Learning Specialist (Year-Round)

Gifted young artists from all over the world come to Interlochen Arts Academy to turn their passion and potential into a purposeful future. As their trusted faculty, we work side by side with our students to help them refine their talents and develop the skills they need to become creators of successful, fulfilling lives. Because this is where raw aptitude is refined, elevated, and maximized. And we are the bridge between proficiency and mastery.

Position Summary: The Learning Specialist will work with students, faculty, families, and others on campus to foster student learning and growth. They will have a special emphasis on supporting students who have educational difficulty, both with and without disabilities. Together with the Learning Specialist, school psychologist and school counselors, they will help oversee the day-to-day operations of Interlochen Arts Academy's Academic Center for Enrichment and will be a primary instructor supporting a wide range of students in sections of our Assisted Study support classes.

The Learning Specialist will need the ability to build trust with all members of the campus community so that they can deepen stakeholders' understanding of students. Both collaboratively and independently, they will work to propose, recommend, manage, and execute interventions for individuals experiencing a wide variety of educational challenges. Additionally, they will work with instructional and residence life faculty to make recommendations about how to best work with students and to help faculty develop best classroom practices. This is a year round position and will include in-person and remote summer work at camp and to help prepare for the upcoming school year.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Student Instruction and Support

• Teach sections of Assisted Study for a diverse group of students with and without disabilities who need additional structure or support. This includes working with EL students.
• Help to create an atmosphere in the Academic Center for Enrichment and on campus at-large that is welcoming and supportive for students from underrepresented groups and helps all students feel safe seeking support.
• Work with students as needed in one-on-one, small groups, or class settings to support individual learning needs and/or challenges, including teaching ownership of their own learning, self-advocacy, academic, executive functioning, study, and test taking skills
• Participate in the process of identifying, monitoring, and remediating students who struggle to succeed in arts and academic courses.

Communication, Collaboration, and Consultation

• Collaborate with students, families, instructional faculty, school counseling, and residential life faculty to design and implement curricular support for a variety of students and to help stakeholders better understand students and their needs.
• Teach and support faculty to provide differentiated learning in the classroom through one-on-one meetings, department/divisional meetings, and professional development workshops
• Provide guidance and support to teachers making accommodation and instructional choices for students in and out of the classroom

Administrative

• Work with the school psychologist to develop and maintain confidential student supports and/or support plans informed by neuropsychological or educational assessments, teacher observations, classroom needs, evidence based practices, and the goal of developing student ownership and independence.
• Maintain appropriate documentation on student growth, learning, and family communication.
• Work with families and the Student Support team to onboard and design appropriate supports for newly enrolled students from underrepresented groups.
• Work with the Student Support Team to support standardized testing accommodations

General

• Seeks the best use of materials, equipment and staff to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
• Complies with ICA policies/procedures and acts as a good steward of ICA finances.
• Respects the culture, diversity and rights of all students, their families and the community.
• Prioritizes duties in a manner consistent with organizational objectives and growth.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Environment:

Work is performed primarily in a standard office and classroom environment with extensive internal and external stakeholder contact.

Experience and Skills

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in education or related field required;
• Master’s degree in special education, school psychology, or related field preferred

Experience:

• Experience working with students, families, and faculty to support an understanding of and support for students from underrepresented groups
• Classroom teaching experience preferred
• 3+ years experience preferred providing educational intervention in small group and classroom environments
• Experience with classroom practices that promote a welcoming environment, student learning, and various methods and strategies of targeted intervention both for remediation and enrichment
• Demonstrated commitment to ongoing professional development
• Understanding of best practices working with students from a wide variety of backgrounds and skills

Certifications, Licenses or Special Training:

• Licensure or certification in special education or school psychology or related field and/or specialized training in executive function or learning disability interventions required.
• Must meet and maintain background screening requirements as detailed in policy 12.HR.01 Pre-Employment and Employee Background Checks.

Equipment Familiarity:

Familiarity with computer systems, google software suite, and email systems, as well as work with learning management systems and student information system

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• May require work outside of a traditional 8-hour work day to deal with particular student or parent issues.
• Ability to follow and execute specific verbal and written instructions.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to promote and maintain positive interaction with all internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrate respect for cultural, ethnic, spiritual, and linguistic diversity and values including differences in personal goals, lifestyle choices and varying family backgrounds and histories.

Application Materials:

• Cover Letter
• Resume/CV

Job Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Vacation, Sick, Holiday and generous winter holiday time off
• Life insurance 
• Voluntary life insurance 
• Short and long-term disability
• Employee development & tuition reimbursement programs
• Defined contribution 401(a) plan, managed by TIAA
• Free or discounted employee tickets to Interlochen performances and events *some exceptions apply 
• Early event ticket purchase before general public sales begin
• Free Stone Cafeteria meal on shift
• Dennison Recreation Center accessibility (includes spouses)
• Priority access to Interlochen employees at Pitter Patter Day Care Center (less than one mile from campus)
• Employee Referral Program (cash payments)
• Tuition discounts for employee’s children at Academy, Camp and Interlochen Online
• Parental leave (12 weeks paid for Pregnancy/Maternity/Childbirth leave, 6 weeks paid for Parental leave).

Interlochen is proud to provide priority placement at Pitter Patter Preschool & Childcare located in the Interlochen Community Center, near our campus, for employees' dependents. In addition, Interlochen employees may be eligible for the MI Tri-Share Program. This program shares the cost of childcare between the state of Michigan, Interlochen Center for the Arts, and the employee (The employee will only pay 1/3 of the total cost, if eligible). Income guidelines and more information about MI Tri-Share can be found at https://www.michigan.gov/mwc/initiatives/mi-tri-share-child-care.

Core Values

• Just An Idea reflects Interlochen's commitment to innovation, honoring its legacy of groundbreaking ideas while continuing to pioneer new advancements in the arts and education.
• Drawn Here emphasizes the passion that unites Interlochen's diverse community, bringing together students, staff, alumni, and supporters in a shared mission to elevate and inspire through the arts.
• The Artist's Journey highlights the nurturing environment Interlochen provides, supporting artists from potential to mastery through creativity, discipline, and a dedication to growth.
• Solo e Tutti captures the balance of individuality and collaboration, celebrating both personal artistic development and the power of working together to create meaningful, impactful work.

These Core Values guide everything we do at Interlochen, fostering a workplace that seamlessly marries tradition with innovation; art with nature; and collaboration with personal achievement. Joining our community means making a lasting impact while embracing the unique creative spirit that defines our culture.Interlochen Center for the Arts provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin or ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion (religious creed), age, disability status, genetics, pregnancy, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
EEOC Voluntary Self-Identification of Protected Veteran Status
Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment.