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yellow door at o-school

Life Behind the Yellow Door

The Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School (O-School) is proud of its strong academic programming, therapeutic atmosphere, and history of proven success. For more than a century, the O-School has provided a culture of support and a safe haven and a path to hope for students with mental health challenges or who are on the autistic spectrum, or both.

In 2014, the O-School opened a state-of-the-art campus two blocks from the University of Chicago campus and one block from Chicago’s famous elevated trains.

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For additional information about joining the O-School team, please email us at employment@lsscschools.

Culture and Environment

Whether you have just joined our staff or have been at the O-School for years, we are confident that you will find our school to be a child-centered, extensively rewarding place to work. We highly value our talented staff of educators, clinicians and counselors who work together to achieve a singular academic and therapeutic experience for the students in our care.

O-School educators and therapeutic experts benefit from extensive leadership and skills development opportunities including:

  • Collaborative group learning – project based
  • Real-world, 21st century skill development
  • Communications
  • Problem-solving
  • Conflict resolution
  • Teamwork
  • Planning
  • Project facilitating
  • Mentoring
  • Thought leadership
  • Concept and idea development
  • Modern facilities

O-School facilities are the foundation that supports the learning that takes place every day. The campus-style facility features modern learning environments designed to facilitate engagement and encourage creativity and collaboration with a supportive, home-like feel.

teachers working together
Large computer screen used in classroom

Educators have access to modern classrooms, equipped with tools for the 21st-century learner, such as digital instructive technologies and software including:

  • Smartboards in every classroom
  • 1-to-1 laptops in the classroom
  • 1-to-1 MacBook Air with Adobe software in art classes
  • 1-to-1 iPads
  • Abelton music composition software
  • Multi-purpose science lab equipped to support different disciplines (biology, chemistry, physics and more)
  • Modern art room designed to support a wide range of artistic disciplines including digital, paint and sculpting
  • Full gymnasium and exercise center with fitness equipment
  • O-School Benefits Tab

The O-School offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package for all full- and part-time (20 hours or more) employees that includes the following:

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield medical insurance (PPO and HMO options)
  • MetLife dental (PPO) and VSP vision insurance
  • Paid vacation, personal days, sick days and holidays
  • Short-term and long-term disability insurance (paid by O-School)
  • Basic life insurance and accidental death and disability (paid by O-School)
  • Voluntary accidental death and disability insurance and term life insurance
  • Employee assistance program, legal assistance, and identity theft program
  • 403(b) retirement savings plan
  • Flexible spending account and dependent care
  • Generous tuition assistance
  • Free meals and healthy snacks
  • Financial wellness support
  • Physical wellness support
  • Academic program benefits
  • Low caseloads and small instructional classes
  • Opportunity to institute a dynamic and ambitious curriculum that is exciting to teach and prepares students for secondary and post-secondary education
  • Strong integration between educational and clinical growth
  • Collaboration with clinicians, therapists and leaders in the field
  • Supportive and talented colleagues
  • Small and supportive team
  • leadership opportunities
  • Intensive clinical opportunities
  • Long-term client relationships
  • Clinical supervision hours for licensure (i.e., LCSW, LCPC, PsyD.)
  • Opportunities to develop and lead programs
  • Flexible hours
teacher with computer in classroom