Library Media Specialist

Atlanta Speech School

Library Media Specialist

Start Date: August 2024

The Atlanta Speech School provides an unmatched opportunity to learn from both peers and experts in the field, and to contribute to the School’s growing body of knowledge. Beyond seeking proficiency, we work to construct a Deep Reading Brain for each child at the School and, through our Rollins Center for Language & Literacy, every child beyond the school. Deep reading requires learning to make connections between what we read to what we think, feel, and do. Through deep reading, children develop empathy, hone critical thinking, and go on to make the greatest possible difference in the lives of others.

· We believe in connection over compliance. Rather than silencing children, we teach them to listen - and to think, to question, and to solve.

· Our staff works together to know and serve each child from within an intentional learning ecosystem that is as joyful as it is rigorous.

· Our practices are grounded in structured literacy and built on the sciences of healthy brain development, language acquisition, and the construction of the Deep Reading Brain. This work is intentionally centered around critical thinking, empathy, problem solving and the development of executive functions.

We are committed to providing a community through which all our students, families, and staff show up safely as themselves and for each other. As stewards of this environment, it is our responsibility to ensure safety extends to every person, inclusive of all races /ethnicities, religions, genders, family structures, sexual orientations, and any other aspect of their identity.

The School has never turned away a child in need of services based on their family’s financial circumstances.

The Atlanta Speech School is seeking a full-time Library Media Specialist to advance the instructional technology services of the school’s Media Center. The ideal candidate understands the importance of integrating technology into instruction for all learners and is familiar with the latest research-based practices related to technology integration and assistive technology. The media specialist must be able to work in a collaborative team and assume several distinct roles, including instructional, administrative, consultative, and technical support.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The media specialist utilizes leadership and expertise to provide a library media program aligned with the mission, goals, and objectives of the school; collaborates with classroom teachers and school leadership to design, implement, and/or enhance lessons and units of instruction; provides equitable access to information; and establishes an environment that encourages students to be critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers and ethical users of information.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES OF THE POSITION:

· Creates an inviting and supportive media center environment conducive to active participatory learning, research-based instructional practices, and collaboration with teaching staff

· Develops collaborative partnerships to support language and literacy instruction with teachers to design, implement, and evaluate lessons and units that integrate reading strategies and research skills

· Encourages the use of instructional technology to engage students and to improve learning and provides access to digital information resources for the learning community

· Participates in the implementation of collaboratively planned learning experiences with teaching staff, school librarian, curriculum specialists, and technology integration specialist by providing group and individual instruction, assessing student progress, and evaluating student outcomes

· Develops and maintains a collection of resources appropriate to the curriculum, the learners, and the teaching styles and instructional strategies used within the school community

· Evaluates, promotes, and uses existing and emerging technologies to support teaching and learning, supplement school resources, connect the school with global learning, and communicate with students, and teachers, and other partners

· Prepares, maintains, and submits accurate and complete inventories, records and reports as required by the school

· Models, teaches, and facilitates the safe, legal, and ethical uses of technology and digital information

· Takes responsibility for assigned duties (i.e. morning, lunch/recess, and/or carpool duty).

· Takes responsibility for professional growth through continuous program improvement and participates in local, state, and national professional organizations for library education

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS:

· Master’s degree in library media or advanced degree with media certification required

· Valid Georgia certificate in the field of library media required

· Experience as library media specialist preferred

· Knowledge of best practices in library media, instructional technology, and curriculum, particularly related to the value of language and literacy development

· Demonstrated leadership and ability to foster a collaborative, professional environment to maximize language and literacy outcomes for children, including information literacy, media literacy, and technology literacy

· Must be innovative and creative in the use of emerging technologies and formats in the teaching and learning process

· Strong verbal and written communication skills

SALARY: Salary is commensurate with experience.

BENEFITS: This is a 190-day full-time school position, offering a generous benefit package including health/dental/life/vision and long-term disability insurance. The Speech School subsidizes health insurance premiums of staff and families. Other benefits include Flexible Spending Account; 403(b) Plan; cost reduction of some Atlanta Speech School services; complimentary meals onsite during working hours; vacation and accrued sick leave.

TO APPLY: Please submit all the following documents to ensure that your information is considered: cover letter, resume, and written submission: Please describe how your particular skills, talents, and/or expertise could be beneficial to the Atlanta Speech School. (Please limit the response to 500 words).

Subject line: Library Media Specialist

Email: hr@atlantaspeechschool.org

Atlanta Speech School

Founded over 85 years ago, the Atlanta Speech School has evolved into four school divisions, four clinical programs, Rollins Center for Language & Literacy professional development program and Rollins’ free online Cox Campus. Across all our programs we are driven to ensure that each child can find their voice. The School has never turned away a child in need of our specialized services based on their family’s financial circumstances.

We are the educational equivalent of a teaching hospital. With our vision of literacy and justice for all, we lead equity-based change by extending our work beyond our campus. What occurs in the classroom for each child at the Atlanta Speech School is made available to every teacher by way of our free online professional learning platform, Cox Campus. Cox Campus’ membership is composed of more than 270,000 educators, leaders, healthcare professionals and parents representing all fifty states and 100 countries.

The School, across all its programs, attracts a staff of the most gifted and committed teaching professionals who apply the research of the nation’s leading experts on early healthy brain development, language acquisition and Deep Reading Brain.