Learning Specialist

LEARNING SPECIALISTNorthwest Academy is seeking a Learning Specialist for the 2024-25 school year and beyond. About Northwest Academy:Northwest Academy is a progressive, independent middle and high school located in downtown Portland. We offer our community of learners a student-centered experience rich with rigor, creativity, and a problem-solving and proficiency-based approach to learning. We value an inclusive, caring culture that supports and challenges students appropriately, is guided by their developmental needs and challenges, and grows students into their burgeoning independence and individuality.Benefits of Working Within Our Community:Full-time employees receive several different healthcare plans to choose from, a dental and vision plan, Flex Spending options, identity theft protection, and a 3% matching 401K pension account after completing one year of employment. Northwest Academy also offers opportunities for Creative Production Grants to support individual artistic endeavors and a 6-week Sabbatical.We are seeking a dedicated Learning Specialist to provide individualized academic support for students beginning in the 2023-24 school year. The Learning Specialist will develop and implement Learning Plans to support students with academic and social-emotional learning differences. The Learning Specialist will lead the process of assessing and making recommendations for academic support. This work will include referrals for diagnostic evaluations, assistance to parents and faculty in interpreting results, referrals for in and out of school support, and monitoring of and evaluating student progress. The Learning Specialist will serve on the Student Support Team and collaborate with students, parents, faculty, and administration.FTE: .4Department: Student ServicesReports To: Head of Middle School and Head of High SchoolResponsibilities:Develop, implement, monitor, and reevaluate Learning Plans for students based on assessment, observation, and external professional testing.Support teachers in their professional development by providing resources, assistance, advice, and training to enable faculty to better meet the needs of all learners.Develop infrastructure for faculty support and training.Provide feedback to teachers on what strategies may best help their students andEducate parents about learning differences.Facilitate accommodation requests for standardized testing; Acting as Testing Coordinator for all in-house accommodated standardized testing.Update parents and teachers regularly about students' progress.Keep up to date with new developments in teaching methods and educational psychology.Build supportive, trusting relationships with students.Providing parents and teachers with useful resources for the benefit of students.Maintain resources as they pertain to targeted testing of students by outside specialists, external tutors and learning specialists.Provide small-group support for students, both push-in and pull-out environments.Be an active member of our Student Support Team.Participate in faculty committees, student activities, including off-campus field trips andAttend Student-Teacher-Parent Conferences to discuss student progress with parents, as needed.GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES:Support the work of the Head of School and administrative/leadership team.Support the mission, values, program, and goals of Northwest Academy and its respective divisions and programs.Help to maintain school policies, regulations, and expectations.Develop and maintain professional, collaborative, and collegial relationships;Exhibit a growth mindset about best practices and work toward professional goals and developmentActively participate in the school culture and community.Provide effective supervision of students to promote a safe and healthy environmentQUALIFICATIONS:Advanced degree in SPED education or equivalent relevant field.Demonstrated success working with young adolescent and adolescent students; andDemonstrated success at developing educational and social-cultural opportunities for students.5+ years of teaching experience, at the middle and high school level.Demonstrated passion for and success working with young adolescent and adolescent students.Excellent verbal, written, and digital communication skills; ability to effectively communicate and work as a team with administrators, faculty, staff, parents, and students.Proficiency in and/or comfort with a Mac environment, as well as with Google Drive, Google Docs and Apps, word processing, database, electronic grading software, and other classroom and teaching technologies, including audio/visual equipment.The ability to create an effective professional environment and interact effectively with people from different cultures and experiences; ability to lead and work within cross-cultural environments.Demonstrated self-starter using downtime and unstructured time effectively.An awareness about difference and how it can expand practices and success.An ability to learn from and build on varying cultural and community norms of staff, students, and families.Physical Demands:Physical requirements are consistent with light physical duties required of teachers generally. The school is spread out across five buildings, covering multiple blocks in downtown Portland, so teachers may have to move between buildings during five-minute passing periods or attend meetings around campus. The school does not provide parking for all staff members, so metered street or lot parking might be required.Interested candidates can find instructions for applying for this position on the Careers at Northwest Academy and reply to Careers@nwacademy.org.Northwest Academy is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to welcoming and

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