2 Years

Kim Ferguson, the Dean of Student Culture, has left the Christa McAuliffe Charter School after just 2 years.

“After some serious reflection and thought, I have decided it is best for me to move on from McAuliffe. I have really enjoyed being a part of this unique community of very special and dedicated educators. I have learned much and grown professionally through this experience,” wrote Ferguson. ”It has been a pleasure knowing and working with members of the McAuliffe team individually and collectively, and I am grateful to have formed some valuable connections with many of you.”

Ferguson was hired as the school’s first Dean of Culture in 2013. The Framingham-based charter school chose to create that position along with coaches instead of replacing its outgoing middle school principal.

“Above all, I have really enjoyed working with the McAuliffe scholars and their families. It has been my honor to support our scholars as they grow as learners and individuals. My work at McAuliffe has been very rewarding. I am optimistic about McAuliffe’s future as well as my own,” wrote Ferguson.

The school began advertising for a ”Director of Student Culture” on June 30 and sent out an email to parents today, July 14.

The Director of Student Culture would report to the charter school’s Executive Director Kristin Harrison.

The Director of Student Culture ”works with students, teachers, parents, and school leaders to build a school culture and climate infused with our core values of respect, collaboration, responsibility, and perseverance. The Director of Student Culture is the “keeper” of the school’s student culture including character development and conduct/discipline.

According to the job description, the position‘s responsibilities include:

• Maintain a strong vision for school culture that incorporates McAuliffe’s core values / Habits of Work and Learning; Consistently and frequently communicate this vision to students and staff and make it part of the life of the school.
• Work with school administrators and the Culture Team to develop and implement a school-wide behavior management system with meaningful incentives for positive behavior and with effective and logical consequences for misbehavior. Ensure common understanding of the system among students and staff and consistent implementation. Over time, establish a shared understanding of restorative practices and integrate these into the school’s disciplinary systems.
• Implement and follow policies and procedures for student discipline, attendance, dress code, bullying, and other policies related to maintaining a positive school culture and focus on learning; Ensure consistent communication with faculty and families about behavioral consequences.
• Analyze discipline data, survey data, and school-wide trends to identify needs; Share data with faculty teams and use data to improve practice and to target interventions.
• Develop and lead professional development on school culture, positive incentives, discipline, proactive classroom culture/behavior management techniques, and de-escalation (e.g. CPI) techniques; consult with teachers on an individual basis or as a grade level team as needed.
• Lead the vision and implementation of a vertically aligned Crew (advisory) Curriculum that supports school culture and character development; including school-wide student-led-conference and portfolio practices; Support Crews to organize and facilitate monthly community meetings and grade level meetings.
• Oversee and adjust, as needed, school wide routines and procedures including: lunch/recess, arrival/dismissal, hallways, transitions, etc.
• Engage families in support of the school’s goals; create a culture and an expectation that teachers reach out to parents and enlist their proactive support; build strong relationships with parents.
• Collaborate regularly with the Director of Student Services and co-lead the Student Support Squad (including counselors, school psychologist) to ensure effective implementation of the school’s District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP) and tiered Responses to Intervention.
• Lead the planning for start of the school year activities such as Meet the Teachers Nights and other orientation and community building activities and end of the school year activities (Spirit Week, Field Day, Graduation).
• Collaborate with the Director of Community Development to orient new families and students into the school (spring Shadow Days and New Family Orientation); meet with identified families over the summer to support the transition process.
• Participate in the annual student scheduling process including planning of service delivery, assigning students to courses, and building heterogeneous class and Crew rosters; Review schedule change requests during the year and get input from others in order to approve or deny requested course changes.
• Supervise and evaluate the Student Behavior Specialist, Counselors, and Nurse.
• Facilitate annual evaluation of McAuliffe’s culture/character/discipline and RTI programming, processes, and procedures and set annual goals aligned with the strategic vision and mission of the school.

When the Framingham-based regional charter school hired Fergsuon in 2013, they also hired a math and an ELA coach.

The school is now advertising for a world language coach/coordinator position, who will teach either French or Spanish but also lead the department.

McAuliffe students are admitted by lottery and come from diverse backgrounds and learning profiles from throughout the region.

Students live in Framingham, Natick, Ashland, Holliston, Sudbury, Southborough, Hopkinton, and Marlborough.

Christa McAuliffe is an Expeditionary Learning middle school for students in grades 6-7-8. There are about 400 students in the school.