Learning Strategist (Early Childhood-Second Grade)

Job Title: Learning Strategist

Reports To: Dean of Student Services

FLSA Status: Exempt

Department: Lower School

Division: Early Childhood/Lower School

Alexander Dawson School Overview 

Located at the foot of Red Rock Canyon in the Summerlin community of Las Vegas, Nevada, since 2000, The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain is a top-ranked independent school serving approximately 575 students from Early Childhood through grade eight. As the state's first Stanford University Challenge Success partner school, Dawson embraces a modern learning philosophy and student-centered educational program that emphasizes academics, creativity, student safety and wellbeing, and a healthy school-life balance. Our graduates are prepared to achieve their individual potential, savor life, and meet the challenges of the world.

Shared Values & Competencies of Lower School Employees

The Alexander Dawson Lower School is a place of joyful learning where the faculty are caring, creative, knowledgeable, and passionate about whole-child education. Students and families value the strong sense of community and the personalized learning experiences the Lower School provides through its literacy, math, social studies, world language, science, art, music, health & fitness, design lab, library, and SEL curriculum. Teachers create lessons and learning environments that balance the intersection of academic knowledge, competency skills, and habits of mind. Those who see opportunities before problems, lead with questions, assume positive intentions, are professional and respectful in their relationships, and who collaborate effectively with colleagues of varied backgrounds find success in this working environment. Additionally, this position seeks individuals who: 

• Are committed to shaping a just, inclusive community and understand how centering equity impacts all aspects of the job

• Adapt a nimble mindset when dealing with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events

• Act with intentionality, transparency, humility, and honesty

• Develop solutions when faced with problems, challenges, or dysfunctions and make decisions with resolve and empathy

• Communicate with empathy and clarity with multiple stakeholder groups

• Build trusting relationships and demonstrate teamwork through attentive listening and a commitment to collaboration

• Believe they can learn from others and lead with questions to gain perspective

• Act ethically, morally, and legally to maintain compliance with organizational policies 

• Remain current on best practices related to competency-based education and Project-Based Learning
   

The Lower School program is proud to be accredited by the Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS). 

Position Summary

The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain seeks a full-time Learning Strategist (LS) for the 2024-2025 school year. The LS is a passionate, patient, and student-centered educator with deep experience working with students aged three through eight who have diverse learning needs and cognitive styles, including ADHD, ASD, sensory processing disorder, and dyslexia. The Learning Strategist’s primary goal is to provide a safe, inclusive educational experience that enables students to develop academic, social-emotional, and self-regulatory skills. They should have a deep understanding of child development throughout the early and primary years and be able to provide behavioral and academic support strategies. In addition, the LS will need to identify the right-fit interventions to meet the specific needs of students on a learning plan and work 1:1 or in small groups to implement these strategies. They will contribute to the Learning Support Team by helping to embed inclusive teaching and learning practices throughout the School and providing faculty professional development. The role requires frequent communication and partnership with families to ensure students meet their learning goals, as well as close collaboration with the Dean of Student Services. Duties may include providing small-group and individual intervention, reviewing outside testing reports, coordinating with lead teachers to support student learning goals, monitoring and assessing student progress, assisting teachers when differentiating curriculum, facilitating the use of assistive technology, and advocating for students.
 

This is a full-time, 10-month position that begins August 1, 2024; however, the successful candidate is also required to attend a new faculty onboarding program from July 23-25, 2024.

Essential Functions: The essential duties and responsibilities of this position include but are not limited to:
 

Student Support

• Complete initial student observations and screenings and provide recommendations for outside resources to families 

• Create and implement Learning Profiles based on student needs, delineating classroom accommodations

• Deliver small-group lessons to students, including those with identified learning differences, to help develop their academic, social, and executive functioning skills

• Deliver small-group lessons to students using systematic phonics and word study instruction grounded in the science of reading

• Provide executive functioning coaching on an individual basis

• Collaborate with teachers to implement successful learning and behavioral strategies

• Advocate for inclusive educational practices

Teacher Support

• Collaborate with the Learning Support Team and Divisional Directors to ensure the success of all students

• Collaborate as a team member with the larger school faculty by providing consultation and support for sensory and behavioral strategies and differentiated instruction

• Plan and deliver professional development to colleagues related to differentiating instruction, learning strategies to address diverse needs, or specific academic, behavioral, and sensory interventions for struggling students

• Coach teachers on individualized instructional strategies and learning plans

• Remain current in research-based best practices and share this knowledge across the School

• Embrace cultural competency and commit to ongoing growth in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion

Professional Responsibilities

• Act as a case manager and advocate for students with diagnosed learning differences

• Maintain an effective and confidential system for recording student progress where outcomes are continually monitored and assessed

• Maintain positive and caring relationships with families, communicate regularly about student progress, and remain responsive to concerns

Qualifications, Education & Experience

The ideal candidate is organized, thoughtful, and possesses the strong interpersonal skills necessary to assist students, families, and faculty members. They should have deep experience with a range of pedagogical approaches and find excitement in the opportunity to teach a diverse student body in a vibrant, inquiry-based environment. The ideal candidate should demonstrate effective equitable and inclusive practices within and outside the classroom. A passion for working with students with learning differences, a flexible attitude, a commitment to lifelong learning, and a strong sense of humor are all highly valued. 

Additional qualifications include:

• Master’s degree required in Special Education, SpLD, ESE, or related field

• At least seven years of successful teaching experience working with early childhood and elementary-aged students with diverse cognitive styles is required

• Knowledge and experience of differentiated instruction and working with students with learning differences

• Knowledge and experience of positive behavioral supports in the classroom

• Experience interpreting psychological evaluations and writing Learning Profiles/504s or Accommodations Plans

• Nevada teacher certification preferred

• Excellent organizational and strong oral and written communication skills are required; ability to write routine reports and correspondence; ability to speak effectively before groups of parents or employees of the organization

• Ability to coordinate and lead family meetings, including the presentation of educational information, a plan for follow-up, and communicating student progress

• Growth mindset, passionate about education, and commitment to seek professional development

• Sound judgment, respectful of all individuals and groups, and dedication to our School’s Mission, Vision, and Core Values

Work Environment:

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.