Career Center

Friends Seminary educates students from kindergarten through twelfth grade, adhering to the values of the Religious Society of Friends. We strive to build a diverse school where students exercise their curiosity and imagination as they develop as scholars, artists and athletes. In a community that cultivates the practices of keen observation, unhurried reflection, critical thinking, and coherent expression, we listen for the single voice as we seek unity. The disciplines of silence, study, and service provide the matrix for growth:  silence opens us to change; study helps us to know the world; service challenges us to put our values into practice. At Friends Seminary, education is rooted in the Quaker belief in the Inner Light – that of God in every person. Guided by the testimonies of integrity, peace, equality, and simplicity, we prepare students to engage in the world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be.

Founded in 1786, Friends Seminary, the oldest continually operating coeducational, independent Quaker school in New York City, seeks a Learning Specialist to cover a leave for the remainder of the 2023-2024 academic year. Candidates should demonstrate a passion for working with students in Kindergarten through Grade 4. Solid collaboration skills are critical as this position requires working closely with grade level colleagues and content area specialists. Candidates must be highly organized and effective communicators who can work productively and flexibly with students, faculty, and parents.

At Friends Seminary, learning specialists support children in their literacy skill acquisition and development as well as in developing strategies to support challenges with attention and executive functions. The Learning Specialist works very closely with the Lower School Division Head and Lower School Psychologist and serves as a member of the Guidance team.

Candidates should have expertise in research-based teaching strategies, including multisensory reading programs and the Hochman Writing Program. They should also have fluency with a range of assessment tools and be comfortable facilitating and coordinating classroom-based and individualized assessments. 

Responsibilities

• Plan and implement specific instruction for students in small pull-out groups as well as through push-in support.
  
• Assess student progress regularly.
  
• Conduct observations and screenings to determine if a student is in need of additional learning support at school.
  
• Formulate and write year-end summary reports for students taught.
  
• Collaborate with teachers to support understanding of students’ learning needs and to differentiate classroom instruction.
  
• Collaborate with other learning specialists and the Guidance Team at Friends.
  
• In collaboration with classroom teachers, communicate with parents about individual student strengths and challenges, goal setting, and progress.
  
• Coordinate with outside tutors and remedial specialists and build a deep network of outside specialists.
  
• Support the use of assistive technology for students within the community through training, collaboration, and assessment.
  
• Consult with the Admissions Office when needed.
  

Required Education

• Bachelor's degree in relevant field required; master’s degree in relevant field preferred.
  

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $78,000-$155,000, prorated for the part-time nature of the position.

Benefits

Friends Seminary offers excellent benefits including paid time off, health, dental, vision, 403(b) with a School-paid match; wide-ranging opportunities for professional development, including tuition support and summer grants; and a talented and dedicated team of teaching colleagues and supportive administrators. Successful candidates will join a dynamic and forward-thinking teaching community of over 150 educators.

To apply, please submit the following:

1. Completed Friends Seminary employment application
   
2. Cover letter
   
3. Resume
   
4. Contact information for three to five personal references
   
5. A statement of educational philosophy
   

When submitting your materials, kindly be sure to reference your first and last name, the position for which you are applying, and where you heard about the position in the subject line. i.e. [last name], [first name] - LS Learning Specialist, Leave Replacement - Friends Seminary website. You will receive a confirmation email when you submit your application. No phone calls, please.

Submit all materials to: lowerschooljobs@friendsseminary.org 

Friends Seminary actively promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in all its programs and operations, including admissions, financial aid, hiring, and all facets of the educational experience. To form a community which strives to reflect the world’s diversity, we do not discriminate on the basis of race or color, religion, nationality, ethnicity, economic background, physical ability, sex, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation. Friends Seminary is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates of color and members of other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. We urge all applicants to identify and express their individuality and the ways in which they might enrich and diversify the School community.

Moreover, all successful applicants, whether for a faculty or administrative staff post, must demonstrate an ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in their professional lives. Applicants for a faculty position should highlight ways their curriculum, pedagogy, and classroom culture may advance these goals. Applicants for an administrative staff position should highlight ways they seek to promote these goals in their office work, programming, or operational endeavors.

About Friends Seminary

Friends Seminary educates students from Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade, adhering to the values of the Religious Society of Friends. We strive to build a diverse school where students exercise their curiosity and imagination as they develop as scholars, artists and athletes. In a community that cultivates the practices of keen observation, unhurried reflection, critical thinking, and coherent expression, we listen for the single voice as we seek unity. The disciplines of silence, study, and service provide the matrix for growth: silence opens us to change; study helps us to know the world; service challenges us to put our values into practice. At Friends Seminary, education is rooted in the Quaker belief in the Inner Light – that of God in every person. Guided by the testimonies of integrity, peace, equality, and simplicity, we prepare students to engage in the world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be.

Connections working at Friends Seminary