Pros
As an academic dean you have the opportunity to work with incredibly motivated and like-minded staff members - this includes the leadership team, operations team, and teachers. The students and families are so loving and eager to make academic gains. Learning actually happens at the school sites! Students are joyful and it’s cool to be a nerd. As a dean, you are constantly learning and growing - as an educator, a manager, and a professional. As a dean you can make profound change to school systems, teacher ability, and student learning.
Kontras
There’s a lot of work. Like working in any school with children’s education at stake, there’s always more that can be done. It’s important to stay organized and set limits. The school calendar is longer and the school days are longer than traditional public schools. The schools use shared resources and plans. This can be great for beginning teachers. It’s important to still learn how to internalize those plans and make them your own.