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Posted: 02-May-23
Location: Evanston, Illinois
Type: Full Time
Reports To: Dean of Students
Department: Student Support
Beacon Academy is a Montessori high school that brings together independent school best practices and challenging International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum with independence, freedom, and a student-centered approach. Our students experience a learning community that inspires self-motivation and personal challenge and celebrates intellectual, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity. Beacon Academy offers an innovative and challenging education based on Montessori principles that place a priority on experiential learning, entrepreneurial thinking, and in-depth interdisciplinary studies. Beacon Academy students will master the skills, knowledge, and habits of mind necessary to meaningfully contribute to a complex and diverse world with compassion and confidence.
Position Summary For the 2023-2024 academic year, Beacon Academy is seeking a Learning Resources & Support Specialist who is experienced in working with students and families in 9th through 12th Grade. This full-time position is a member of the Student Support Team who will report to the Dean of Students.
The Learning Resources & Support Specialist will support students with executive functioning and academic skills – through small group and one-on-one support – and help students develop habits of mind to become more confident, resilient, and independent learners. The Learning Resources & Support Specialist will work closely with the Dean of Students, Academic Dean, Academic Programs Coordinator, Director of College Counseling, classroom teachers, and families.
The ideal candidate will have a passion for teaching, excellent communication and technology skills, a strong desire to contribute to school life beyond the classroom, and a philosophy consistent with the mission and values of Beacon Academy. This individual must have strong interpersonal skills and be interested in working in a highly collaborative environment. The Learning Resources & Support Specialist must place a priority on professional learning and research-based practices and be a professional educator who will bring specialized knowledge and insight to teachers and students.
The Learning Resources & Support Specialist will also serve as Beacon Academy’s Testing Coordinator and oversee internal and external communication around ACT, SAT, and IB examinations and oversee the administration of these exams.
The new Learning Resources & Support Specialist will take office on August 1, 2023.
This is a 100% full-time, exempt, 11-month position. Salary is commensurate with experience, and benefits include but are not limited to retirement, medical, life, and disability insurance.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Serve as a case manager for students identified with learning needs in 9th through 12th Grade
- Advocate for and champion diverse learners, ensuring their growth and preparing them for post-secondary success
- Support student learning through an innovative and interdisciplinary curriculum
- Provide individual curricular support, as well as executive function skills development, to students with learning challenges due to learning differences, attention issues, social and emotional concerns, and/or organization and study skills
- Develop formal school plans (Individual Achievement Plan) that detail a student’s learning profile, recommendations for strategies and support, and accommodations
- Interpret and translate diagnostic testing evaluations for use in creating Individual Achievement Plans to support student learning
- Partner with faculty to coordinate and implement recommendations and accommodations and to facilitate faculty’s understanding of students’ learning styles
- Maintain confidential student records and keep accurate documentation of sessions and meetings
- Communicate with families through writing individual student narratives that detail student progress and engage regularly with families through emails, phone calls, and Zoom and/or in-person meetings regarding student progress
- Plan and coordinate staffings with families and faculty to develop a support plan for students that includes strategies, recommendations, and accommodations
- Accommodate and modify the curriculum to meet student needs and support access to curriculum and instruction
- Support extended-time proctoring needs for student assessments during the year and for final exams
- Coordinate referrals with families for evaluations through local public high schools when appropriate
- Maintain a list of outside diagnosticians for referrals for diagnostic evaluations
- Teach Study & Executive Functioning Strategies unit as part of Practical Life course for 9th Grade students
- Coordinate and manage the application process for standardized test accommodations for college entrance exams for both ACT/SAT and College Board and for International Baccalaureate (IB) exams
- Proctor school-based ACT/SAT assessments on designated testing weekends for students who meet qualifications
- Provide workshops for families on the process for applying to ACT/SAT and College Board for accommodations
- Oversee exam administration for International Baccalaureate (IB) exams during Mock Exam Sessions and Official Exam Sessions (gather exam supplies, create proctor schedule, lead proctor meetings for new proctors, lead student meetings for exam day expectations, work with IT Coordinator to provide computers and print for typed exams, proctor exams, and arrange for mailing exams to the scanning center)
Additional Job Requirements
- Support the philosophy and mission of the school and its leadership
- Maintain and manage sensitive and confidential school, student, family, and employee information
- Be open to interdisciplinary collaboration with colleagues and outside institutions
- Provide ideas for agenda items for possible inclusion in faculty and department meetings
- Participate in ongoing professional development and support the professional development of Beacon Academy faculty
- Work with academic departments (Arts, English, Mathematics, Sciences, Social Sciences, and World Languages) to set departmental objectives, assessments, and policies that support student achievement for students with learning challenges and differences
- Serve as a co-advisor for a group of 9th through 12th Grade students
- Other duties as assigned by the Head of School, Dean of Students, and/or Academic Dean
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree (Master’s Degree a plus)
- Illinois Professional Educators License (PEL) with Learning Behavior Specialist 1 endorsement (LBS1) or the out-of-state equivalent of a Special Education teaching license
- Teaching experience at the high school level and with neurodivergent learners (International Baccalaureate (IB) and/or Montessori Teaching Experience a plus)
- Eligibility to work in the United States on a full-time basis
- Self-awareness, a regular practice of reflection, and a desire to continuously improve
Non-Discrimination Policy Beacon Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national, or ethnic origin, sexual identity, gender, or religion, in the administration of its hiring policies, educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
Physical Demands and Work Environment
- While performing the responsibilities the employee is required to talk and hear.
- The employee is often required to sit and work at a computer screen for long periods of time.
- The employee is required to stand or bend over while filing in a 4-drawer filing cabinet.
- The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud.
- Typical work hours are limited to Monday through Friday, but additional days/hours are required at times depending on the demands of the department and School events.
