Career Opportunities

Status: 0.6 FTE

Location: Treasure Island, San Francisco

Compensation and Benefits: Competitive, Hiring & relocation bonuses available, based on experience and market standard

Reports to: Chief Academic Officer

SCHOOL DESCRIPTION: Life Learning Academy (LLA) is an SFUSD charter high school for disconnected and under-resourced youth. Our mission is to create a nonviolent community for students who have not been successful in traditional school settings. LLA welcomes students into an ‘extended family’ which motivates everyone to give and receive support, develop responsibility and judgment, and build the academic, vocational, and social skills necessary to be successful.

We have a dorm on campus that houses up to 20 students, and we offer ongoing transitional services for our alumni. With less than 60 students, LLA is a very small school which maintains a 1:6 teacher to student ratio with 6-8 students per class. We utilize a block schedule model for extended instructional periods Monday-Thursday. On Fridays, we support students through our workforce development programming.  Teachers teach 3 classes per term carrying a student load of no more than 24 students. Teachers have the freedom to create curriculum based on student needs and interests.

POSITION: We are actively seeking an enthusiastic educator with a clear passion for supporting inclusion and helping students get their individualized learning needs met. As our RSP teacher you would have the following major duties and responsibilities:

• Direct instruction of students (push-in and pull-out)
• Coordinates instructional planning (i.e., the development and implementation of IEPs for individuals with exceptional needs).
• Coordinates the implementation of special education services provided to individuals with exceptional needs.
• Ensures that the team is in full compliance with legal requirements.
• Monitors pupil progress on a regular basis, participating in the review and revision of instructional programs and evaluates student growth in academic achievement, self-concept, and social skills.
• Coordinates the input of student data into databases related to the position.
  
• Identifies and assesses behavior patterns of pupils and identifies resources appropriate to individuals with exceptional needs to regular staff members, parents, and guardians.
• Identifies and assesses behavior patterns of pupils and identifies resources appropriate to individuals with exceptional needs to regular staff members, parents, and guardians.
• Coordinates referral and assessment procedures and assists in the coordination of the IEP team meetings.
• Coordinates special education professional learning workshops and workshops for staff and/or parents.

Qualifications: All employees must possess an unshakable faith in students' abilities to learn and to develop healthy, productive, independent lives; and each staff member must demonstrate the talent, energy and commitment necessary to help transform those individual abilities into a collective reality.

Other Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree
• Possession of a valid Education Specialist Instruction Credential with a specialty in Mild/Moderate or Moderate/Severe issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing is required.
• Some experience in classroom (Secondary experience preferred)
• Commitment to supporting the needs of disconnected and system-involved youth
• Excellent communication skills, professional demeanor, sound judgment, and strong organizational skills.
• Competency with Google Docs and Google Classroom
• Willingness to work collaboratively, but with the capacity to work independently.
• Criminal Justice Clearance (required)
• COVID Vaccinated

Desired skills, experience, and dispositions for LLA teachers:

• Encourages a culture of mutual respect and equitable practice
• Demonstrates content knowledge
• Commitment to understanding student academic needs and catering instruction to meet those specific needs
• Current applicable laws, codes, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Prepare comprehensive narrative and statistical reports.
• Supports students’ social, emotional, and behavioral learning needs
• Implements Project-Based Learning techniques and strategies
• Facilitates and designs effective group work & independent learning opportunities
• Provides timely feedback and collaborates with faculty to offer specialized support
• Showcases student work within the local and wider school community
• Scaffolds instructional activities that facilitate engaging and appropriate learning opportunities

LLA is an equal opportunity employer committed to achieving a diverse staff and inclusive work environment. Candidates who identify as Black, Indigenous or people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

It is the policy of the School to afford equal employment and advancement opportunity to all qualified individuals without regard to: Race; Color; Gender (including gender identity, gender expression, and transgender identity, whether or not the employee is transitioning or has transitioned); Sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and medical conditions related to such); Religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices); Marital/registered domestic partner status; Age (forty (40) and over); National origin or ancestry (including native language spoken and possession of a driver’s license issued to persons unable to prove their presence in the U.S. is authorized by federal law); Physical or mental disability (including HIV and AIDS); Medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics); Taking of a leave of absence pursuant to the Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), Pregnancy Disability Leave (“PDL”) law, Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), California Family Rights Act (“CFRA”), the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”), or laws related to domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking; Genetic information; Sexual orientation; Military and veteran status; or Any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. This policy extends to all job applicants and employees and to all aspects of the employment relationship, including the hiring of new employees and the training, transfer, promotion, discipline, termination, compensation and benefits of existing employees.

How to Apply: Send a cover letter outlining your interest and qualifications, and a resume to

Status: Full time available
Location: San Francisco, California    
Reports to: Chief Academic Officer

School Description:

At Life Learning Academy, we believe that every single kid deserves relentless love, accountability, and the chance to make a good life. For the past 23 years, we’ve provided an innovative, student-centered alternative to large public high schools for Bay Area students who have been failed by traditional educational models. We believe that when our students become immersed in a community of mutual respect and accountability, they surpass everyone’s expectations. This belief is supported by our 92% average graduation rate.

We are about to celebrate a quarter century of success, and are entering this milestone with ambitious plans to scale our model to reach even more students. Our model includes on-campus, no-cost housing in our dormitory for up to 24 students. We offer ongoing transitional services for our alumni. We serve up to 60 students per year in the school, and maintain a 1:8 teacher to student ratio with 6-8 students per class. We utilize a block schedule model for extended instructional periods Monday-Thursday. On Fridays, we support students through our workforce development programming. Teachers teach 3 classes per term carrying a student load of no more than 24 students. Teachers have the freedom to create curriculum based on student needs and interests.

Position Summary:

We are seeking an enthusiastic teacher with experience in project based learning and a clear passion for teaching young people about mathematics and STEAM concepts, and how they apply to the world we live in.

Desired qualifications:

All employees must possess an unshakable faith in students' abilities to learn and to develop healthy, productive, independent lives; and each staff member must demonstrate the talent, energy and commitment necessary to help transform those individual abilities into a collective reality. 

Other Requirements: 

• Bachelor's degree
• Be a University Intern or Possess a CA Teaching Credential (Multiple Subjects or Single Subject in Math / Provisional Internship Permits accepted) 
• Some experience in classroom (instruction at the high school level is preferred)
• Commitment to supporting the needs of disconnected and system-involved youth
• Excellent communication skills, professional demeanor, sound judgment, and strong organizational skills
• Willingness to work collaboratively, but with the capacity to work independently
• Competency with Google Docs and Google Classroom
• Criminal Justice Clearance (required)
• COVID vaccinated

Desired skills, experience, and dispositions for LLA teachers: 

• Encourages a culture of mutual respect and equitable practice 
• Demonstrates content knowledge 
• Commitment to understanding student academic needs and catering instruction to meet those specific needs 
• Supports students’ social, emotional, and behavioral learning needs
• Implements Project-Based Learning techniques and strategies 
• Facilitates and designs effective group work & independent learning opportunities
• Provides timely feedback and collaborates with faculty to offer specialized support
• Showcases student work within the local and wider school community
• Scaffolds instructional activities that facilitate engaging and appropriate learning opportunities

Compensation and Benefits: Based on the SFUSD teacher pay scale, plus relocation and bonus considerations, health/vision/dental benefits, 401K, easy and free on-site parking, and delicious daily lunch prepared by our students

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging for every person on campus: LLA is an equal opportunity employer committed to achieving a diverse staff and inclusive work environment. Candidates who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQ+, and immigrants are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to Apply: Send a cover letter outlining your interest and qualifications, and a resume to

Status: Full time
Location: San Francisco, California    
Reports to: Chief Academic Officer

School Description:

The Life Learning Academy (LLA) is an SFUSD charter high school for disconnected and under-resourced youth. Our mission is to create a nonviolent community for students who have not been successful in traditional school settings. LLA welcomes students into an ‘extended family’ which motivates everyone to give and receive support, develop responsibility and judgment, and build the academic, vocational, and social skills necessary to be successful. 

For 21 years, Life Learning Academy has successfully supported high-need students from the San Francisco Bay Area to thrive. Factors contributing to the uniqueness of LLA’s program include: (1) the degree to which the students are involved in school management; (2) the ability to re-engage youth who were previously disconnected from school and community; and, (3) innovative project-based curricula and career development programs such as a community-based internship and employment program; student-operated culinary academy and organic mini-farm; digital arts training program; a partnership with the Northern California Carpenters Union, providing LLA graduates with priority enrollment into the NCCU pre-apprenticeship program. 

Many LLA students live in overcrowded, cramped, and inadequate spaces, frequently moving between the homes of different family members and friends in search of a safe place to stay. Without intervention, disconnected and unstably housed youth are at very high risk for homelessness, substance abuse, incarceration, and violence. Opened in August 2019, we have an on-campus (no fee) dormitory for up to 24 students. The impact on our residents’ attendance, academic performance, and engagement is nothing short of remarkable.

Additionally, LLA is a very small school that maintains a 1:6 teacher to student ratio with 6-8 students per class. We utilize a block schedule model for extended instructional periods and maintain immediate, on-call student intervention and counseling support. Students are eligible for credit recovery options if appropriate, concurrent enrollment with local community colleges in their junior & senior years, and ongoing transition services including education and employment counseling post-graduation. Teachers teach 3 classes per term carrying a student load of no more than 24 students. We plan for a full return to the in-person instruction fall semester of 2021. 

LLA’s achievements in helping disconnected youth re-engage with school, graduate, and continue on to productive post-secondary education and employment have been recognized consistently by external observers and reviewers. Select awards and recognition that LLA has received over the years include Finalist, Innovation in American Government Award, Harvard University’s Ash Institute; Unsung Hero Award for project-based math and art curriculum; California Charter School Association Hart Vision Charter School of the Year, California; AT&T/Giants Community All-Stars in addressing community violence; and Model Program, California Corrections Standards Authority.

Position Summary:

We are seeking an enthusiastic teacher with experience and a clear passion for teaching young people about physical fitness and developing healthy lifestyles.

Desired qualifications:

All employees must possess an unshakable faith in students' abilities to learn and to develop healthy, productive, independent lives; and each staff member must demonstrate the talent, energy and commitment necessary to help transform those individual abilities into a collective reality.

Other Requirements: 

• Bachelor's degree 
• Some experience in classroom (instruction at the high school level is preferred)
• Commitment to supporting the needs of disconnected and system-involved youth
• Excellent communication skills, professional demeanor, sound judgment, and strong organizational skills
• Willingness to work collaboratively, but with the capacity to work independently
• Competency with Google Docs and Google Classroom
• Criminal Justice Clearance required

Desired skills, experience, and dispositions for LLA teachers: 

• Encourages a culture of mutual respect and equitable practice 
• Demonstrates content knowledge 
• Commitment to understanding student academic needs and catering instruction to meet those specific needs 
• Supports students’ social, emotional, and behavioral learning needs
• Implements Project-Based Learning techniques and strategies 
• Facilitates and designs effective group work & independent learning opportunities
• Provides timely feedback and collaborates with faculty to offer specialized support
• Showcases student work within the local and wider school community
• Scaffolds instructional activities that facilitate engaging and appropriate learning opportunities

Compensation and Benefits: If credentialed, salary will be based on the SFUSD pay scale. If not credentialed, compensation is $25-35 per hour, depending on experience.

How to Apply: Send a cover letter outlining your interest and qualifications, and a resume to

Status: Flexible, opportunity for off-peak hours, some weekly late afternoon hours required. Remote service options available.
Location: Treasure Island, San Francisco, California    
Compensation: $65,000 + $2,500 bilingual premium for full-time employment    
Reports to: Teri Delane, Ph.D., Co-Executive Director and Licensed Psychologist.

School Description:

Life Learning Academy is a public charter high school located on Treasure Island, serving students across the Bay Area. Life Learning Academy supports young people who have been involved in the child welfare and/or juvenile justice system, those who have been pushed out of traditional schools, youth who are invisible and falling through gaps between systems, and those experiencing profound isolation and disconnectedness. We believe every single young person, no matter who they are, what they have done, or what’s happened to them, deserves relentless love, accountability, and the chance to make a good life.

After 23 years of impact, in 2019, LLA became the only public high school that built a no-cost dorm for our homeless students in California, and has become a statewide model for preventing homelessness and system-involvement.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of youth experiencing homelessness, disconnection, suicidality, anxiety, depression, learning loss, and social isolation has compounded. Many of these youths’ networks and support services have also been destabilized, so while the need for services has increased, access to those services is limited. The pandemic has also laid bare how much youth depend on schools, not just for education but as an anchor for community, social interaction, emotional support, mental wellbeing, and as a hub of extended services.

Position Summary:

The Counselor will provide individual trauma-informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for students at Life Learning Academy and lead weekly groups. The Counselor will be an integral part of the case management team. The Counselor will provide mental health consultation and support to LLA staff. The Counselor will engage families as needed or requested. The Counselor is a member of the staff and will be involved in team meetings, training, and collaborative support.

The individual in this position is:

• Committed to and driven by the organization’s mission to create positive lives for all young people and motivated to disrupt the cycles of poverty and homelessness through innovations in education, housing, and youth workforce development.
• An excellent communicator, able to relate to a diverse client population and staff.
• Able to perform tasks and responsibilities in a thorough and timely manner in compliance with agency policy and standards, and conform to scheduling requirements of this job description.
• A creative team-builder with a cooperative approach to job performance and seeks to bring a constructive, problem-solving orientation to all tasks.
• Aware of and committed to the organization’s focus on trauma-informed practice.
• Able to exercise discretion and professional judgment at all times in keeping with the responsibility carried personally and by the agency for the care and welfare of youth and families.
  

Responsibilities

• Provide individual therapeutic cognitive behavioral therapy and case management for LLA students during and after school hours.
• Lead weekly groups.
  
• Develop rapport with youth and families in a manner that demonstrates awareness of the impact of sociocultural factors on experiences, values, learning and counseling needs.
  
• Act as part of the LLA team, offering support to staff in the form of consultation, crisis intervention, client screening, case management, training, skill building or other tasks as needed.
  
• Demonstrate ability to engage and retain youth in services.
  
• Demonstrate thorough knowledge of legal and ethical issues and apply this vigilantly to clinical practice. Consistently maintain appropriate boundaries with clients and staff.
  
• Consistently work to advance clinical skills and knowledge of self and the clinical team by actively engaging in group and individual supervision, pursuing training opportunities and sharing knowledge.
  
• Perform accurate, thorough and timely record-keeping, documentation and data entry.
• Participate in LLA team meetings.
• Participate in recruitment efforts to support student engagement in the therapeutic process.
• Attend relevant school meetings and events to support and coordinate therapy for LLA students.
• Outpatient referrals may be assigned in order to meet client services goals.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Environment

This position operates on the Life Learning Academy campus on Treasure Island. This role routinely includes off-peak hours (10:00am-6:00pm) in order to offer therapeutic services between 3:00pm-6:00pm. Flexible scheduling, including part-time hours, can be considered. Options to provide remote therapeutic services are available.

Required education and experience

• A master’s degree in social work or counseling
  
• A clinical license or registered with BBS in pursuit of license
  

Preferred education and experience

• Bi-lingual in Spanish strongly desired
• Experience with high risk high school age youth
  
• Experience, awareness and knowledge of cultures of San Francisco youth and families
• Familiarity with Bay Area youth service providers
• Experience with Medi-Cal documentation and use of AVATAR
  

Additional eligibility qualifications

• Proof of COVID vaccination
• Background clearance

Equal Opportunity: LLA is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the School to afford equal employment and advancement opportunity to all qualified individuals without regard to: Race; Color; Gender (including gender identity, gender expression, and transgender identity, whether or not the employee is transitioning or has transitioned); Sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and medical conditions related to such); Religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices); Marital/registered domestic partner status; Age (forty (40) and over); National origin or ancestry (including native language spoken and possession of a driver’s license issued to persons unable to prove their presence in the U.S. is authorized by federal law); Physical or mental disability (including HIV and AIDS); Medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics); Taking of a leave of absence pursuant to the Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), Pregnancy Disability Leave (“PDL”) law, Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), California Family Rights Act (“CFRA”), the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”), or laws related to domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking; Genetic information; Sexual orientation; Military and veteran status; or Any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. This policy extends to all job applicants and employees and to all aspects of the employment relationship, including the hiring of new employees and the training, transfer, promotion, discipline, termination, compensation and benefits of existing employees.

How to Apply: As a school that serves primarily low income students of color and believes in the power of mentorship and role models, members of racial/ethnic minorities and other historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Send (1) a cover letter outlining your interest and qualifications, and (2) a resume to