Curtis is seeking a Learning Specialist to join a team-oriented, inclusive, and professional learning community. Curtis School is a DK-6 co-ed elementary school whose mission is to “develop, in every child, a sound mind in a sound body, governed by a compassionate heart.” We place an equal emphasis on academic, physical, social-emotional, and character education and instill a growth mindset modeled by faculty and staff who are the best in their craft.  

The Learning Specialist will be responsible for helping students with learning differences cultivate effective strategies and implementing interventions that promote academic development. Under the supervision of the Director of Learning Resources, the successful candidate will work collaboratively with other members of the Learning Support Services Team and all grade-level teachers to facilitate an engaging curriculum that fulfills Curtis’s mission and values. The candidate must have an insightful understanding of effective teaching methods for different learning needs, excellent listening, observational, and time-management skills, and an empathetic mindset. A collegial personality and openness to feedback are essential traits, as is a love of working with primary school-aged children.

Curtis School is fully committed to a diverse faculty and student body. The candidate should possess an abundance of respect and sensitivity around racial, ethnic, socio-economic, and all differences. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

Include, but are not limited to:

• embracing Curtis School’s Mission, Vision, Purpose, Values, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement
• providing academic support to students through one one-on-one, small group, and push-in instruction 
• providing assistance, resources, and advice to support classroom faculty in meeting the needs of all learners, with special focus on early childhood students
• facilitating communication between and among the student, family, teachers, administrators, and other educational professionals
• proctoring for students with testing accommodations
• attending twice-yearly parent-teacher conferences and completing narrative reports for students on caseload 
• attending faculty workshop days, relevant all-school events, and all mandatory professional development. 

Qualifications and Skills:

A successful candidate will: 

• have a bachelor’s degree in special education or a similar field. (Master’s degree preferred)
• have 3+ years of experience as a learning specialist or in an equivalent role
• be familiar with Orton-Gillingham and/or another structured literacy approach 
• have extensive knowledge of learning differences and instructional pedagogy, as well as experience working with students with diagnosed learning disabilities and executive functioning challenges 
• be well-versed in research and assessment tools, particularly in early childhood development 
• be organized and able to maintain systems of organization 
• understand the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in education
• provide a portfolio of teaching with examples of innovative lessons or projects that demonstrate creative and critical thinking and/or teach a demo lesson 
• be flexible about working in outdoor weather conditions and able to regularly sit, stand, walk, use hands, reach with arms, talk, and hear, and occasionally lift up to 10-25 pounds
• be punctual and professional at all times. 

About Curtis School

Curtis School is an independent DK-6 coeducational elementary day school whose mission is “to develop, in every child, a sound mind in a sound body governed by a compassionate heart”. Over 60 Faculty Members are dedicated to fulfilling this mission. Located on a spacious 27-acre campus in the Mulholland Corridor of the Santa Monica Mountains, Curtis School has 490 students and 68 faculty members.

Connections working at Curtis School