The Gillen Brewer School is currently accepting resumes for Special Education Associate Teachers for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year.  Our special education program is designed to serve children aged 3-14 years old.  Small classes of 6-7 students or larger classes of 10-11 students are led by highly-trained teams of teachers and therapists, providing tailored instruction to each student’s individualized needs.  Our program incorporates the most effective methods in special education to support children in developing foundational skills to set them up for continued growth and success.  All applicants will be required to submit a resume, cover letter, and two reference letters.

Gillen Brewer offers competitive salaries commensurate with experience and a comprehensive professional development program.

Summary

The Associate Teacher is a critical part of a child’s learning experience at Gillen Brewer. The Associate Teacher reports to the Program Director. The Associate Teacher will assist the Head Teacher in classroom preparation, reinforcement of lessons, management, and all functions of the classroom in order to cultivate and help provide a learning environment in which students feel safe and confident as they express themselves in the classroom. The Associate Teacher will resume all Head Teaching responsibilities in the absence of the Head Teacher. The Associate Teacher will work as part of an integrated team with the Head Teacher, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, and Speech-Language Pathologists in a therapeutic school setting. Gillen Brewer expects Associate Teachers to conduct themselves in a professional manner with regard to attire, attitude, participation, communication, and interactions with staff, children, and parents. Associate Teachers are expected to understand the school’s policies, procedures, and guidelines as set in the staff handbook, located on the school’s shared Google Drive. As a part of the school community, Associate Teachers are encouraged to participate in school community events, join committees, and create a positive working environment for children, families, and colleagues. The Associate Teacher will support and promote the school’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) practices within the program and throughout the community. Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

Duties and Responsibilities (where age-appropriate)

• Provide support to the Head Teacher in classroom instruction and management
• Assist with or run classroom activities and lessons
• Work with individual students who require additional or modified instruction
• Monitor students when the Head Teacher is in or out of the classroom
• Support students throughout the day, including lunch, playground, and gym
• Assist with student arrival and dismissal
• Occasionally work as a substitute teacher in the Head Teacher’s absence
• Perform other duties as assigned

Early Childhood (Pre-K) Program:

• Plan large group and small group lessons and activities
• Assist with and run individual and group lessons and activities
• Help with dressing, potty training, and changing diapers
• Focus on child play and building relationships
• Develop an emergent curriculum that emphasizes student interests

Required Skills/Abilities

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
• Thorough understanding of classroom procedures and management
• Ability to develop trusting and supportive relationships with students
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to collaborate with the therapeutic team members
• Team-oriented approach with a positive work attitude

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree (required)
• Pursuing Master’s in Special Education (highly desired)
• Must complete relative Associate Teacher training and professional development through the school

Physical Requirements

Employees must have the physical capacity to navigate the classroom and school environments in order to effectively meet the needs of our students. Such physical requirements include but are not limited to: walking, running, standing, sitting, climbing up and down stairs, kneeling, stooping, crawling, bending, pushing, pulling, and lifting. Employees must be able to sit at a desk and work on a computer for long periods of time to complete necessary paperwork. Vision, with or without lenses, must be sufficient to read in both paper and digital formats. Employees must have the ability to hear, read, write, and speak in English.

Professional Development

The school is a community of learners. In addition to staff development and training at Gillen Brewer, employees are encouraged to pursue educational goals through conferences and various workshops. Teachers are required to attend all staff development workshops as well as staff, team, and supervision meetings. Staff is also encouraged to attend all school functions listed on the school calendar.

Supervision & Support

The Program Director will oversee and analyze all aspects of the program through the use of observation cycles, in-office sessions, team meetings, conversations with support staff, lesson planning, curriculum development, and through various products. Staff development and support through modeling and coaching will be provided which will include in-house and outside professional opportunities. Frequency of observations and feedback sessions will be determined by the Program Director, Assistant Head of School, and Head of School. The Head Teacher will conduct two formal evaluations a year using this job description and the in-house evaluation instrument as a guide. Evidence of effectiveness will be collected through observations, discussions, and products.

Benefits & Paid Time Off

Gillen Brewer offers generous benefits including medical, dental, vision, 403(b) retirement plan, life insurance, HRA, FSA, employee assistance program, employee discounts, Aflac, and more.  Paid time off includes two weeks in August, two weeks in December, two weeks in March/April, and two weeks in June, along with paid federal holidays.  Staff also receives ten paid personal days to use at your own discretion.  Restrictions may apply. 

Other Requirements

You must be authorized to work in the United States and be willing to undergo a number of clearances, including E-VERIFY, NYSED and NYCDOH fingerprinting, a medical health form, and other background checks.

To Apply

To be considered, interested applicants MUST submit a cover letter, resume, and two reference letters.  Please submit materials directly via email to [email protected].  Please include your name and the position of interest in the subject line of your email (i.e., April Thyme — Special Ed Associate Teacher – Pre-K through Middle School).

No telephone inquiries or recruiters, please. Replies will only be sent to qualified applicants.

About Gillen Brewer School

The Gillen Brewer School is a reputable special needs school in the Upper East Side of Manhattan dedicated to transforming the lives of young children with a wide variety of language, emotional, developmental and learning disabilities. The school specializes in educating children with challenging, and often multiple disabilities including language-based and non-verbal learning disabilities.

Connections working at Gillen Brewer School