The Savannah Country Day School is seeking a Middle School Learning Support Specialist. This position is intended to start in the 2024-2025 academic year. Under the general supervision of the Head of Middle School and Director of Learning Support/Learning Support Coordinator, the Learning Support Specialist provides instruction and reinforcement of academic concepts.

Typical duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to the following:
• Maintain an average caseload of 16 - 20 students, instructing them individually in reading, writing, and math. Pre-teach and reteach concepts in all academic subjects, focusing on learning strategies to help facilitate acquisition of knowledge. Individual students are seen up to 4 times per 8 day cycle, along with small group teaching and review.
• Teach, through direct instruction, modeling, summarizing, and check-in for understanding, learning strategies and content to support the student and help remediate identified areas in which the student struggles.
• Expect to teach 5 to 6 periods out of an 8-period schedule, but also attend weekly grade-level meetings for your students; in addition, expect that some of your “free” periods may be taken watching an assessment, meeting with faculty, or dealing with a student emergency.
• Share responsibility for arranging and supervising accommodations for students who are “accommodations only” (on average, 10 students) as well as those students whom you serve.
• Fulfill administrative duties, including meeting with the Head of Middle School, Director of Learning Support, the MS Learning Support Coordinator, the school counselors, the grade-level teams of teachers, and parents.
• Keep thorough records as to individual lesson plans with short and long-term goals and the methods to achieve them. Parents should be kept informed of strategies and methods used in the individual support sessions.
• Write student narrative reports four times a year on all students. Goals, materials, and strategies are included.
• Attend parent/teacher conferences twice a year and meet with parents as needed during the year.
• Observe students recommended by the Head of MS, LS/MS Counselors and/or Learning Support Coordinator before an ed-psych evaluation is scheduled and prepare written formal observations for the Head of MS and classroom teachers. This may include task behavior charts, student contracts and specific recommendations for the teachers and parents to implement at home.
• Attend meetings with the Head of MS, MS Learning Support Coordinator, and MS Counselors to discuss neuropsychological evaluations and develop a detailed student learning profile. Each student’s learning profile will include a summary of his/her neuropsychological evaluation and a Student Accommodation Plan. Learning specialists will meet with parents to discuss any evaluation and/or accommodation plan updates.
• Adhere to the expectations stated in the SCDS Faculty & Staff Handbook and in the job description of a MS Teacher.
• Keep current with research, courses, and workshops pertaining to specific learning differences/disabilities, such as ADHD, OCD, auditory processing, visual/spatial, visual/motor, decoding, and written expression so that specific strategies and appropriate materials can be implemented. Study grant/professional development funds will be available to help with the costs of this coursework.
• Mentor new Learning Support faculty or other faculty as assigned by MS Division Head.
• Head or assist at least one extracurricular group, activity, or sport.

To Apply
Interested candidates should send resume and cover letter to Jeremy Hammond, Head of Middle School at hammond@savcds.org. Candidates must pass a criminal background check and reference check.

About Us
Savannah Country Day traces its origins back to the 1905 founding of The Pape School, an institution long recognized for its academic excellence and college preparatory curriculum. Led by a group of visionary parents who saw the continued need for a first-rate college preparatory school in Savannah, the founders of Savannah Country Day built upon the assets of the Pape School and created a school with a recognized tradition of academic excellence across the southeast. Today, Savannah Country Day School is Savannah's preeminent college preparatory school providing a rigorous, yet supportive learning environment for a wide variety of motivated learners. Enrolling over 1000 students ranging from 4-month-olds to 12th grade, SCDS is truly a family school. Situated on a beautiful, 65-acre campus on the south side of historic Savannah, Georgia, SCDS has a 6:1 student to teacher ratio, an unparalleled arts program, and a full range of athletic and extracurricular opportunities. Significant funds are available for faculty professional development and our faculty average 21 years of experience with 85% of Upper School faculty holding advanced degrees.

Inclusion at Savannah Country Day School
The Savannah Country Day School is guided by the school’s mission statement which includes:
• that each student's life is enriched in a diverse community where differences among people are affirmed and celebrated.
• that the school shares with families the responsibility for fostering in each student strength of character, a sense of personal responsibility, and an attitude of faith, reverence, and tolerance.
SCDS seeks candidates of all cultures and backgrounds who embrace the school’s mission of diversity, are eager to engage in the work of inclusion and have a desire to join a community of diverse individuals who celebrate their similarities while also recognizing their individuality.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Minimum Qualifications
• Completion of a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Special Education, Learning Differences/Disabilities Specialist. Master’s degree preferred.
• Three (3) to five (5) years’ teaching experience in special education or as a learning specialist.
• Special Education/Learning Specialist Certification strongly preferred.
• Experience with reading instruction: Wilson, PAF, OG.
• Experience working with students with math disabilities.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Physical Demands
Work is typically performed in an office/classroom environment with intermittent sitting, standing, or walking in various settings. The employee occasionally lifts or carries objects of a light-medium weight, up to 25 pounds. Full range of hand and finger motion may be utilized for data entry purposes.

About The Savannah Country Day School

Savannah Country Day School is an Early Childhood–Grade 12 co-educational day school of about 900 students. The school is one of the strongest in the Southeast. Our students go on from SCDS to excel at colleges all over the country. Founded in 1955, the school sits on a beautiful 65-acre campus with numerous classroom buildings, several playing fields, three gymnasiums, and two state-of-the-art libraries. The campus culture is informal and relaxed, but expectations of students are high in all areas. Besides a strong academic program, the school has very strong programs in the fine arts, athletics, and service learning.

Connections working at The Savannah Country Day School