Italian Specialist (Part-Time)

Company Description

La Scuola International School is the only Reggio Emilia inspired, International Baccalaureate (Early, Primary and Middle Years) and Italian Language Immersion school in the world. Teachers are researchers and are supported with robust Professional Development opportunities throughout the year. 

Learning is a part of everything that we do, not just what happens in the classroom. While our school experience is rooted in highly regarded curricula, the magic of La Scuola is more than what we teach. It is how we teach and learn, which is truly a way of living, thinking, and interacting with the world. To learn more, please visit us at www.lascuolasf.org. 

Founded: 2002

Number of students: 465

Locations: San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Milano, Italy

La Scuola International School is an independent non-profit school accredited by NAIS, CAIS, WASC and CIS and is one of two Italian schools recognized by the Italian government in the United States.

Job Description

La Scuola seeks a part time Italian Specialist to support Italian language development in grades K–5 for the upcoming school year. The specialist will be an integral member of both the teaching team and Student Support Group and will be responsible for strengthening Italian language acquisition and literacy development across the Elementary Division.

The Italian Language Specialist collaborates closely with homeroom teachers, educational specialists, pedagogical leadership, and administrators to ensure students develop proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in Italian within our immersion, International Baccalaureate (PYP), and Reggio Emilia–inspired framework.

This part time position (50%) reports to the Director of Student Support & Counseling and the Elementary Director working in close partnership with the Student Success Group, Pedagogical Leadership Team and faculty to support each student’s individual language needs.

Primary Responsibilities 

• Plan, organize, and provide targeted Italian language instruction across elementary grades. Instruction must align with and complement the immersion program and ensure students meet or exceed language development benchmarks.
• Develop and deliver lesson plans using a broad range of differentiated instructional strategies that support oral language development, literacy acquisition, and written expression in Italian.
• Plan and support the implementation of assessments of students' Italian language proficiency in collaboration with teachers using formative and summative tools to evaluate progress in language acquisition and literacy development.
• Maintain accurate and comprehensive records of student growth and language progress.
• Collaborate with homeroom teachers to integrate Italian language development within Units of Inquiry and across content areas.
• Engage in weekly co-teaching, including small group instruction and station-based learning.
• Observe teachers and provide feedback and guidance in supporting language acquisition goals in the classroom.
• In partnership with the Student Success Group and Pedagogical Team, design and implement targeted language interventions for individuals and small groups.
• Support students’ executive functioning, developmental needs, and social-emotional growth as they relate to language acquisition.
• Foster a nurturing, structured, and language-rich environment with high expectations that promote student responsibility, confidence, and engagement in authentic Italian communication.
• Contribute to family communication, including progress updates and conferences as needed.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the school.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in Education, Language Acquisition, Linguistics, or related field preferred.
• 3-5 years teaching experience preferably in an immersion or bilingual setting. 
• Experience with bilingual education, International Baccalaureate (PYP), and/or Reggio Emilia philosophy strongly preferred.
• Native-like fluency in Italian required; strong English proficiency required.
• Demonstrated expertise in elementary literacy development and second-language acquisition.
• Ability to differentiate instruction for a range of language learners.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills.

Desired Competencies

• Deep understanding of language acquisition and learning differences, with the ability to design and implement appropriate accommodations and differentiated strategies.
• Collaborative mindset with demonstrated success working in interdisciplinary teams within dynamic school environments.
• Strong problem-solving skills, flexibility, and sound profess