Summary Description:

Episcopal Day School of St. Matthew seeks a Middle School Learning Specialist to work with 5th - 8th-grade students who are in need of academic support.

The Middle School Learning Specialist works under the direction of the Middle School Director and is a member of the Learning Services Team along with the Lower School Learning Specialist, School Counselor, and the two Division Directors. The Learning Services Team develops learning plans, implements assessments, and monitors and supports students’ progress. In addition, the Middle School Learning Specialist plays a lead role in each Student Support Team that is developed when a Middle School student is determined to need academic support.

The Middle School Learning Specialist works closely with Middle School teachers, Middle School parents, and tutors to ensure consistent communication about expectations and strategies for each student for whom they are providing support. This is an 80% position is eligible for 100% of the school’s benefit package.

Skills & Abilities:

• Knowledge about common learning differences in middle school-aged children
• Experience in providing both individual and group instruction
• Background in developing executive function, metacognition, and self-advocacy skills
• Experience with assisting teachers in assessments and progress monitoring of students with learning differences
• Experience with performing formal and informal assessments
• Experience in conducting classroom observations
• Experience with interpreting evaluations and translating the results to parents
• Experience with implementing accommodations and interventions
• Experience with providing referrals to families to outside professionals when an evaluation is recommended
• Experience with providing professional development for faculty with regard to differentiating instruction and supporting students with learning differences

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Providing Individual and group support for students with learning differences
• Acting as a liaison between the school and outside evaluators
• Maintaining an up-to-date database of students who are receiving support
• Participating in Student Support Team (SST) meetings
• Collaborating with Learning Services Team (Lower School Learning Specialist, School Counselor, and Division Directors) to create and monitor student support plans
• Offering assistance to Middle School students during WIN (What I Need) period
• When directed to do so by the Middle School Director, assisting teachers in the classroom in order to provide support to students
• When directed to do so by the Middle School Director, engaging in classroom observations
• Providing guidance and direction in the determination of learning accommodations for individual students
• Attending grade level and meetings as necessary
• Providing regular communication to the parents of students receiving support
• Attending all division and all school Faculty meetings
• Providing both formal and informal assessments: write-ups, intervention plans, and progress monitoring

Qualifications:

• BA/BS Degree
• Certificate or license in Educational Therapy or Special Education preferred
• Certificates in Orton Gillingham, Slingerland, or Wilson Foundations preferred
• Experience working with 5th -8th students, parents, and teachers preferred
• Excellent communication and organizational skills

 Salary:

The salary is dependent upon personal qualifications and experience.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment:

• Work is in an active, fast-paced environment dealing with a wide variety of challenges, deadlines, and various contacts.
• Must be able to move safely and comfortably over a large campus regularly.

• May stand for extended periods of time (up to 4 hours per day).
• Work primarily in a traditional climate-controlled classroom environment and outside in weather ranging from cold and wet to hot (80+ degrees).
• Ability to safely and occasionally lift up to 30 lbs. And regularly lift up to 10 lbs.
• Regularly sit, talk, walk, hear and interact with students, parents, staff and visitors.

• Regularly use close and distance vision.
• Turn, bend, reach and occasionally use a step ladder.

Must comply with all state vaccination requirements, including, but not limited to COVID-19 or proof of eligibility for exemption.

Episcopal Day School Mission Statement

The School’s mission is to inspire, through an academically challenging course of study, the intellectual curiosity, confidence, moral courage, and character that prepare students to be leaders of positive change in the world.