Friends’ Central School Overview
Friends’ Central School is an independent, coeducational Quaker day school founded in 1845 and serving approximately 880 students in Nursery through grade 12. Located in the Philadelphia suburbs, the School has two campuses. The Middle & Upper Schools are located just outside of West Philadelphia in Wynnewood, and the Lower School is on our Old Gulph Road campus in the heart of Wynnewood. The exceptional faculty at Friends’ Central offers a curriculum that cultivates the intellectual, spiritual, and ethical growth of our students. Our pedagogy is grounded in continuing revelation, reflection, integrity, and a willingness to accept responsibility. From Nursery to grade 12, our students participate in a process designed to foster creative, critical, and flexible thinking, along with compassion. As they transform from playful children to skilled, self-possessed teenagers, they are always intellectually curious and engaged thinkers. Friends’ Central prepares graduates to succeed in college and in life.
Middle School Learning Specialist
Friends’ Central School seeks a full-time 10 month Middle School Learning Specialist beginning in July 2025. The ideal candidate will have significant experience working with students and, as part of a teaching team, be warm, nurturing, creative, adaptable, and have a passion for working with adolescents. This 10-month position reports to the Director of Student Support Services and the Middle School Principal. The MS Learning Specialist meets regularly with Middle School administrators and is part of a school-wide student support team that includes learning specialists, clinical counselors, nurses, personnel from the MCIU, and counseling interns. This individual also works closely with teaching faculty and lead advisors. The Learning Specialist primarily supports Middle School students with executive functioning supports, provides individual instructional support as appropriate, and serves as a resource for students, faculty, and families.
Primary Responsibilities
- Coach students with executive functioning challenges in strategies toward academic success
- Provide direct instruction (including small groups) to students identified in partnership with classroom teachers
- Teach one section of 6th Grade Study Skills, laying the foundation for middle school success.
- Work directly with the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit to organize math support and educational testing as needed
- Maintain clear communication and sufficient documentation related to student learning support and progress (attendance, caregiver communication, collaboration with colleagues)
- Have an ability to review and interpret data – including but not limited to standardized test scores – to determine school-wide and individual student trends and concerns
- Assess and analyze student strengths and needs to recommend appropriate instruction to facilitate learning and growth (includes writing assessment reports)
- Participate in Student Services Team meetings across three divisions, collaborating to ensure continued attention to the changing needs of individual students and accountability in the use of effective strategies
- Attend Middle School faculty meetings, in-service days, and professional development/training offerings
- Read, interpret educational/psychological reports, and maintain and update student records (Educational Plans)
- Assist with professional development and training for faculty by providing them with the additional support needed to implement various instructional programs and practices
- Assist with the coordination and proctoring of College Board and ACT testing for students with accommodations (requires 4-6 pre-determined weekend mornings throughout the academic year)
