Career Center

Learning Specialist

Elgin Academy is a preschool through grade 12 learning community of approximately 230 students located 35 miles northwest of Chicago.  Our dedicated faculty and staff are committed to our mission of “inspiring students to become our creative, courageous, and compassionate future.”

Elgin Academy is an equal opportunity employer and educational institution that fully and actively supports equal access for all.

Job Summary

We are seeking a full-time Learning Specialist to start in August, 2022. This is a unique and exciting opportunity to be both a founding member of the instructional team for the new PEAK on the Hilltop, a school-within-a-school model at Elgin Academy designed to meet the needs of students with diagnosed language-based learning differences, and a member of the faculty at Elgin Academy.

The salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. Employer sponsored health insurance and a 403B retirement plan are offered.

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will work closely with students, teachers, and parents to develop learning strategies tailored to each student’s individual needs and support their academic progress. The Learning Specialist will work with all Elgin Academy students (Preschool through 12th grade) and therefore will have experience working with diverse learning populations. The chosen candidate will collaborate with the Director of Personalized Learning/School Counselor and division directors to serve students with diagnosed learning and social emotional needs to determine appropriate types of support. They will be familiar with all students with documented psycho-education testing and their support needs, conduct observation in classes and discussions with teachers when appropriate, consulting with diagnosticians when appropriate reviewing evaluations of students with documented learning needs and interpret and implement the appropriate accommodations following educational/psychological testing results. 

They will utilize school resources to plan supplemental instruction for individuals or small groups of students, using both in-class and pull-out models, to support executive functioning skills, progress in academic areas including reading comprehension, math concepts, fact fluency, the writing process, and long term project planning and execution. They will also collaborate with other administrators to present educational opportunities for all students and parents when appropriate.

Desirable Characteristics

The successful candidate will have at least a Bachelor’s degree in education with special education/LBS1 certification or endorsement preferred, but not required; a master's degree in education preferred. They will have certification in the Orton Gillingham Approach and/or be willing to participate in school-sponsored training and certification prior to the start of next school year. They will have extensive knowledge of learning differences and strategies and demonstrate creativity and flexibility in serving students. The ideal candidate will have an understanding of the different developmental stages of learning and be able to employ understanding of formative and summative assessments. They must possess strong interpersonal and communication skills, both orally and in writing, and embrace working in a collaborative, mission-based environment.

Candidates will be expected to aspire to the Elgin Academy Characteristics of Professional Excellence, in which teachers promise to:

• Create an environment where students are encouraged to take risks, grow from mistakes, defend their ideas, and advocate for themselves.
• Provide diverse learning experiences that allow and encourage a variety of ways to demonstrate knowledge.
• Model the characteristics found in the Portrait of a Hilltopper.
• Build trusting relationships with students and families through consistency, equity, and communication.
• Communicate and collaborate with the school community to foster supportive and professional relationships.
• Continue to innovate teaching strategies, including use of technology.
• Support school community activities.
• Continue to be lifelong learners through ongoing professional development and collaboration with peers.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO APPLY

Candidates should send a cover letter, resume, and references electronically to

Helen Elayan, Director of Personalized Learning/School Counselor

helayan@elginacademy.org

The successful candidate will have at least a Bachelor’s degree in education with special education/LBS1 certification or endorsement preferred, but not required; a master's degree in education preferred. They will have certification in the Orton Gillingham Approach and/or be willing to participate in school-sponsored training and certification prior to the start of next school year. They will have extensive knowledge of learning differences and strategies and demonstrate creativity and flexibility in serving students. The ideal candidate will have an understanding of the different developmental stages of learning and be able to employ understanding of formative and summative assessments. They must possess strong interpersonal and communication skills, both orally and in writing, and embrace working in a collaborative, mission-based environment.