Special Education Professional/Learning Specialist

Academy of the Sacred Heart, established in 1851, is Michigan’s oldest independent school, offering a Catholic, college-preparatory education to girls (infant-Grade 12) and boys (infant-Grade 8) of many cultures and faiths. As part of an international network of schools, we are committed to a set of principles shared by all Sacred Heart Schools. Known as the Goals and Criteria, these principles articulate the core components of a Sacred Heart education and charge our community with a unified educational mission.

At the heart of our philosophy is the belief that each child possesses unique gifts. Our job is to unearth those gifts, nurture them, and empower each child of the Sacred Heart to share those gifts with the global community. Academy of the Sacred Heart is committed to being an equitable and inclusive community and seeks candidates who connect to our Mission and Goals.

As a member of the Learning Support Team, the Learning Specialists promote student success, respond to student and classroom teacher needs, and serve as a valuable resource for their educational advancement to ensure a growth-oriented academic environment for all students. The Learning Specialists report directly to the Director of Learning Support.

Essential Functions:

• Development and maintenance of the profiles and support plans of students in learning support, and coordination with learning community leaders, learning support team, classroom teachers, and families to ensure that they are up to date and successfully implemented.
• Provision of 1-1, small group, push-in and pull-out direct support to identified students via specific, targeted intervention programs to strengthen academic skills
• Acting as a case manager for students with individualized learning plans
• Providing curriculum support as well as skills-based remediation
• Supporting classroom teachers to differentiate instruction for a variety of learning styles and how to implement accommodations in the classroom
• Proactively participating in and contributing to the development of the Learning Support program by providing new directions, reviewing curriculum and suggesting improvements, and participating in ongoing professional development
• Observing, assessing and analyzing data on student performance and keeping records on student’s progress towards meeting learning goals
• Communicating with parents about learning strategies uses in the Learning Lab
• Completion of student classroom observations as needed
• Participation in monthly Building Intervention Team Meetings with local school district consultants
• Maintenance of the Learning Lab schedule
• Coordination of NWEA MAP Growth testing in collaboration with learning community leaders and Learning Support Team

Desired Qualifications:

• Finds joy in working with children and participating in school life
• Comfortable using technology in the classroom and accessing school-based learning portals
• Sustained, successful teaching experience with students with learning differences
• Knowledgeable about current evidence-based teaching practices
• Organizational skills to maintain documentation tracking interventions, as well as to assist students with executive functioning skills
• Skilled in communications and interpersonal relations with children and adults
• Master's degree in special education or learning disabilities

The School Network

Academy of the Sacred Heart is one of 24 schools in the U.S. and Canada Network of Sacred Heart Schools and is affiliated with a network of over 200 Sacred Heart schools worldwide. The school's mission is to cultivate in our students a personal and active faith in God and to lay the foundation for a meaningful life.

The Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, disability, height, weight, genetic information, marital status, partisan consideration, or any other class protected by State or Federal law in the administration of its educational policies, employment practices, admission policies, scholarship or tuition assistance programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Archdiocese of Detroit

All teachers in the Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit shall be certified and /or approved for teaching by the Department of Education for the State of Michigan. All teachers are required to hold the appropriate endorsement for the subject(s) they are assigned to teach.

The Archdiocese of Detroit is an equal opportunity employer that does not illegally discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, height, weight, genetic information, marital or other legally protected status.