Lower School Learning Specialist

Description

Bullis School seeks a Lower School Learning Specialist for the 2025-26 academic year to cultivate effective learning habits and support the academic growth of all kindergarten through fifth-grade students in our caring and inclusive community. Candidates should have deep knowledge of learning differences, current and accepted brain research and methodologies, and demonstrate cultural competency in their work with students, families, and faculty. 

The Bullis Academic Support Department is a highly collaborative team that fosters a culture of continuous growth and improvement for themselves and the students they work with. The Lower School Learning Specialist supports all students in the Lower School with a focus on students with different learning needs and styles to ensure that each student may learn and flourish academically, socially, and emotionally in a nurturing and responsive environment. The Learning Specialist works in partnership with homeroom teachers and other specialists to support and advance students with different learning needs within the classroom. This Specialist communicates with families and professionals outside of Bullis School to provide coordinated support on behalf of students who learn differently.  In collaboration with the Lower School Students of Concerns Support Team, the Lower School Learning Specialist plays a key role in identifying emerging learning differences through the administration of formal and informal assessments of student skills as well as facilitating communication regarding possible evaluations with families. 

Duties & Qualifications

Essential Functions

• Manages a caseload of kindergarten through fifth-grade students who require learning support
• Collaborates with classroom teachers to identify and support students with emerging and diagnosed learning differences.
• Creates a welcoming, inclusive, legally sound, and interactive process for families seeking accommodations for students
•  Demonstrates excellent listening skills and an empathetic mindset
• Develops and maintains frequent, respectful, and trusting relationships and communication with families
• Develops a solid knowledge of the Lower School curriculum
• Collaborates with subject specialists regarding student support and accommodations
• Participates in Students of Concern Team meetings
• Conducts educational screenings and assessments.  Makes referrals for outside evaluation, as needed and appropriate
• Reads and interprets psycho-educational evaluations and standardized testing; creates educational learning plans for students based on these evaluations
• Provides formal and informal professional development for faculty in support of students with learning differences in collaboration with others
• Serves as a liaison to outside learning support services (e.g., Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Tutors)
• Supports the Lower School admission process
• Remains current with accepted and appropriate instructional theory, practice, and research, as well as emerging practices for cultivating neurodiversity, twice-exceptionality, diversity, equity and justice initiatives, and assistive technology

Other Duties

• Supplemental duties such as carpool, recess, lunch, and hallway monitor
• Attends school-wide, divisional, and departmental meetings
• Continued professional development endeavors
• Other tasks as assigned by the Director of Academic Support and/or Head of Lower School

Qualities 

• Appreciates and respects elementary-aged students as learners and people through challenging and joyful moments alike
• Knowledgeable about developmental milestones and possesses a deep belief in learning through hands-on lessons and activities
• Demonstrates a consistent commitment and knowledge to work with, teach, and lead groups of diverse individuals in respectful, equitable, and inclusive ways
• Collaborates; able to work smoothly and closely with homeroom teachers, counselors, subject specialists, learning specialists in other divisions, and school administrators
• Exchanges accurate information in a professional manner with families, students, faculty, staff, and other professionals. Demonstrates excellent writing and speaking skills
• Displays good cheer, humor, listening skills, patience, and warmth balanced by professionalism and sound judgment
• Detail-oriented and organized with the capacity to manage multiple tasks, record-keeping, and demands for attention effectively and efficiently
• Exhibits a high degree of discretion and confidentiality as necessary and appropriate

Education and Experience

Required:

• Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Special Education, Psychology, or a related field
• Minimum of three years experience in the field of learning differences
• Deep and current knowledge of learning differences, accepted brain research, and instructional methodologies
• Knowledge of and experience with cultural competency in working with students, families, and faculty

Preferred:

• Experience teaching in a technology-rich environment, including Accelerated Reader and iPad integration
• Experience with Responsive Classroom, Orton-Gillingham instruction, Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes, Singapore Math, Bridges or similar math curriculum, Readers and Writers Workshop

Compensation and benefits are competitive, with an anticipated salary range of $65,000 to $100,000.

Benefits include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Employer-provided basic life insurance
• Employer-provided short-term and long-term disability
• 401(k) employer match and safe harbor contribution, up to 7% of annual compensation

Salary : $65,000 - $100,000