POSITION: Associate School Director (ASD)
GRADE LEVEL: Hiring for both middle school and high school positions
LOCATION: Hiring at multiple locations. View current openings here. We encourage you to apply even if your preferred location is not currently listed.
SALARY: $85,000-$105,000 based on up to 10 years of aligned experience. We also offer a relocation stipend for anyone joining us from 75 miles or more from Denver!
STATUS: Full time regular year round, benefits eligible, exempt, in-person position (Denver, CO)
START: Summer 2026. View the current School Year Calendar here.
KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
The Associate School Director (ASD) serves as a systems, culture, and curriculum/instruction leader on the campus in partnership with the School Director. They are responsible for coaching and managing people in both their teaching practice and leadership practice as well as their continuous growth personally. The ASD role supports our belief in the human condition, that every human being strives to be fully known for who they are and the unique contribution they make to the human story. In addition to this, the ASD, in partnership with the School Leadership Team, is responsible for the overall results of the school.
Leadership
DSST Mission Driven: Demonstrate a sense of urgency about achievement for ALL students and preparing every student for post secondary success.
Pursue solutions with tenacity that maximize student achievement. Is willing to do whatever it takes to get the work done right.
Model professional maturity; emotional constancy in stressful situations, bringing out the best in others, seek solutions and positively motivating.
Mentor and coach staff members to encourage growth and results.
Identify and systematically develop future leaders.
Act as a strategic partner to the School Director; fully responsible for executing the vision of the leader in all areas.
Supervise a substantial portion of the team.
Culture
Cultivate school culture centered on core values that deeply care for each student and staff member and hold each student and staff member to the highest level of accountability.
Coordinate with the school leadership team to ensure Morning Meetings are robust and supportive of our values-based culture.
Collaborate with school staff to maximize the ability of the school to support students’ academic and socio-emotional development.
Provide leadership to establish a positive, structured, achievement-oriented, and fun school culture for all staff and students.
Instruction, Coaching and Evaluation
Provide instructional leadership informed by a nuanced understanding of DSST best practices
Use centralized coaching tool to track all coaching meetings, observations, and action steps.
Provide teachers with specific, actionable, qualitative (i.e., narrative) and quantitative (i.e., rubric) feedback on their performance in all areas.
Manage a data-driven instructional process that includes rigorous interim assessments that are effectively aligned with year-end assessments and college readiness. Able to align all other school leadership components to the data driven instructional process (professional development, curriculum development, teacher observation/supervision, etc.
Work with teachers to create and refine DSST curriculum documents (assessments, plans, data tracking), which correspond to college readiness standards, core instructional practices, and the benchmark assessment program
Create, maintain, and update whole school, grade level, and teacher level student academic and assessment records and reports.
Oversee required standardized testing
Identify and arrange for staff development opportunities which relate to core instructional practices, standards based assessments, and content areas.
Co-manage department chairs to ensure effective outcomes within departments.
Systems
Implement systems that emphasize attention to detail, maximize programmatic goals, and are scalable as the school grows.
Develop solutions to complex problems involving all stakeholders.
Manage with fiscal responsibility - develop a disciplined planning process that identifies the school’s highest-priorities.
Additional Duties
Recruit and hire school staff
Serve as a recruiter for new students; actively engage prospective families in an effort to draw more students to choose your school; be willing to take on additional tasks to support recruitment, as needed.
Work with DSST Home Office to create network-wide standards, curriculum, and assessment documents
Work with DSST Home Office to create network-wide new teacher professional development; create school-specific new and returning teacher professional development
Participate in network wide Instructional Leadership Development and Culture Leadership Development
If applicable, teach select course(s) within the school
If applicable, act as a student advisor for a group of students
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s Degree
At least 5 years working in schools and classrooms
At least 2 years of experience in 6-12 grade school-based leadership
Demonstrated ability to coach, manage, and lead adults to achieve student success and professional growth
An unwavering belief that all students can succeed in high school, reach their most ambitious post-secondary goals, and lead exemplary lives
Desire to personally professionally grow in their practice of becoming an anti-racist educator
Self-awareness, a regular practice of reflection, and a desire to continuously improve
IDEAL QUALIFICATIONS
Proven commitment to and experience with serving students of color, students with disabilities, and/or multilingual students
Who We Are
At DSST Public Schools, we are proud to achieve transformational results for our 7,500+ students — 97% of whom attend a Green (top-rated) school. Just as important is how we achieve them: values-centered, human-focused, and together.
We invite educators and leaders who share our belief that there is more in us — more brilliance, more courage, more possibility — to join us.
Our Impact
100% of DSST graduates have been admitted to college or a postsecondary program
15 of 16 schools rated Green on the 2024–25 SPF
9 out of 10 DSST families would recommend DSST to a friend
95%+ of staff say their managers check in regularly and care about them as people
Why Work at DSST?
At DSST, our Quantum 5 Culture defines how we help every team member grow, belong, and thrive.
Comprehensive Compensation & Benefits: Competitive pay and a Total Rewards package that includes fertility and adoption support, educator-focused mental-health care, and everyday perks like Safeway grocery discounts.
Growth & Opportunity: Weekly 1:1 coaching, data-driven feedback, and clear career pathways such as Apprentice Teacher and Emerging Leader.
Rewards & Recognition: Core Value and TOAST Awards, milestone celebrations, and the signature Flower Person Award honoring staff who help our community flourish.
Whole Human Wellness: Access to the Therapist of Color Collaborative, Wellness Wednesdays, comprehensive health coverage, and six weeks of paid parental leave.
Thriving in Colorado: Time to recharge with 11+ weeks off each year, relocation support for out of state applicants, and local discounts that help you enjoy life in our beautiful sunshine filled state.
Learn more about our Quantum 5 Culture and Compensation & Benefits.
Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
DSST Public Schools is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not exclude participation in, deny benefits to or discriminate on the basis of, race, color, religion, National origin, sex (including pregnancy and related conditions, sexual orientation, or gender identity), Age (40 and older), Disability, Genetic information (including employer requests for, or purchase, use, or disclosure of genetic tests, genetic services, or family medical history), retaliation for filing a charge, reasonably opposing discrimination, or participating in a discrimination lawsuit, investigation, or proceeding in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its programs and activities.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. This position is active and may require standing, walking, bending, kneeling, stooping, and crouching throughout the day. The employee must lift and/or move items up to 30 pounds. The employee must have sufficient hand, arm, and finger dexterity to operate a computer keyboard and other office equipment. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.