Learning Specialist (grades 5-8)

Title of position:  Learning Specialist (grades 5-8)

Job Class: Full-time, exempt, academic year

Reports to: Director of Student Learning Services

Pay range:  $2,843.75 to $5,975.70 semi-monthly ($68,250 to $143,417 if annualized) (placement on scale based on relevant teaching experience) This is a full-time, academic-year, exempt position.

Benefits include medical, dental, vision, and term life insurance of $50,000 subsidized at 100% for employees; life insurance; long-term disability insurance; matching 403b; generous time off benefits including personal time, academic vacations, and sick leave; and professional development.

The San Francisco Friends School (SFFS), located in the heart of the Mission District in San Francisco, educates K-8 students in the tradition of Quaker learning. By example and commitment, we hope to inspire all connected with our school to work together toward a peaceful and caring society. For further information about San Francisco Friends School’s beginnings, mission, and philosophy, please visit our website at www.sffriendsschool.org.

Job Summary: 

The Learning Specialist plays a pivotal role in ensuring that all students, regardless of their learning styles and backgrounds, can access the support and resources they need to succeed. We have distinguished our program by embracing a philosophy of early intervention while leading with innovations in pedagogical approaches that meet a wide range of learners, engaging the teaching community in best practices. This position calls for an advocate to ensure philosophical and pedagogical alignment and help teachers design and support students' daily experiences to achieve their potential.

Vital aspects of the role include observation, collaboration, assessment, communication, advising, and resource coordination. The Learning Specialist collaborates with teachers, advises and communicates with parents, and manages complex information over time. They will also cultivate community connections and coordinate with outside specialists and programs. 

The Learning Specialist is a teacher, a specialist, a key mentor, a touchstone to many, and an essential advisor. They will be a vocal and steady advocate for current trends in research, learning differences, and the inclusion of all students. They will commit to modeling cultural humility by mining resources, centering interventions that recognize the unique experiences of each child and family, and providing equitable access to resources. 

Responsibilities: 

• Meets regularly with other learning specialists, the school counselor, teachers, parents, and the Head of Lower School and/or Head of Middle School
• Facilitates recommended accommodations
• Provides educational screenings as needed for students; makes referrals for outside evaluations and supports parents and teachers in understanding outside learning evaluations.
• Case Manages students with a learning profile; relays relevant information to teachers and collaborates to support students in the classroom. 
• Maintains confidential electronic student learning profiles and intervention lists for students. 
• Supports students with learning classroom skills and organization.
• Supports scheduling and teacher-tutor communication with independent tutors
• Provides community learning resources to parents
• Administers admission screenings and standardized tests

Job requirements: 

• B.A. and a Teaching Credential (or equivalent)

• Learning Specialist degree (or equivalent professional credentials) and/or Education Specialist degree required
• Elementary or Middle school teaching experience
• Experience working with language-based learning differences
• Demonstrated deep knowledge of learning differences, assessment techniques, and resources for supporting a wide range of learners both in and outside the classroom
• Excellent communication and organizational/case management skills
• Ability to communicate with teachers about learning differences
• Ability to work with multiple constituencies with professionalism, empathy, humility, calm, and strategic direction--parents, teachers, students, outside specialists, and the administrative leadership team
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills, including patience, discretion, clarity, follow-through, a sense of humor, good judgment, and a desire to find the light in each student
• Personable, flexible, and adaptable; a learner and an expert teachers can count on, who is a motivated and collaborative team player
• Understanding of the intersection between learning and behavior support and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging

Preferred Qualities: 

• M.A, Learning Specialist degree (or equivalent professional credentials)
• Specialized knowledge in other areas of academic instruction, innovation, and learning differences-- Brain Frames, multi-sensory based teaching approaches, gifted education, mathematics, sensory integration, executive function/attention, neuro-divergence
• Spanish Speaker and/or experience with Bilingualism
• Experience with public speaking, parent education, and professional development presentations
• Database management, Google Suite experience 

Physical requirements

Regularly required to sit, stand, walk, talk, hear, operate a computer, hand-held learning devices, and other office equipment, reach with hands and arms, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.

EEO Commitment: 

The San Francisco Friends School is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, military or veteran status, marital status, or any other category protected by law. The school also makes reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants with disabilities; candidates who need accommodations to apply for this position should request an accommodation as part of the submission of interest. 

Employment Clearances required:

• Livescan Background
• US Employment eligibility
• TB Clearance certificate
• COVID Vaccination status

How to apply

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and list of 3 references to Katherine Preston at https://sffriendsschool.applytojob.com/apply/cErhi62MaH/Learning-Specialist.

For more information about San Francisco Friends School or Quaker education, please visit our website at www.sffriendsschool.org or the Friends Council on Education at www.friendscouncil.org.