QUALIFICATIONS:

• Licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education with a Moderate Special Needs Certification, Grades K-8 or related Special Education Certification, and SEI Endorsement.
• Licensed as a Special Education Administrator/Director.
• Master’s Degree or higher from an accredited college or university with particular emphasis in Special Education or related field.
• Can demonstrate a minimum of five (5) years of successful experience as a Special Education Professional at the Grades K-8 level.
• Experience as a Special Education Team Chairperson or other supervisory experience preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of local, state, and federal regulations and best practices in Special Education.
• Experience working in a diverse, urban educational environment.
• Possess excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Possess an ability to positively motivate staff, students and parents.
• Such alternatives to the above qualifications as the Superintendent of Schools may find appropriate and acceptable.

• Provides staff leadership in promoting the understanding of the educational objectives of the district and plans and administers professional development programs and activities for special education personnel to meet these objectives.
• Participate as an active member of the Instructional Leadership Team.
• Champion the school’s efforts to effectively and successfully serve students with disabilities.
• Act as a staunch advocate for students with disabilities.
• Promotes a widely shared institutional belief that every child deserves and can have expert instruction.
• Champion the school’s efforts to deliver tiered academic, behavioral, and social-emotional supports.
• Leads the efforts of the Special Education Department by monitoring and supporting others in the Department.
• Leads the school’s efforts to maintain compliance with all legal responsibilities for serving students with disabilities.
• Prepare the school for local, state, or federal audits as necessary.
• Maintain a highly organized, coherent, and legally compliant operation at all times.
• Create and maintain a data-driven culture in the Department where team members actively use relevant data in an integrated and systematic manner to perform their duties, inform their practices, and improve services to students.
• Works as an active member of the Special Education Department by actively engaging team members in improving instructional practices.
• Work closely with the Special Education Department to analyze current classroom summative data and devise effective instructional re-teaching plans around student learning gaps to ensure students’ academic achievement.
• Continually reflect on and document the effectiveness of the individual teacher’s or team’s re-teaching plans and make mid-course adjustments when necessary.
• Support teachers by continually observing the teachers in their classrooms and engaging in developmental post-conferences.
• Participate in all school-based professional development and faculty meetings as a full-time member of the school community.
• Model excellent teaching and be willing to let others observe one’s own teaching.
• Facilitate focused, data-centered, healthy, and effective common planning meeting.
• Support teachers in the development of IEP goals, Functional Behavior Analysis Behavior Intervention Plans (FBA-BIP), transition plans, and make recommendations and determinations for the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) for students.
• Collaborate with each Team Chairperson to ensure the timely completion and distribution of IEP Progress Reports.
• Work with Guidance Department to ensure that all students with disabilities are scheduled into their appropriate LRE.
• Possess an attuned appreciation for cultural awareness and competency and a staunch commitment to continuously develop insight and proficiencies related to these matters.
• Exhibit passion and the ability to thrive amidst change and challenging conditions, while maintaining a positive outlook and forward looking perspective.
• Possesses effective oral and written communication skills.
• Performs such other related tasks and assumes such other related responsibilities as may from time to time be assigned by the Director of Special Education.
  The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required of those in this classification.