Description:
Brooklyn Friends School seeks a creative, dynamic, and equity-focused Middle School Learning Specialist to join our Student Support Team. Rooted in the school’s Quaker mission and values, this educator will foster a joyful, inclusive, and rigorous learning environment for students in grades 5–8, supporting their growth as empathetic, expressive, and socially conscious individuals.
The Middle School Learning Specialist will support the academic progress and achievement of students in the Middle School Learning Community (MSLC) and our classrooms. The Learning Specialist (LS) will help to ensure that all BFS students finish Middle School as self-reliant, confident, resourceful learners, well-equipped to succeed in a rigorous high school environment.
In partnership with the All School Learning Support Coordinator, Middle School Leadership Team, and Student Support Team (SST), the Learning Specialist supports student learning in a dynamic, student-focused, and socially and emotionally responsive academic environment in which teaching for understanding, integrity, and compassion are the guides.
The LS uses a variety of research-based methods to share and practice with students executive functioning skills, foundational mathematics skills, analytical thinking, writing and critical inquiry, as well as assist students with diagnosed learning differences. Additionally, the LS facilitates individual and small group faculty workshops in and out of the classroom to model, partner, and support faculty to differentiate instruction for all students, integrate metacognitive strategies for learning, and design and practice student-centered learning approaches.
Primary Responsibilities Include This position reports to the Head of Middle School.
- Work in partnership with the All School Learning Support Coordinator, Student Support Team, and Enrollment Management to support student learning for students with evaluations and academic challenges.
- Facilitate learning, support, and collaboration with faculty to enable teachers to differentiate instruction, integrate metacognitive strategies, teach toward mastery, and use student-centered methodologies across all subject areas and grade levels.
- Analyze, summarize, make accessible and constructive for teachers and families information regarding neuropsychological evaluations, psychoeducational evaluations, IESPs, and 504 Plans completed in consultation with the Middle School Counselor to ensure a student’s social-emotional wellbeing and academic needs are communicated and supported appropriately.
- Partner with teachers to ensure proper and appropriate testing accommodations for all middle school assessments.
- Provide academic support to students with evaluations through skill-building, metacognitive learning strategies, and direct curricular teaching.
- When appropriate, identify students with learning needs, facilitate their evaluation, design, share, and help teachers and students use an individualized Evaluation Summary, or Strategy Letter, which may include a behavioral modification plan or a reentry plan after a medical leave or other extended absence.
- Work in partnership with the All School Learning Support Coordinator and Department of Education to evaluate students and meet the support needs outlined in student IEPs.
- Partner with parents to discuss their child’s learning needs and develop individualized support plans.
- Coordinate with outside programs through which students may obtain course credit to ensure that their academic requirements and needs are met.
- Collaborate with tutors to ensure students are adequately supported in and out of school.
- Promote equity and inclusion for students in all classrooms
- Coordinate with the All School Learning Support Coordinator, Leadership Teams, and Learning Specialists to ensure that upon entering the middle school, students’ learning support needs can be and are appropriately met and their progress is closely monitored throughout their middle school years at BFS.
- Collaborate with the Middle School Admissions Committee to assess BFS Middle School applicants and ensure each newly-admitted student requiring resources is appropriately supported.
- Participate in All-School Student Support Team, overseen by the All School Learning Support and Well-Being Coordinators.
- As necessary, collaborate across the school to support inter-community events, traditions, and mission-aligned student experiences, especially in the case of identity works as it connects to neurodivergence
- Teach a course or courses focused on cognition, executive function, and learning skills to Middle School students
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Head of Middle School
Qualifications And Characteristics Sought
- Bachelor’s degree required (MA or PhD in related field preferred)
- Commitment to the School’s mission, values, and vision
- 3-5 years of relevant experience in a Middle School setting
- Extensive knowledge of learning differences and strategies therein
- Experience administering a variety of assessments to track and support student growth
- Ability to create a learning environment that addresses and supports each student’s needs
- Ability to create lesson and unit plans and an understanding of curriculum design.
- Ability to use technology to enhance the learning experience
- Ability to think ahead and plan for effective one-on-one or small group instruction
- Ability to organize and manage multiple priorities
- Experience leading professional development activities for teachers
- Strong working knowledge of the IEP process, 504s, and ISPs, and familiarity with neuropsychoeducational testing, individual academic plan processes, and reporting
- Interest in and willingness to use new and different educational approaches
- Demonstrates strong communication skills (oral and written)
- Approaches work with flexibility, patience, grace, connection, and a willingness to learn
- Demonstrates cultural competency and a commitment to diversity, equity, social justice, and inclusion
- Brings a passion and desire to create a joyful learning environment
- Respect for the life of the child
- Compassion, integrity, and open-mindedness in all interactions
- Collegiality, approachability, flexibility, and adaptability
- Ability to partner and collaborate across professional statuses, i.e., with all colleagues (i.e., staff, leadership, families, student body, local and national independent school communities, and the neighborhood community)