An independent day school serving grades Pre-K to 12 | St. Paul, MN

Center for Learning and Teaching

The Center for Learning and Teaching (CLT) serves all students and teachers in all divisions, and is the school's center of expertise for academic support, learning differences, and faculty professional development around learning and brain development.

The Purpose of Pathways

SPA's Center for Learning and Teaching is an important part of the school's commitment to student success and well-being.

The CLT staff provide a wide range of support services for all students, including those with documented learning differences, and provide ongoing professional development for faculty around best practices in teaching and how to apply current research in the classroom. 

Meet Our Team of Learning Specialists

The Christopher Center Pathways Program

The Christopher Center Pathways Program is designed to support Lower School students with high academic potential and a primary diagnosis of dyslexia.

Using the Orton-Gillingham approach, the program supports students with dyslexia in their acquisition of skills in reading, spelling, writing, and math while engaging them in the larger community of the Lower School.

Academic Coaching Program

SPA's academic coaching program is designed for students who are in need of additional support in a subject area beyond what the classroom teacher can provide. Students must have a diagnosed learning difference and a learning plan in place to participate in the program.  

Families interested in academic coaching for their student should contact their division learning specialist for additional information.  

Summer Tutoring

It's Purely Academic is a summer program providing tutoring for students who may benefit from additional work with an SPA teacher to fill in gaps in specific subjects.

The SPA admission team may recommend It's Purely Academic to new student entering SPA who may need support before beginning school in the fall. 

Current SPA families should reach out to their division learning specialist for more information. 

the Center for Learning and Teaching Team

Meet Karen Rassmussen
Meet Karen Rassmussen

Director of the Center for Learning and Teaching

Karen Rassmussen oversees the arc of student support, programing, academic tutoring, and policy development across the three divisions.

Karen and her team work to provide support and professional development for faculty around best practices in teaching, and how to apply current research to better improve practices in the classroom.

Read Bio → about Meet Karen Rassmussen

Our Learning Specialists 

The CLT is the home of four dedicated learning specialists—two in the Lower School and one each in Middle and Upper School—who work directly with students with documented learning differences and their families.

Our Counselors

Our four-person counseling staff supports individuals and small groups of students when social, emotional, or behavioral challenges may arise. Counselors can offer assistance in problem-solving and conflict resolution, guidance on developing and maintaining healthy relationships, and self-esteem. Counselors collaborate with students, teachers, and families to create supportive learning and social environments for students.

Our counseling staff does not replace the role of individual therapists, although counselors do offer brief, time-limited therapies in school adjustment, self-regulation, stress-management, social skills development, and self-care. Counselors can support the ongoing work of individual therapists by providing context and support at school that enhances the ongoing work of the primary individual therapist with a student outside of school.