Director of Learning Services (July 2026)

Georgetown Day School opened its doors in 1945 as the first integrated school in a segregated city. Governed by a Board of Trustees elected by the parent body and administered by an appointed Head of School, it was founded by seven families who wanted to create a school committed not only to academic excellence and educational innovation but also to a value system emphasizing appreciation and respect for others. Believing that diversity was the ground out of which all deep and rich learning occurs, they established a school where all children would be welcome, celebrated, and challenged to be their best selves.

Today, the School's philosophy, programs, and position in the national educational landscape strongly reflect its roots. Having grown from 12 children in 1945 to 1075 students in PK-12 today, GDS is recognized as one of Washington, D.C.’s and the nation’s most dynamic educational institutions. Since the school’s founding, GDS has called eight different locations home. In the fall of 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools were all joined on one extraordinary campus.

About the Position

DEPARTMENT: Learning Services
REPORTS TO: Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning
SUPERVISES: Cross-Divisional Learning Services Department
FLSA: Exempt
TYPE OF ROLE: Full-time
TERM: 12-month employee
COMPENSATION: $117,500-132,500 annual salary (based on experience)
BENEFITS: Eligible
Note: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Georgetown Day School seeks a Director of Learning Services to join and lead a robust team of Learning Specialists campuswide. The Director supervises and coaches the Learning Specialist team to deliver quality, compassionate, and evidence-based PK-12 learning services. Drawing on data and field expertise, the Director serves as a strategic partner to program leadership positions — including department chairs, divisional principals, Assistant Head for Equity and Inclusion, and the Assistant Head for Teaching and Learning (AHTL) — to ensure alignment of policies and practices that support a diverse community of learners and classroom teachers. The Director selects and supports the use of robust assessment tools to effectively track and screen students' learning in order to make informed decisions about their support. The Director translates current research in learning science into practical, school-wide instructional strategies — building teacher capacity to serve students with diverse learning profiles across all three divisions. The Director sets the tone and conditions for sustaining positive working relationships between family, school, and students.

Primary Roles and Responsibilities

Team Leadership and Supervision

• Develop, supervise, and support Learning Services prek-12 team members.

• Provide consistent feedback to learning specialists on the implementation of academic interventions and teacher and student support.
• Support the Learning Services team in interpreting psychoeducational evaluations and using findings to develop clear and actionable learning plans for students, teachers, and families. Develop, in collaboration with the Learning Specialist, a systematic approach to data collection and review in order to inform the Learning Support Team.
• Provide learning specialists with consistent, ongoing coaching and feedback on their engagement with students, families, and teachers.

• Reviewing our approach to service delivery and ensuring alignment with field standards.

Strategic Partnerships

• Regular collaboratively plan and lead weekly SST meetings with divisional leadership and counseling chair; monitor subsequent SST action steps.

• Regular review and update student learning services processes in collaboration with the Counseling chair, divisional principals, Assistant Head for Teaching and Learning, and Assistant Head for Equity and Inclusion.
• Serve on the School's admissions committee.
• In collaboration with divisional leads, work with department chairs and coaches to support the implementation of universal accommodations/ inclusive practices in PreK–12 classes for heterogeneous groups of learners, including leading professional development at the divisional or departmental level.
• Work in partnership with the Human Resources team and the Director of Admissions and Enrollment to design equitable, efficient protocols for the selection, onboarding, and accountability of tutoring and external services.
• In partnership with the AHTL, identify opportunities for the School to meet the needs of a broad range of learners, informed by current research in the neuroscience of learning.

• Work collaboratively with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Communications Office to educate the parent community on resources available to support neurodiversity and strategies for family support.

Assessment and Data

• Conduct classroom observations to evaluate specialist practice and identify systemic trends in how students with diverse learning profiles are being served.

• Oversee the implementation of assessments to collect reliable data on student performance and growth (e.g., universal screening, NWEA MAP).
• Communicate results of universal screening, NWEA MAP, and other performance assessments to divisional leads.
• Monitor students' academic progress—including standardized screeners, assessments, and academic grades—identify trends, make recommendations, and outline action steps in collaboration with divisional leads, instructional coaches, and department chairs.

• Serve as a strategic partner with divisional principals, AHTL, and AHEI to review school-wide academic performance data, identify trends, and make recommendations.

Instructional Leadership and Professional Development

• In partnership with the AHTL, design and lead 1–2 focused professional development sessions per year for faculty on differentiated instruction, universal design for learning, and evidence-based literacy practice.

• Consult with department chairs and divisional leads on how to build inclusive instructional practices into curriculum and classroom routines.
• Provide learning specialists with ongoing coaching on evidence-based intervention approaches, including structured literacy (e.g., Orton-Gillingham).

• Stay current with research in cognitive science, neuroscience of learning, and best practices in the field.

Student and Family Support (Complex Cases Only)

• In collaboration with learning specialists, review psychoeducational evaluations to determine appropriate school-based accommodations aligned with available school resources. In collaboration with learning specialists, guide families to external resources, including professional evaluations for students when appropriate. Serve as a direct point of contact for complex or escalated family concerns in partnership with divisional leadership; hold informational meetings as needed.

• In collaboration with learning specialists, provide families with practical guidance on supporting their child’s learning needs.

• Attend admissions and orientation events to educate the community about Learning Services.

Administrative Oversight

• Oversee administrative functions of the Learning Services department, delegating operational tasks — including tutor tracking, file maintenance, and library management — to learning specialists and coordinators as appropriate.

• Serve as the school's senior liaison to College Board and ACT at a policy and escalation level, in collaboration with the HS Testing Coordinator.

Secondary Roles and Responsibilities

• As a member of the GDS faculty, the Director of Learning Services is expected to participate in school community life — including relevant faculty committees, orientation events, and school-wide gatherings — in a manner consistent with the school's culture of shared responsibility.

• Other duties, as assigned.

Qualifications

Education

• A master's degree in special education, educational psychology, learning disabilities, or a closely related field is required.

• Training in evidence-based academic intervention is strongly preferred.

Experience

• A minimum of 5 years of direct experience working with students with diagnosed learning differences across a range of ages and profiles is required.

• A minimum of 3 years in a supervisory or leadership role within a learning services, special education, or academic support program is required.
• Previous work experience with reading, interpreting, and applying psycho-educational evaluations to inform instructional and accommodation-related decisions is required.
• Previous work in an independent or PreK–12 school setting is strongly preferred.
• Previous work leading student support teams or implementing multi-tiered systems of support is strongly preferred.
• Interest in professional growth and development in areas related to the art and science of learning.

• A collaborative leadership presence with colleagues and senior leadership.

Knowledge and Skills

• Systems-related thinker that is able to build sustainable processes that can be implemented campuswide (across three divisions), if needed.

• 
  Deep knowledge of current research in the neuroscience of learning and evidence-based intervention.
• 
  Strong understanding of MTSS frameworks, universal screening tools, and data-informed decision making.
• 
  Knowledge of the College Board and ACT accommodation processes and compliance requirements.
• 
  Demonstrated ability to supervise and develop adult professionals.
• 
  Strong communicator across diverse stakeholder groups — students, families, teachers, and senior leadership.
• Engages in equitable decision-making practices that ensures inclusion of students with a diverse range of learning needs.

• 
  Skilled at building trust across divisions and with families who may be navigating difficult conversations.

Americans with Disability Specifications

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk, see or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Work Environment:

Work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

To Apply

Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and list of three references using our online application system through ADP/Workforce Now: http://www.gds.org/Recruiting. To find out more about the school, candidates should visit our website at www.gds.org. For faculty and staff that are contracted to work in a permanent or long-term sub capacity (90 calendar days or more) for at least half-time and for full-time, permanent roles, a summary of employee benefits are available on the GDS website: https://www.gds.org/about/careers

As an inclusive school devoted to preparing our students to live, work, and lead in an increasingly globalized and multicultural society, GDS is particularly interested in professionals with demonstrated interest and experience in working in such a school setting and is driven by the core charge of working to enhance and bring joy to every student’s individual learning experience in equitable and meaningful ways.