Learning Specialist

Job Title: Learning Specialist

Organization: Atlanta Youth Academy

Reports to: Academic Director and Dean of the Academy

Employment Status: Full Time, 10 months

Position Overview: The role of the Learning Specialist is to support students by providing intervention and remediation as needed; support teachers in their efforts to advance students with different learning needs within the classroom; and work with parents, students, and outside professionals in order to better support student needs. The Learning Specialist’s role is to support the teacher’s broad area of responsibility to ensure that each student learns and flourishes academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually in a nurturing and responsive classroom and school environment. The input of the Learning Specialist will help each student to achieve at a high academic and personal level, according to his/her potential.

Education and Experience Requirements: A successful candidate will possess a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from an accredited college or university; Special Education degree preferred.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• In consultation with the Academic Director and/or Dean of the Academy, establish, recommend, and implement protocols for determining who will receive academic support including monitoring student progress.
• In collaboration with classroom teacher(s), create an individualized learning plan (ILP) or 504 Plan for each student requiring intervention. Also, collaborate with teachers to identify students who may require accelerated learning paths in order to meet their learning needs and support teachers in implementing differentiated instruction to meet the diverse learning needs of their students.
• Provide one-on-one and small group support/instruction for students, both in push-in and pull-out environments.
• Communicate with families when a child may require additional academic support or a psycho-educational assessment to better understand and address their learning needs, coordinate with parents and outside specialists to provide academic support, and attend teacher/parent meetings for all students receiving Instructional Support.
• Coordinate all activities relating to Standardized Testing (I-Ready, IOWA, Etc.), including preparing reports and analyses, and working with teachers to use scores to improve instruction. 
• Work with the Admissions Committee to test incoming students and potential students for admissions and work with the appropriate teacher(s) to ensure the appropriate academic and social assimilation of all new students.
• Collaborate with school districts to provide student services through the Title I/II/IV federal school programs.
• Attend and participate in weekly faculty meetings, committee meetings, school functions, and professional development activities during and after school hours as needed.
• Adhere to strict student confidentiality.

Technology:

• Oversee the distribution, tracking, and retrieval of all devices, and ensure that students, parents, and teachers understand their roles and responsibilities in caring for the devices. Coordinated with school administration to establish school technology protocols and ensure compliance at the student and faculty levels.

• Oversee all aspects of integrating educational technology. Support and guide the implementation and effective use of digital learning platforms for academic readiness. Support teachers in the maintenance and upkeep of classroom devices to ensure they remain functional and effective for instruction.

Additional Responsibilities:

Perform other tasks as deemed necessary and appropriate by the Academic Director under the direction of the Dean of the Academy. This includes but not limited to Carpool and Breakfast Duty, or Field Trip support.

Physical Demands:

When performing activities throughout the day related to the educating of students, the teacher spends most of the day standing in the classroom. He or she must walk through the classroom and be able to maneuver between desks, etc. Dealing with the students can entail kneeling or squatting, stooping, and bending from 50-70 degrees at the waist on an occasional to frequent basis. After receiving bus and safety training by AYA Operations, the teacher must be able to transport their class to and from field trips on our small passenger buses.

Must be able to exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds of force as frequently as needed to move objects (textbooks, materials, desks, chairs, etc.). The teacher must see and hear on a continuous basis as well as speak frequently. Positions may vary from standing, sitting, or walking. On a rare occasion it may be necessary to move quickly, run, etc. over smooth to uneven surfaces such as on asphalt, on the playground, or on the grass. 

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function.

To apply, send the items listed below to [email protected]

• Resume/Curriculum Vitae
• 3 References (1 personal and 2 professional; current supervisor required)
• Current Teaching Certificate (as applicable, not required)

About Atlanta Youth Academy: Atlanta Youth Academy (AYA) is a 27-year-old Christian preparatory school for inner-city youth in Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade who are willing to work hard and whose academic efforts are well-supported at home. Through an investment-partnership model between donors and our tuition-paying parents, AYA exposes students who otherwise might not have access to such opportunities to life-changing experiences, launching them to a brighter future in high school, college, and beyond.