Learning Specialist, Grades 4-8, Lake Country School

Learning Specialist

Title: Learning Specialist 4th-8th Grades (MA in Special Education Required)

Closing Date: Applications will be accepted until the position is filled

Position Begins: August 14th, 2025

Status: Full Time Salaried - 10 month teaching position

Salary: DOQ with competitive benefits package

FLSA Category: Exempt

Reports to: Head of School

Lake Country School (LCS) is a compassionate and joyful community of children, adolescents, families, and faculty and staff that learn and grow together year after year. An independent school with a 45 year history that is a nationally recognized leader in Montessori education, LCS is guided by its mission and its core values of Montessori pedagogy, peace education, stewardship, and love of work. LCS supports its faculty and staff with competitive salaries and benefits, strong adherence to AMI standards, beautiful, simple, and rich learning environments with a full complement of materials, and a commitment to professional development.

LCS is truly one of a kind with its urban and rural campuses. Its urban campus is nestled into the vibrant Kingfield Neighborhood in South Minneapolis: a mile from the chain of lakes and a few miles from downtown Minneapolis with access to the high quality parks, museums, universities/colleges, and businesses of the Twin Cities. Its rural campus is a 160 acre farm property 75 miles away in western Wisconsin that provides an incredible environment for deep, rich, and meaningful learning opportunities on the land during day trips and overnights.

The Learning Specialist is trained in special education and is a resource for classroom teachers and parents/guardians and works with students with special learning needs on a one to one basis. The Learning Specialist is also responsible for communication with parents, classroom guides and the head of school.

• Testing and observation. At the request of the classroom guide and/or parents the learning specialist observes students who are having academic challenges. They may also administer diagnostic tests, like the Woodcock Johnson Test of Achievement, with the permission of the parents/guardians. Following testing, the Learning Specialist will explain the results to the classroom guide and to the child’s parent/guardian, and where appropriate make recommendations.
• Tutoring. The Learning Specialist works with students in grades 4-8, on a one to one basis, for one or two half hour sessions per week.
• Facilitates Junior High Study Group.
• Work with Minneapolis Public Schools non-public Special Education teachers and system, for those students on IEPs or going through the process of evaluation and creation of an IEP.
• Works closely with the two other members of the Student Support team (early childhood and lower elementary learning special and mental health specialist) through weekly meetings and frequent conversations.
• Provides resources to guides. The Learning Specialist is a resource for teachers, both individually and as a group. Every fall the Learning Specialist reviews, with the head of school, a list of special education resources to offer to parents/guardians for referral.
• Communicating with Parents/Guardians. This includes but is not limited to the following;
• Record Keeping, Parent/Guardian Conferences, End of Year Reports, Special parent conferences.
• Support the school and its mission, vision, and values through being an engaged colleague by attending and contributing to creating a strong and vibrant school community

• Master’s Degree in Special Education
• Interest and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and working with people from a variety of cultural backgrounds
• Effective verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to pass background checks

• Positive attitude, problem solver, honest and compassionate communicator
• Enjoys and is skilled at building relationships with children, families, and colleagues
• Driven to do high quality work
• Interested in collaborating with colleagues
• Warm and welcoming with children while being clear, confident, and firm when needed
• Approaches differences with curiosity and acceptance
• Experience and interest in equity, justice, and inclusion, as well as anti-racist, anti-biased education
• Loves nature and connecting with the natural world
• Minimum of 2 years previous experience in education
• Welcomes feedback and wants to develop, learn, and improve professionally
• Interested in hearing and understanding different and new perspectives
• Humility, a sense of humor, and a warm and nurturing personality

Applicants from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply for all positions as Lake Country School is committed to its faculty and staff reflecting the diversity of the Twin Cities area.

Please submit a letter of interest, professional resume, and two professional references to: Amanda Zagelbaum: azagelbaum@lakecountryschool.org

Applications will be accepted until a successful candidate is selected.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $60,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Ability to Commute:

• Minneapolis, MN 55409 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Minneapolis, MN 55409: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $60,000 - $80,000