Director of Student Services

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH•Jackson, MS

About The Position

The Director of Student Services provides strategic and day-to-day leadership for the school’s Dyslexia & Learning Support programs. This full-time role reports to the Upper School Principal. This position works closely with six dyslexia therapists and oversees a caseload of approximately 75 students, ensuring high-quality intervention, immersion, hybrid, academic coaching, and dyslexia therapy services. The Director manages Student Service Plans (SSPs), departmental testing and screening, professional development, admissions pathways for new and current students, parent communication, and compliance/documentation—advancing student growth and aligning all services with the school’s Christian mission and academic standards.

Requirements

Profess a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and live out their faith daily. Uphold the Bible as the ultimate authority for life and faith and fully agree with the school’s Statement of Faith. Be an active member in good standing at a local evangelical church.
Demonstrate spiritual maturity, academic excellence, and leadership that reflect the mission of nurturing students in a Christ-centered environment. Model Christ-like traits such as integrity, humility, kindness, self-control, and perseverance. Communicate respectfully and professionally in written and spoken English. Maintain a clean, modest, and professional appearance consistent with the school’s values and dress code.
Master’s degree in Special Education, Educational Leadership, School Psychology, or related field.
Current teaching license/certification and a minimum of 3–5 years’ experience in dyslexia therapy, structured literacy intervention, or learning support.
Demonstrated success writing/implementing SSPs (or IEP/504 equivalents) and coordinating classroom/testing accommodations.
Proficiency with structured literacy/multisensory approaches and RTI/MTSS frameworks.
Experience supervising or coaching educators; strong skills in observation, feedback, and adult learning.
Data literacy: progress monitoring, analyzing results, and making programmatic decisions.
Excellent communication with students, families, faculty, and administrators; strong organization and record-keeping.

Nice To Haves

Advanced dyslexia credentials (e.g., LDT/CALT, C-SLDS, Orton-Gillingham or MSLEC aligned training).
Experience managing department operations (scheduling, materials, website updates).
Familiarity with student information systems and productivity tools (e.g., Google Workspace) for data, documentation, and communication.
Background in leading professional development, including designing in-service and summer training.

Responsibilities

Provide vision, scheduling, and operational oversight for all Student Services offerings: Kindergarten/Grade 1: intervention, Grades 2–4: immersion, Grade 4: immersion and hybrid therapy block, Grades 5–6: academic coaching, and dyslexia therapy (1:1 and small groups of up to 3).
Ensure program fidelity to structured literacy/multisensory approaches; monitor student placement, and grouping.
Coordinate the department calendar; manage resources, materials, and ordering.
Lead the implementation and annual review of SSPs; maintain complete SSP folders (evaluations, plans, supporting documentation).
Schedule and lead beginning-of-year SSP meetings;
Ensure only students with SSPs receive accommodations; coach teachers on consistent classroom/testing supports.
Oversee dyslexia screening protocols
Coordinate departmental assessments, progress monitoring, and testing accommodations during schoolwide assessments.
Manage admission pathways for new and current students, from referral and documentation review to placement decisions and onboarding.
Collaborates with the Upper School Principal in evaluating dyslexia therapists; provide coaching.
Plan and deliver in-service training for regular classroom teachers on dyslexia and accommodations.
Design and lead one week of summer training for department staff to refine program, curriculum, and practices.
Establish systems for progress monitoring, attendance/service logs, screening results, and outcomes; analyze data to drive instructional decisions.
Produce periodic reports for school leadership (enrollment, progress, service delivery, program impact).
Uphold confidentiality and FERPA compliance; maintain accurate, timely records.
Lead parent engagement and maintain consistent communication with families regarding student progress, services, and transitions; address concerns promptly.
Partner with teachers and administrators to support classroom implementation and smooth transitions between grade levels.
Convene department meetings to review students, practices, and operations.
Keep website content accurate and current; conduct an annual review of program pages and resources.
Support schoolwide initiatives and embody the school’s Christian mission in all services and relationships.