The Opportunity:
Carolina Friends School (CFS) is seeking an Upper School Learning Specialist to assist staff in designing, implementing, and evaluating plans to support students. The Learning Specialist provides direct service to students, both individually and in groups, and coordinates referrals for outside support and testing. This is a full-time, 12-month appointment.
Reporting to the Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning, the USLS works directly with faculty, parents/guardians and students, helping students understand themselves as learners and developing their academic skills, assisting faculty and parents/guardians to support students and seek outside referrals when needed, and fostering student growth to develop self-advocacy regarding their learning needs.
Responsibilities:
- Oversees the development, review, explanation, communication, and maintenance of student accommodation plans
- Coordinates referrals for the evaluation and reevaluation process
- Collaborates with area professionals to support students
- Serves as a member of the Upper School Student Support Team
- Collaborates with the Enrollment Office concerning prospective students
- Manages necessary accommodations for standardized testing
- Works one-on-one and in groups with identified students
- Assists staff in identifying students with academic challenges
- Provides ongoing support and professional development to staff on learning differences and accommodations
- As part of the school-wide Student Success Program, matches Upper School tutors with students and assists in the hiring and onboarding of new tutors, and works with other CFS Learning Specialists as needed
- Provides support to parents/guardians of students with learning differences in advocating for their child
- Performs other functions as assigned in support of school operations
Requirements:
- A bachelor’s degree in special or exceptional education with an emphasis in learning differences; an advanced degree preferred*
- Minimum of three years full-time experience as a learning specialist in a secondary or middle school setting*
- Ability to work well with a diverse student and parent/guardian body
- Strong knowledge of the developmental needs of students
- Ability to work effectively with colleagues in a highly collaborative environment
- Excellent listening skills and the ability to communicate clearly and effectively with all constituent groups
- Expertise in mentoring, supporting, and coaching teenagers
- Demonstrate an affinity for and interest in the Quaker values as embodied in the CFS community
- Demonstrate commitment to understanding and exploring how power and inequality, influenced by factors such as race, class, gender, sexuality, neurodivergence, and different physical abilities, impact our students, families, and colleagues
- Directly related experience or a combination of related experience and education may be considered in place of the above requirements.
This is a 12-month role with a hiring range of $70,000-$75,000 based on experience. Carolina Friends School offers a comprehensive benefits package, generous holidays and vacation time, and a supportive, inclusive work environment.
Who We Are:
The Upper School at CFS strives to be a learning community rooted in Quaker philosophy and values where teenagers can find and can help create a supportive place for the exploration of themselves and the world. Students and teachers address one another without titles as an expression of the equality we see in one another. We believe that a child’s secondary education experience should challenge them to develop the critical thinking, reading, and problem-solving skills that not only prepare students for life beyond graduation, but also for participation in the world as active agents right now. We require students to have a wide variety of curricular experiences, from traditional academic requirements to extensive work in the arts and community service. Upper School students are asked to see themselves as stewards of the whole community.
Teachers at CFS enjoy a school community committed to a pedagogy based in Quaker thought and practice. We strive to collaborate toward the realization of every child’s highest potential in the classroom, community, and wider world.
Building on our roots as one of the first purposefully integrated schools in the region, CFS actively seeks students and staff from a diverse range of backgrounds.
How to Apply:
Interested candidates should submit, when possible, in one complete PDF file, the following:
- Cover Letter
- Resume
- Statement of Educational Philosophy
- Names and contact information for 3 references
Please combine all these documents into a single packet and submit it to [email protected]. Please indicate Upper School Learning Specialist in the email subject line.
Resume reviews will begin immediately and continue until the position has been filled. CFS reserves the right to close the recruitment at any time. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as all materials can be compiled.
APPLICANTS: Please review the Who We Are, Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity, and Important Information for All Applicants sections on the CFS Job Seekers page.
Carolina Friends School actively strives to be a community of staff, students, and families of diverse backgrounds. CFS does not discriminate based on age, race, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, socio-economic background, family structure, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, or military service in the administration of its policies and programs.
