Learning Specialist

How to apply

Please complete a short questionnaire and submit a resume at our website - https://www.bkindependent.org/careers

WE WILL NOT BE REVIEWING APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED VIA IDEALIST

Founded in 2019 by two longtime educators, Brooklyn Independent Middle School was created to reimagine what middle school can be for students, families, and educators alike. We believe young people thrive in environments that balance academic rigor with deep relationships, high expectations with genuine care, and structure with joy.

At BKI, we serve families and students who are seeking something different: a school that feels both academically ambitious and deeply human. We bridge the space between traditional public and private education by offering a personalized, inclusive, and accessible learning experience rooted in equity, belonging, and growth.

Above all, we are a community that leads with care - because we know that when students feel known, supported, and challenged, they do extraordinary things.

The Role

BKI is looking to expand its reach in serving a diverse population of learning needs. We are looking for our new teammate to join our current Learning Specialist in providing excellent services to our diverse range of learners. We are looking for an educator that is skilled in special education practices, advocacy and compliance and aligns with our philosophy that student support must expand beyond the confines of labels and classifications.

This role could include but is not limited to:

• Providing pull-out/push-in intervention for Reading & Writing and/or Math (two-hours 4x a week)
• Collaborating with teachers to plan for differentiation of learning activities, projects and assessments.
• Managing a caseload of between 10-15 students
• Advocating for student rights and services
• Educating and coordinating with families
• Weekly meetings and collaboration with Learning Specialist, Principal, Social Worker and Dean of Academics

Every staff member at BKI plays an integral role in shaping our community and culture. We believe that experiences beyond our core subjects are just as crucial as humanities, math and science. As a Learning Specialist at BKI, you will support our culture work in some of the following ways:

• Running a morning and afternoon advisory
• Facilitating community building during circle
• Contributing to our Friday Field Learning
• Other potential duties to support our community such as lunch/recess duty, coverage, etc.

Who You Are

Our ideal candidate for our Learning Specialist role has an unwavering commitment to equity work in the education space.

Beyond that, they are a:

Self-Starter: You are always thinking of ways to make your community better and you take initiative to get your ideas off the ground. That might mean making a process smoother or starting something completely new. You get excited about the work of building and feel confident in taking an idea from start to end.

Research Nerd: You know that there are many different philosophies and approaches in education and you take pride in knowing as many of them as possible. When a new problem or need arises in your community, you don’t shy away from doing some digging to leverage the expertise of people in the field and sharing your learning with your community.

Relationship Enthusiast: Relationships are an integral part of your professional life. You build community in your classroom, on your team and with families. People might say that this comes naturally to you, but you understand that this is very intentional work that is more than just being a “people person.” You acknowledge, value, and celebrate the identities and contributions of your community in all their forms.

Seeker of Solutions: You always seek to improve personally and professionally. When faced with a problem or challenge, you analyze the situation and ask thoughtful questions to lead you to the strongest solution. You couple this desire for improvement with a relentless optimism and ensure tackling problems doesn’t deter you from seeing the amazing gifts of your community.

Master Communicator: You are (or are working to be) a master communicator. You know the importance of listening, asking questions and leading with vulnerability. You prioritize direct, compassionate communication over the absence of tension and seek to channel conflict in positive ways that leads to greater healing and wholeness for the community.

Strong Teammate: You recognize the interdependence of a team and realize that trust is demonstrating commitment, openness to feedback and accountability to each of your teammates. You are nimble enough to handle a startup school environment and can take initiative when needed. When the need to be flexible or adapt arises, it does not interfere with your ability to be successful and stay positive.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree and certification in special education (grades 1 - 6 or 7-12)
• Three or more years of teaching experience, preference given to candidates with middle school experience
• Experience as a math teacher in middle school or beyond preferred
• Experience with managing cases across multiple grades
• Experience collaborating with teachers around serving a diverse population of learners
• Preferred experience with IESP management
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Skilled in G-Suite/Microsoft Office and comfortable with learning new educational technology platforms, apps and software
• Data driven educator with experience assessing student learning and developing plans to address student needs on a daily, weekly and quarterly basis
• Committed to family partnership through frequent phone calls, emails, texts and educator-led meetings
• Understanding of differentiation and leveled supports both academically and behaviorally; comfort with designing and implementing individual student plans
• Commitment to professional growth and active participation in professional development/1:1 coaching focused on academic achievement, social emotional development, and social justice

Interview Process

We want our candidates to KNOW us when they join the team. That is why our interview process is more extensive but it means we can both say “YES!” with confidence:

• Phone screening (30 minutes)
• Video and/or Performance Task (30 - 60 minutes)
• In-Person Interview and Demo (3 hours in-person)
  • Demo Lesson
  • Observation of Classes
  • Interview
  • Student and/or Teacher Conversations
• Interview Follow Up and References (30 minutes)
• Board Member and/or Family Committee Chat (30 minutes)

Compensation

The starting compensation for this role is between $65,000 to $90,000. The starting pay will depend on various factors that may include but are not limited to professional experience, education, training and certifications.

Equity Statement

Brooklyn Independent is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a culturally diverse faculty and staff. BKI does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran, or military status. We are committed to the inclusion of all qualified individuals in the hiring process. If you require reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the application or interview process, please contact us admissions@bkindependent.org.