Please review the full job description below before applying. The application form is located beneath the job description and includes upload fields for the required materials.
Focus Plus Academy | Fletcher, NC
2026–2027 School Year
Full-time | $65,000–$90,000 base salary
Performance-based bonus | Insurance
Full Job Description
Focus Plus Academy is a small private school serving students in grades 6–12. We provide individualized academics, executive functioning support, and a relationship-driven school environment that emphasizes student strengths, positive reinforcement, clear expectations, flexibility, and practical skill-building.
We are seeking a full-time or part-time middle/high school Special Education Teacher to work with a small, mixed-age group of students in grades 6–9.
This role is ideal for an educator who is flexible, student-centered, highly responsive to individual student needs, and excited to help neurodivergent learners build confidence, independence, executive functioning, and practical learning habits.
Our ideal candidate is a strong learning-support generalist with meaningful experience supporting students with ADHD, autism, executive functioning challenges, or similar learning support needs. They understand that these students may need different levels of support at different moments and are comfortable adjusting their approach, pacing, or expectations when a student becomes overwhelmed, stuck, or needs help re-engaging.
We are looking for someone who brings experience and good professional judgment, while also being open to learning, trying new approaches, receiving feedback, and collaborating closely with the FPA team to determine what works best for each student.
We are open to candidates from Special Education, Exceptional Children, learning support, special needs support environments, intervention, tutoring, or middle/high school teaching backgrounds who are excited to work across subjects in a small, collaborative school environment.
About Our School
Focus Plus Academy is a small private school for students in grades 6–12 who benefit from a smaller, more structured, and more supportive learning environment.
Our students are bright, capable learners who may have ADHD, autism, executive functioning challenges, or related learning differences, and who are able to participate successfully in a small academic environment with the right structure and support.
The Focus Plus Academy model blends academics, executive functioning support, movement, life skills, and real-world experiences in a calm, flexible, relationship-based school setting.
Students are known well. Our teachers pay attention to what helps each student learn, recognize when something is getting in the way, and adjust support as needed. We provide clear expectations and consistent structure while remaining flexible in how students are supported throughout the day.
Our small setting also allows teachers to collaborate closely, respond thoughtfully to individual students, and have the space to do meaningful work.
Responsibilities
- Guide and support students academically in a small, mixed-grade learning environment
- Provide academic instruction and support across subjects using a combination of teacher-led instruction, small-group and one-on-one support, online core curriculum, and educational technology
- Help students stay organized, accountable, engaged, and on track with their learning
- Recognize when a student is overwhelmed, stuck, or having difficulty moving forward, and adjust pacing, scaffolding, or support to help the student re-engage
- Teach and reinforce executive functioning skills, including planning, organization, task initiation, time management, follow-through, cognitive flexibility, and self-advocacy
- Develop curriculum and deliver executive functioning and life skills lessons, projects, and practical learning experiences
- Help develop and lead movement/physical education activities as part of the school day
- Adapt instruction and support for varied learning profiles, academic levels, processing needs, and pacing
- Provide structured routines, clear expectations, scaffolded tasks, positive reinforcement, and appropriate flexibility
- Build positive, professional relationships with students and families
- Communicate with families regarding student progress, strengths, and needs
- Collaborate closely with the School Director and support staff to adapt curriculum, routines, learning plans, and student supports as needed
- Participate in professional learning and remain open to trying and evaluating new strategies and approaches for supporting neurodivergent learners
- Contribute to a calm, positive, collaborative, and relationship-based school culture
Required Qualifications
- Meaningful experience supporting students with ADHD, autism, executive functioning challenges, learning differences, IEPs, 504 plans, or similar learning support needs
- Experience teaching or academically supporting middle and/or high school students
- Ability to support students across multiple academic subjects using teacher-led instruction, online curriculum, small-group instruction, and one-on-one support
- Ability to recognize when a student is overwhelmed, stuck, or struggling to engage and adjust pacing, expectations, scaffolding, or support appropriately
- Ability to help develop and implement executive functioning, life skills, and practical learning activities
- A calm, structured, flexible, responsive, and student-centered approach
- Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to work effectively with neurodivergent students without relying on unnecessary power struggles or rigid compliance-based approaches
- A collaborative, team-oriented mindset and willingness to share ideas, receive feedback, and problem-solve with colleagues
- Openness to professional learning, and to thoughtfully trying new strategies and supports when current approaches are not working
- Clear and professional communication with students, families, and colleagues
- Ability to adapt well to a small, non-traditional learning environment
- Bachelor’s degree
Preferred Experience
- Experience supporting autistic, ADHD, twice-exceptional (2e), or other neurodivergent middle and/or high school students
- Experience supporting students with executive functioning challenges, including task initiation, organization, cognitive flexibility, self-monitoring, and follow-through
- Familiarity with structured routines, scaffolded tasks, student progress monitoring, and adapting supports based on individual student needs
- Special education, Exceptional Children/EC, IEP, intervention, tutoring, or learning support experience
- Experience working as part of a collaborative team to develop and adjust student supports
- Experience in small schools, private schools, alternative education, microschools, homeschool/hybrid programs, or other flexible learning environments
- Current or prior teaching license from North Carolina or another state
Position Details
- Full-time, salaried, in-person position
- Monday–Friday school schedule
- Early release Fridays at 1:30 p.m. for dedicated planning time
- Small student group with a planned low student-to-staff ratio
- Supportive, collaborative school environment
Compensation
- Base salary: $65,000–$90,000, based on experience, credentials, and role scope
- Performance-based bonus
- $3,000 annual professional development stipend/bonus
- Health insurance
- Access to employee-paid dental and vision insurance
- Optional retirement plan with employee contributions
To Apply
Please complete the form below, submit your resume, and a brief letter of interest.
We are most interested in understanding what draws you to this role, your experience supporting students with learning differences or neurodiverse learning profiles, and why this kind of school feels meaningful to you.
References may be requested later in the interview process.