Assistant Head of School, Learning Center

As our program for children with dyslexia expands following our recent Orton-Gillingham Academy accreditation, Almaden Country Day School seeks to hire additional educational leaders at the assistant head level to support our faculty, students, and families in The Learning Center (TLC). We seek to hire compassionate administrators who are certified in the Orton Gillingham Approach (at least the Clinical level and preferably at the Fellow level) and have leadership and instructional coaching experience.

Successful finalists will also have a strong appreciation of the strengths and challenges of those with learning differences, an understanding of social-emotional development, and the ability to communicate and relate clearly and empathetically.

Our Learning Center is one of 20 programs/schools within North America that is accredited by the Orton Gillingham Academy (OGA) as an instructional institution; we are the only school west of Kansas with this designation. The new Assistant Head will be able to help move this program forward on its current, exciting trajectory.

All students in TLC have a formal diagnosis of dyslexia or other language-based learning differences. Classes have up to four students, each with an Orton Gillingham-certified teacher. When they are not in their literacy, math, and social studies classes, TLC students are fully integrated with their general education classmates in enrichment and elective classes, including art, music, science, PE, and drama.

TLC students also integrate with general education students to participate in field trips, after-school sports, clubs, and activities; they attend overnight field trips in grades 4 - 8. In short, they are ACDS Cougars first, and TLC students second, which helps reinforce their critical role in our school. The new Assistant Head will foster this vital student integration and involvement that is a hallmark of our TLC program.

The Assistant Head of The Learning Center’s primary responsibility is to support teachers, students, and parents. They must spend time in classrooms to fully understand the needs of faculty. They must communicate in a manner that facilitates open dialog and an emotionally safe environment. At the same time, if there are concerns, they must also be expressed and addressed. These observation practices and communication skills are required to move the program forward.

• Learn, embrace, and model the culture of TLC and ACDS
• Ensure teachers internalize this culture and apply it in their everyday interactions
• Support students as they learn to treat themselves and others with respect and kindness
• Foster a partnership with parents while communicating expectations about how the students will interact and communicate with each other
• Be visible during recess, lunch, and school activities to help build relationships
• Help all students understand dyslexia
• Help all teachers understand dyslexia’s implications in the classroom, and how it impacts students and their families

• Visit classrooms frequently to have a clear understanding of interactions, student progress, and instruction
• Understand the curriculum in all content areas at all grade levels, including OG, literature, writing, math, and social studies
• Reinforce the Orton Gillingham (OG) Principles in all areas
• Ensure that we are making progress on OGA accreditation recommendations
• Be familiar with The Writing Revolution, 2.0 , by Judith Hochroth, and Writing Matters , by William Van Cleave
• Be knowledgeable about Bridges Math
• Be able to speak to TCI History Alive
• Work with consultants and follow up with teachers between visits to make sure progress continues
• Meet with teachers regularly for…