Middle School Special Education Teacher

Special Education Teacher

Background

Two Rivers Public Charter School serves a diverse group of learners across three locations in Wards 5 and 6. Staff at Two Rivers create an exciting educational environment in which students and staff become a community of learners on a journey of discovery. Two Rivers uses the EL Education model, emphasizing interactive, hands-on, project-based learning. The school focuses on the whole child, recognizing the importance of character education and the social-emotional needs of children while helping them achieve academic excellence.

The Two Rivers staff shares a strong belief that all children can learn and be high achievers. The curriculum at Two Rivers is rigorous, and standards-based, and provides opportunities for students to excel in all areas. An integrated arts program and a content-based Spanish program augment the school’s demanding academic program. These elements come together through learning modules that allow students to incorporate and apply their classroom learning through real-world experiences. The mission of Two Rivers is to nurture a diverse group of students to become lifelong, active participants in their own education, develop a sense of self and community and become responsible and compassionate members of society.

The Special Education Teacher is responsible for delivering instruction to identified students in special populations (Multilingual Learners) and students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) while supporting differentiation for all students using the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Strong collaboration with general education teachers through co-teaching and co-planning is critical to success in this role. This job description is meant to provide structure to the responsibilities and accountability of this position. There may be additional responsibilities that are undertaken or that are assigned as the needs of students and or the school arise. Special Education Teachers report to the Director of Special Education.

This is a 10.5-month position, which is exempt and therefore not eligible for overtime pay under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Responsibilities:

Planning and Preparation

• Implement Expeditionary Learning, Responsive Classroom, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and components. Teachers in their first year at Two Rivers commit to learning these models by attending new staff orientation in the summer and a new teacher professional development series held throughout the year.
• Provide specialized instruction so that students with disabilities meet the goals specified in their IEPs.
• Develop engaging curriculum in partnership with general education teachers. The curriculum should be designed to teach grade-level standards and skills and have multiple entry points for students.
• Plan at least weekly with your teaching team. Planning should include a discussion of modifications and accommodations for identified students.
• Implement best practices to ensure that Multilingual Learners make progress in language domains.
• Apply research-based strategies to meet the needs of students with disabilities and Multilingual Learners. Seek additional materials and resources as needed.
• Work with your teaching team to plan and implement learning expeditions ensuring that content, fieldwork, and learning modules are accessible to all students.
• Facilitate clear planning around student needs and learning goals, specialized instruction, and classroom structures that support student success.
• Develop and revise clear criteria and standards for quality work. Regularly examine student work to ensure that it meets EL Education’s three dimensions of student achievement: High-Quality Work, Mastery of Knowledge and Skills, and Character.
• Work with the teaching team to create student document panels, displaying student work and documenting the process leading to mastery. Involve students in developing and creating displays.
• Collaboratively plan and execute Celebrations of Learning with the teaching team at least two times per year, providing students with an opportunity to share their work with an audience of parents, other students, and community members.

Learning Environment

• Create and maintain a physically and emotionally safe environment for students. Communicate respectfully to all community members at all times. Model, practice, and discuss respectful, unbiased, and effective communication with students, colleagues, and families.
• Work with your teaching team and students to create classroom rules. Establish and consistently apply logical consequences.
• Collaborate and co-plan with all adults in the classroom while in the general education space (e.g., lead classroom teacher, assistant teacher, special educators, dedicated aides). Keep all adults on your team (lead teacher, Special Educator, counselor, etc.) informed of student progress while outside of the general education classroom to support individuals and groups to maximize student support, engagement, and learning outcomes.
• Uphold and support the school-wide discipline policies. Document infractions according to the discipline policies and seek help and support from colleagues and administrators when discipline concerns arise.
• Engage students in age-appropriate discussions of diversity. Use student observations, questions, actions, and reactions as teachable moments to explore diversity.

Learning Experiences

• Conduct assessments to track student progress toward IEP goals at regular intervals. Initial assessments will be completed in September and October, interim assessments will be conducted in January, and end-of-year assessments will be conducted in May and June.
• Assessment results should be documented in students’ present levels of academic achievement and functional performance in their IEPs.
• Maintain a system of progress monitoring that informs and guides instruction and planning for students with disabilities in your grade level.
• Work with the Director of Special Education to ensure that identified students receive necessary accommodations for standardized assessments and other school-administered assessments.
• Support the administration of the DC-CAPE Assessment in the spring, beginning in third grade.
• Use a variety of assessment tools (e.g. performance tasks, rubrics, anecdotal notes, and formative/summative checks) to inform instructional groupings, scaffolded tasks, and tiered supports.
• Engage in ongoing data cycles using the PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) and DataWise frameworks to identify instructional gaps, set goals, and plan responsive instruction.
• Collaborate with colleagues during facilitated planning times to monitor progress and improve student outcomes.

Principled Teaching

• Participate in weekly professional development (scheduled for Wednesdays from 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.) and contribute to sessions by sharing ideas, student data, and artifacts, offering feedback, and facilitating sessions or discussions, as needed.
• Participate in weekly common planning times with the grade level team and other grade level planning meetings.
• Participate in peer observation using protocols established and agreed upon by staff.
• Participate in August Orientation, based on the agreed-upon schedule.
• Seek out additional opportunities for professional development that will lead to achieving personal and school-wide professional development goals.
• Prepare for IEP meetings by drafting goals in collaboration with the Director of Special Education and assembling assessments and student work samples as documentation of progress.
• Ensure your teaching team is knowledgeable about the needs of students. Disseminate student IEP information to teaching teams by the end of October.
• Advocate for the academic, personal, and social needs of Multilingual Learners and students with disabilities.
• Meet and plan regularly with other Special Education Teachers to ensure consistency of approach and special education programming.
• Meet with families as requested to share information about student progress.
• Contact families immediately when concerns arise about student performance, work completion, or behavior.
• Involve family volunteers in the classroom in ways that meet the needs of the class and utilize the strengths, talents, and interests of the volunteers.
• Keep families informed about classroom activities and units of study through ongoing communication and regular updates.
• Hold family conferences based on the schedule determined by the principal.
• Support families in understanding the instructional approach at Two Rivers through regular communication.
• Assist with planning and facilitating at least one family event per year, in addition to Back to School Night, Celebrations of Learning, and Family Conferences.

Other Professional Responsibilities

• Submit lesson plans to the direct supervisor based on the schedule determined by the school leadership team.
• Maintain accurate and timely records of student attendance, academic performance (all courses), and behavior incidents.
• Four times per year, use student records and assessments to create progress reports and report cards, including writing comments for students’ grades as required.
• Update student grades bi-weekly using assessment data to share with school teams, students and families, with a minimum of two grades per student.
• Four times per year, use student records and assessment data to create and submit progress reports for all students with IEPs.
• Two Rivers expects all full-time employees to work a 40-hour work week, in accordance with the hours outlined in their offer letters. School-based employees, including teachers, assistant teachers, counselors, and related service providers must be present at least 15 minutes prior to the arrival of students and must be present at least 15 minutes after the dismissal of students.
• Be on time for classes, duties, planning sessions, team meetings, and professional development activities.
• Observe proper decorum, including adherence to dress codes and proper courtesies and respect in all dealings with students, parents, guardians, visitors, and fellow employees.
• Attend and participate in school events.
• Check voicemail and email daily and respond promptly to requests from parents, administrators, and colleagues.
• Assist with the monitoring of arrival, dismissal, recess, and lunch according to the agreed-upon schedule.
• Report all suspicion of child abuse or neglect to the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) and a school administrator. See the Staff Handbook for additional information.
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications

Candidates must meet one of the following criteria:

• Master’s degree in Special Education;
• Bachelor’s degree, two years of satisfactory lead teacher experience including supporting students with IEPs or in an inclusion setting, and a passing score (as outlined by ETS) on the (1) Special Education: Core Knowledge and Applications PRAXIS and (2) Principles of Learning and Teaching exam;
• Bachelor’s degree and two years of satisfactory special education teacher experience;
• Bachelor’s degree and active OSSE certification or active certification from another state.