Private Special Education Teacher

Thrive Education Partners•Thousand Oaks, CA

19d•$75,000 - $110,000•Onsite

About The Position

Thrive Education Partners is seeking an experienced, relationship-driven Private Special Education Teacher to lead a highly personalized educational program for a middle school student in Thousand Oaks, California. This is an in-person, primarily 1:1 teaching position, with community-based and small-group instruction. The teacher will take day-to-day ownership of an individualized academic program, adapt grade-level content to the student’s access point, and support meaningful growth, independence, and engagement while maintaining age-appropriate expectations. The student is a warm, social, and engaging middle schooler, a strong visual learner with interests including music. The student benefits from support with communication, processing, self-regulation, and academic skill development. Academic priorities include grade-level core content, structured literacy focused on vowels and multisyllabic decoding, foundational mathematics, and direct instruction in executive function. Instruction should account for presentation conditions such as print size, contrast, spacing, and the amount of material shown at once, as well as processing time and planned breaks. The teacher will establish baselines, monitor progress, maintain dated work samples and instructional records, and adjust instruction based on student response. The role also includes convening a small peer group, community-based and experiential learning, and regular collaboration with the family, the student’s support professionals, and Thrive’s Educational Manager. Thrive provides the learning plan, course sequence, and assessment framework before the first teaching week, along with weekly coaching, ongoing instructional support, and substitute coverage. This is a full-time, year-round W2 position. The regular schedule totals 20 to 22 teaching hours per week plus 6 to 8 hours of planning and preparation, up to 30 hours total. The schedule is Monday 9:00 AM–2:00 PM, Tuesday 12:00–4:00 PM, Wednesday 11:00 AM–2:45 PM, Thursday 9:00 AM–2:00 PM, and Friday 1:00–5:00 PM. Planning time is built into the working day and protected. Summer has a reduced schedule, with instruction continuing at a lighter cadence alongside camp and other summer opportunities. The anticipated start is mid-September 2026, and the family’s goal is a commitment of at least two years. Compensation is $75,000 to $110,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications. The educator must reside in or be willing to relocate to the Thousand Oaks area before employment and have a valid California driver’s license and reliable transportation for community-based learning and activities. Employment is subject to a current background check, verifiable references, and signing an NDA. The position requires professionalism, discretion, adaptability, and strict confidentiality when working within a family’s home.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Education, Special Education, or a related field.
Active California Education Specialist teaching credential appropriate to the student’s support needs: Mild/Moderate or Extensive Support Needs.
Minimum of 3 years of relevant teaching experience.
Experience adapting grade-level curriculum and developing individualized learning plans for students with diverse learning needs.
Experience assessing the same skill in more than one format.
Experience partnering closely with parents and collaborating with multidisciplinary support teams.
Strong communication, organization, and progress-monitoring skills.
Eligible to work in the United States.
Must reside in or be willing to relocate to the Thousand Oaks, California area prior to employment.
Valid California driver’s license and reliable transportation for community-based learning and activities.
Current background check required; Thrive facilitates the process.
Verifiable references from prior teaching roles, including at least one direct supervisor or administrator.
Comfort maintaining strict confidentiality and signing an NDA as a condition of employment.
Able to work in person within a family’s home and community settings.
Commitment of at least two years is the family’s goal.

Nice To Haves

Experience teaching at the middle or high school level.
Experience supporting middle school students with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
Experience adapting age-appropriate academic content to a student’s individual access point.
Structured literacy training.
AAC or assistive technology experience.
Master’s in Special Education, or BCBA or RBT certification.
Comfort teaching through music and experience convening or running small peer groups.
Experience with experiential, community-based, or interdisciplinary learning.
Experience in private education, home-based education, or another highly personalized 1:1 learning environment.
Experience supporting students with intellectual or developmental disabilities is valuable.

Responsibilities

Take day-to-day ownership of a personalized academic program across core subject areas.
Adapt grade-level concepts, curriculum, and materials to provide accessible, age-appropriate instruction.
Design engaging, multisensory learning experiences responsive to the student’s strengths, interests, and learning profile.
Set visual and physical conditions for learning before instruction, including print size, contrast, line isolation, seating, and planned breaks.
Identify foundational skills needing additional support while continuing to introduce meaningful new academic content.
Establish baselines in each subject early in the placement and assess each skill in more than one format before concluding what the student knows.
Build opportunities to strengthen independence, communication, executive functioning, stamina, and self-regulation into the educational program.
Convene and run a small peer group one day a week with parent participation, building toward two groups by spring.
Use community-based and experiential learning to support academic, functional, and social development, including community access and generalization on Friday afternoons.
Monitor progress and adjust pacing, materials, supports, and instructional strategies in response to the student’s needs.
Maintain dated work samples, instructional records, and progress documentation supporting the student’s long-term diploma pathway.
Communicate consistently with the family and collaborate with the student’s support professionals and Thrive’s Educational Manager.
Work closely with the family and established support team to maintain a coordinated educational approach.
Maintain confidentiality and demonstrate professionalism, discretion, and adaptability when working in a family’s home.

Benefits

Dedicated Thrive support throughout the recruitment, interview, and placement process.
A dedicated Educational Manager who designs the academic program, maintains records, and coaches the educator weekly.
Learning plan, course sequence, and assessment framework in place before the first teaching week.
Ongoing collaboration with Thrive’s Educational Management team around curriculum, assessment, progress monitoring, and educational strategy.
Substitute coverage and a continuity plan when the educator is away.
Professional development and instructional support as needs evolve.
Access to Thrive’s broader network of educators, specialists, and educational resources.
Ongoing partnership to support a strong, sustainable educator-family relationship.
Protected planning time built into the working day.
Annual compensation of $75,000 to $110,000, depending on experience and qualifications.