Deans of students hired for Roanoke County high schools

Deans will allow principals to focus more on instruction

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – When the new school year begins next month in Roanoke County, administrators at the county's high schools should have more time to spend on instruction now, thanks to the dean of students that has been hired for each high school.

"We're really trying to accelerate the instructional programs at the high school level, so we want to give our principals the support they need to be able to focus on those," Roanoke County Superintendent Dr. Ken Nicely said.

Cave Spring High School already has a dean of students.

Nicely said principals at the county's other high schools saw the value of the position, so the district found the money in it's operating budget to hire a dean of students for every high school.

"They'll help us with the implementation of positive programs, such as our positive behavior intervention and support systems, certainly work with student discipline, work with families, work with supervision of activities," Nicely said.

They'll be on a year-to-year contract and will make between what a teacher and an assistant principal make, according to Nicely.