Private Elementary Special Educator

About Us

Thrive Education Partners partners with families to design and manage educational experiences that extend beyond a traditional classroom model. We are seeking a full-time Private Elementary Special Educator to work alongside one family and Thrive’s Education Management team to build a joyful, rigorous, and highly individualized home-based learning program for one elementary-aged student.

Role Overview

This role is designed for an exceptional educator who combines strong elementary intervention skills with warmth, creativity, sound judgment, and genuine respect for a child’s potential. The student is a bright, affectionate, socially engaged multi-level learner who enjoys art, music, drama, swimming, travel, church, hands-on projects, and shared experiences. She has a medically complex history that affects stamina and access to learning, so her program must be both ambitious and thoughtfully flexible.

The educator will lead individualized instruction in literacy, mathematics, writing, science, social studies, executive functioning, and adaptive/life skills. They will also collaborate with the family, Thrive’s Education Manager, a caregiver, and licensed providers so academics, therapies, access supports, and real-world learning function as one coherent program.

IMPORTANT ROLE BOUNDARY

This is an educational position, not a nursing or therapy role. The educator will follow family- and provider-approved written protocols, complete required training, and support only those routines clearly assigned to the position. Clinical decisions and treatment remain with the family and licensed care team.

Schedule & Work Environment

• Full-time W-2 position based in Heath, Texas.
• Four to five days per week, with approximately three to four hours of direct educational programming per day plus paid time for planning, documentation, coordination, preparation, and related professional responsibilities.
• Instruction will take place primarily in the family’s home, with selected community outings, enrichment activities, and real-world learning experiences.
• A flexible school-year rhythm with modified summer continuity is anticipated.
• The schedule must adapt thoughtfully to medical appointments, therapy, illness, family travel, and the student’s stamina while maintaining educational continuity.
• Exact start date, daily hours, calendar, and occasional travel expectations will be finalized with the selected candidate.

Key Responsibilities

Assess the student’s instructional profile and deliver explicit, scaffolded instruction in reading fluency and comprehension, written expression, foundational mathematics, science, and social studies.

• Design age-respectful lessons at the student’s actual point of readiness, using visual supports, manipulatives, movement, demonstrations, projects, real objects, music, art, and lived experiences.
• Build vocabulary, listening comprehension, retelling, questioning, expressive language, and self-advocacy across the curriculum.
• Teach executive-function skills through visual schedules, task initiation supports, checklists, planned choices, transition cues, organization routines, and gradual release toward independence.
• Integrate functional academics and adaptive/life skills such as communication, personal organization, safety, money, shopping, meal participation, household contribution, and community navigation.
• Develop lesson plans, maintain work samples and progress data, document relevant observations, and use evidence to adjust instruction.
• Create a predictable, relationship-centered learning environment with short purposeful work cycles, appropriate breaks, and gradual stamina-building.
• Collaborate closely with parents and Thrive’s Education Manager on goals, curriculum, progress monitoring, scheduling, communication, and long-term planning.
• Follow written health, safety, access, emergency, and incident-reporting protocols; communicate promptly when the student appears fatigued, uncomfortable, unsteady, or otherwise unable to access learning safely.
• Support selected community-based, artistic, faith-aligned, and experiential learning opportunities that build confidence, belonging, communication, and independence.
• Maintain professional discretion and respect the privacy, routines, and boundaries of a family home.

What Success Looks Like

• The student develops a trusting relationship with her educator and approaches learning with greater confidence and less avoidance.
• She makes measurable progress in reading fluency and comprehension, communication and writing, foundational math, and functional application.
• She initiates familiar tasks with less support, uses effective ways to request help or a break, and completes meaningful routines more independently.
• Learning remains engaging, age-respectful, accessible, and responsive to her interests, health, stamina, and evolving goals.
• The educator maintains reliable plans, records, progress evidence, incident documentation, and concise communication.
• The family, educator, Thrive team, caregiver, and relevant providers operate as a coordinated team with clear roles and strong mutual respect.

• Bachelor’s degree in education, special education, child development, or a closely related field, or substantial equivalent preparation and experience.
• Minimum of 10 years relevant teaching experience, including demonstrated success with students who have significant developmental differences, complex learning profiles, or multiple disabilities.
• Strong elementary instructional knowledge, particularly in foundational literacy, reading comprehension, written expression, number sense, and foundational mathematics.
• Experience using assessment information to identify instructional entry points, set goals, design explicit lessons, and monitor progress.
• Active teaching license or special education certification, or substantial equivalent specialized experience.
• Eligible to work in the United States.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in an education-related field.
• Training in structured literacy, reading intervention, language development, or dyslexia-informed instruction.
• Experience collaborating with families, caregivers, OT, PT, SLP/feeding, assistive technology, nursing, or other medically complex student teams.
• Experience teaching functional academics, adaptive/life skills, executive functioning, and self-advocacy.
• Background in regulation-aware, trauma-informed, or relationship-based practice.
• Experience in private education, homeschooling, microschooling, or another highly personalized educational environment.
• Comfort working in a medically complex home environment.
• Willingness to obtain and maintain CPR and first aid certification and complete additional role-specific training required by the family or licensed care team.

What We Offer

• Anticipated annual W-2 salary of $70,000–$75,000, subject to final schedule, credentials, experience, benefits, and candidate market response.
• A deeply personalized, relationship-centered teaching opportunity with one student.
• Professional coaching and instructional partnership with Thrive’s Education Management team.
• Support with curriculum selection, assessment, goal setting, progress monitoring, provider coordination, and educational strategy.
• A collaborative family that values the child’s strengths, dignity, joy, faith, and long-term independence.
• The opportunity to build a cohesive learning ecosystem rather than reproduce a traditional classroom at home.

Thrive Education Partners is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds. Employment decisions are made based on qualifications, experience, skills, and business needs. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where all employees are respected, supported, and provided equal opportunity to succeed.