Assistant or Associate Professor, Special Education

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

In alignment with our Jesuit and Marymount heritage and the mission of Loyola Marymount University, LMU School of Education promotes the leadership, lifelong learning, and wellness of students, families, and communities across a broad array of settings, experiences, and backgrounds. Together, we advance equity-minded, ethical, and research-informed preparation and practices for education and mental health professionals. We promote rigorous, relevant, and community-engaged interdisciplinary research, and we foster authentic, collaborative partnerships that link research, preparation, and practice.

We seek colleagues whose teaching and research are grounded in practice, who collaborate with peers to design and implement curriculum, and who uphold our values of excellence and inclusion. Our programs prepare professionals who advance our mission ideals in their teaching, as well as in their roles as school and community leaders.  We continually improve our programs, fostering greater responsiveness to the most pressing challenges facing schools by drawing inspiration and collaboration from our partnership network. Areas of opportunity for innovation include school-university partnerships, university-assisted community schools, bilingual education, dual credential offerings, the application of artificial intelligence in instruction, children’s socio-emotional well-being, community-engaged scholarship, and trauma-informed education. Applicants are invited to articulate connections to and interest in engaging with these areas

DEPARTMENT OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

The Department of Teaching and Learning prepares future K-12 educators to work in schools across all educational sectors (e.g., Catholic, independent, charter, and traditional public schools). We offer preliminary single-subject, multiple-subject, and mild/moderate support needs (MMSN) education specialist instruction California credentials, bilingual authorization, alternative certifications, and three Master of Arts (MA) Programs. Our programs span the range of teacher preparation pathways: intern, traditional student teacher model, and residency programs. Additionally, we prepare future Catholic educators through our CAST and PLACE preparation programs.  Our programs are offered both in person, hybrid, and online formats, serving diverse K-12 students and school partners across California. The state credential programs are accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

The Department seeks faculty who are deeply connected to and integrated within the communities they study, to build on our strong tradition of engaged and applied scholarship. Department faculty collaborate and work together to design programs that are current and that offer workforce solutions to meet the needs of schools. Leveraging their scholarship to inform their teaching, and vice versa, faculty set the path forward as we grow areas of critical study into regional and national strengths.

Key Responsibilities

The candidate will be expected to support all facets of the Special Education program, which includes undergraduate, credential, and MA coursework.

TEACHING

• Provide leadership in curriculum development for the Education Specialist Instruction MMSN credential, the MA degree program, and alternative certification programs
• Teach courses in credential, certificate, and M.A. programs
• Design curriculum and prepare syllabus according to the collective goals and objectives of the department, program, and California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) standard.
• Advise and mentor students.
• Stay abreast of the emerging research and education trends to inform teaching

RESEARCH

• Maintain an active scholarship and research agenda and publishing and disseminating scholarship through peer reviewed and conference outlets
• Participate in grant-making and fundraising activities to support their research agenda.

SERVICE

• Collaborate with department leadership to design, implement, and evaluate program activities and objectives
• Participate in department, college, and university committees
• Provide service to professional organizations
• Engage with our partner schools

Required Qualifications:

• Doctorate in Special Education or related field. ABD candidates will be considered but must fulfill all degree requirements by August 15, 2026.
• Evidence of successful graduate-level teaching experience, both in-person and/or online
• Possess a Special Education credential, issued by a state credentialing agency
• At least 3 years of PK-12 experience teaching students with disabilities in schools with multi-lingual students and multi-racial students.
• Experience working with under-resourced communities
• Scholarly research record in the implementation of Inclusive Education/Mild to Moderate Support programs
• Knowledge of state and national professional standards and other applicable licensure and accreditation standards in the area of Special Education
• Knowledge of high-leverage practices and multi-tiered systems of supports, as well as their limitations
• Knowledge the law governed under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004

Preferred Qualifications

• Scholarly expertise and/or teaching experience at the intersection of special education and bilingual education
• Experience designing and teaching both in person, hybrid, and online undergraduate and graduate courses
• Knowledge and skills in preparing candidates in alternative certification programs
• Experience in accreditation processes
• Familiarity with state performance assessments (e.g. edTPA)
• Three peer-reviewed publications

Application Process

Review of applications will begin February 23, 2026, and will continue until April 17, 2026. The following application materials must be submitted for an applicant to be considered for this position:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Cover letter addressing qualifications and scholarship agenda (max 500 words)
• Two peer-reviewed publications (if available)
• Statement of Teaching Philosophy (no more than 500 words)
• Teaching evaluations and sample syllabi
• Three reference letters

Please direct all questions to Dr. Mary McCullough at mary.mccullough@lmu.edu.

Reasonable expected hiring range: $86,000 to $99,000. Hiring salary will be commensurate with applicable knowledge, skills, and experience.

#HERC# #HEJ#

Please note that this position may not be eligible for visa sponsorship now or in the future.