Career Center

Job Title: Learning Center Specialist

Academic Year 2023-2024

Department: Instruction

Reports to: Director of the Fishburne Learning Center

FLSA Status: Exempt

Summary: 

An all-boys, all-boarding college-preparatory school serving 180 students, Blue Ridge School’s 751-acre campus lies along the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains 20 miles from Charlottesville, Virginia.

Blue Ridge School is innovative in its approach to educating young men. Passionate teachers, small classes, strong relationships, lots of opportunities to participate in athletics and co-curricular activities, and a rigorous but supportive college prep curriculum, empower Blue Ridge graduates to thrive in college. With an average class size of 9 students, faculty members are able to help each student discover the best way to master the course material and challenge each student to reach beyond self-determined limits and fulfill his untapped potential.

The Fishburne Learning Center (FLC) serves the needs of approximately sixty students with specific learning disabilities and/or ADHD. The FLC designs individual programs for every student it serves.  These programs include efforts to address particular learning challenges as well as support networks to help students succeed in mainstream Blue Ridge courses. The ultimate goal of the FLC is to help each student become a strong advocate for himself both at Blue Ridge and beyond. 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, area of study flexible; M.Ed. in Special Education, focus on high-incidence learning disabilities, is preferred. 
• At least three years of experience working with adolescents with language-based learning disabilities and/or ADHD is preferred.  
• Demonstrated expertise in training students to use strategies for reading comprehension, written expression, and mathematical calculation/problem-solving. 
• Experience with written expression programs for students with language-based learning disabilities preferred. 
• Willingness to learn about and apply research on the benefits of single-sex education.
• Flexibility, creativity and willingness to play an active role in the life of the School community.
• Proficient use of technology in the classroom and the theory behind such use.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with students, parents, peers, and supervisors. 
• Exceptional organizational, planning, problem solving, decision making and critical thinking skills. 
• Effective time management skills.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

• With FLC Director, review files for individual students and create educational plans and trimester goals. 
• Leads the process for identifying, monitoring, and remediating students who learn differently.  This involves interfacing with faculty and parents on behalf of students who require specialized academic instruction. 
• Identify priority learning needs for individual students and discuss optimal strategies for maximizing each student’s growth. 
• Coordinate, track, and monitor student progress in collaboration with teachers as appropriate.
• Help to educate faculty and parents on topics relevant to learning differences.
• Advocate with faculty for necessary services for FLC students. 
• Instruct and monitor students in the use of individualized learning materials and resources.
• Oversees completion of student assessments. 
• Use relevant technology to support instruction. 
• Manage student behavior in the classroom by consistently enforcing rules and procedures.
• Maintain discipline in accordance with the rules and disciplinary systems of the school.
• Perform certain advisory duties including but not limited to student support, counseling students with academic problems and providing student encouragement. 
• Participate in department meetings, school meetings, and parent meetings.
• Communicate necessary information regularly to students, colleagues and parents regarding student progress and student needs. 
• Keep up to date with developments in subject areas, teaching resources and methods and make relevant changes to instructional plans and activities. 
• Participate in extracurricular activities such as social activities, sporting activities, clubs, and student organizations. 
• Participate in weekend and weekday duty teams, as assigned. 

Physical Demands and Working Conditions: 

The usual and customary methods of performing the job's functions require the following physical demands: occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling; some climbing and balancing; frequent  stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling; and significant fine finger dexterity. Generally, the job requires 40% sitting, 20% walking, and 20% standing. The job is performed under minimal temperature variations and under conditions with some exposure to risk of injury and/or illness.

About Blue Ridge School

Blue Ridge School is an all-boys college preparatory boarding school, grades 9-12. We serve approximately 180 young men who respond well to small classes, a structured environment, close faculty support and a strong sense of community. Blue Ridge is located 20 miles from Charlottesville, Virginia, home of the University of Virginia. Our campus, which comprises nearly 800 acres, lies at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We believe, understand and respect that all boys are different; they grow at different rates, have different interests, learn differently and walk different paths. We know how to relate to boys and teach them to reach: reach their potential, their goals, and their best. We do this by focusing on individual needs, building success, self-confidence and independence. The results are boys who are independent thinkers, creative problem solvers, self-directed and self-reliant.

Connections working at Blue Ridge School