Job Description

POSITION: Special Education Manager-Secondary

REPORTS TO: Director of Academics - Campus

POSITION TYPE: 11-month

START DATE: 25-26 School Year

COMPENSATION: Starting at $65,264 annually

THE ROLE

Student Achievement

• Setting Special Education objectives and key results for the year in alignment with the campus’ strategic priorities, collecting relevant data, and designing and executing the strategy necessary to achieve campus goals;
• Monitoring and managing progress toward increased student achievement outcomes for students in Special Education on achievement measures including IEP goals, standards-based grades, curriculum, district and state assessments;
• Sitting on the campus leadership team with the Principal, Director of Campus Operations, and other leaders to develop action plans that ensure all students – including students in Special Education – engage in rigorous, aligned, active and accessible learning in every classroom, every day;
• Working with the Director of Academics and campus instructional leaders to set and maintain a vision for co-teaching and rigorous instruction in specialized programs;
• Building and applying knowledge of curriculum design & implementation for students with disabilities, including general education curriculum, alternate instruction and other special programs;
• Supporting teachers in setting and monitoring goals for students in Special Education, including IEP goals and objectives in addition to course and classroom growth goals;
• Co-observing and coaching with other members of the Instructional Leadership team to support differentiation and growth for all students in both General and Special Education classrooms;
• Collaborating with other instructional leaders to share best practices in differentiation and problem-solving instructional challenges for students with learning needs, including students in Special Education;
• Working with General Education staff to identify areas of need for students in Special Education and appropriate specially designed instruction, including the use of accommodated, modified, and alternate materials;
• Designing and delivering professional learning opportunities for campus staff on topics relevant to Special Education, including differentiation, specially designed instruction, behavior management, and inclusive practices, at in-service and other campus professional development days;
• When needed, planning and delivering engaging, rigorous instruction aligned to YES Prep curriculum and tailored to meet student needs;
• Creating, executing, and coaching others to implement Behavior Intervention Plans and Student Safety Plans for students with behavior needs;

Team Leadership

• Ensuring that students receive outstanding instruction in all settings by managing, evaluating, and developing at least two members (and up to 8) Special Education teachers and a Compliance Specialist in alignment with YES Prep coaching & evaluation expectations;
• Planning for and executing regular Special Education team meetings to support the development of Special Educators on campus;
• Providing individual and group coaching to Special Education Teachers on instructional strategies, curriculum internalization & execution, assessment practices, TEKS alignment, and data-driven decision-making;
• Modeling effective teaching practices and providing both real-time feedback and standalone coaching on Special Education teacher performance;
• Supporting teachers in developing and executing effective lesson plans and instructional materials aligned with state and district standards and individual student needs, including modified and alternate curriculum for students with significant disabilities;
• Assisting teachers in developing and executing functional life skills and social-emotional curricula for students with significant support needs;

Compliance

• Developing and managing Special Education Teachers to meet compliance requirements, including development of critical sections of the IEP, IEP progress reports and service logs;
• Collecting and reviewing paperwork for incoming students to identify students with disabilities;
• Demonstrating and applying knowledge of IEP content, compliance timelines, and Special Education law to maintain accurate & timely completion of Special Education compliance tasks;
• Ensuring the campus complies with all Special Education paperwork with the support of the Compliance Specialist, including maintaining accurate state audit folders;
• Working with all members of the campus team to identify any students suspected of having a disability & referring them for a Special Education evaluation, and following up on any campus deliverables related to the referral;
• Meeting regularly with campus administrators to discuss required paperwork from staff, upcoming due dates, participation in upcoming ARD meetings, alignment on student recommendations, and growth areas for additional development in compliance-related topics;
• Monitoring service logs to ensure that students in Special Education receive all required instructional services;
• Building strong collaborative relationships with families of students in Special Education, including sharing timely updates on students’ progress, seeking and implementing family feedback, and responding effectively to concerns;
• Seeking and participating in continuing development on federal and state regulations related to Special Education;
• Monitoring the fidelity of accommodations through the collection of work samples;

Cross-Functional Project Management

• Providing guidance on Tier 1 classroom management and behavior strategies;
• Supervising the implementation of classroom, district, and state assessments for students in Special Education;
• Working with the Director of Campus Operations to cohort students, creating and regularly updating a Special Education inclusion schedule to ensure that all IEP-required service minutes are met;
• Covering vacancies & leaves of absence on the Special Education team, including the Compliance Specialist;
• Creating and executing attendance supports for students in Special Education;
• Managing the attendance and participation of students in Special Education in tutorials and summer programs;
• Managing the ChildFind process for initial evaluations, and maintain compliance with all re-evaluations with support from the Compliance Specialist;
• Verifying and submitting rosters for TIA eligibility for Special Education Teachers;
• Conducting quarterly transcript scrubs for high school students in Special Education to ensure alignment with Personal Graduation Plans;
• Verifying testing accommodations for SAT, MAP, system benchmark exams, STAAR tests, etc.;
• Provide support to the Director of College Counseling during course requests to ensure alignment to the Transition Plan in the IEP;
• Applying for and monitoring the internal Graduation Waiver process, submitting Graduation codes to the Director of College Counseling and monitoring progress for all SpEd students toward their Personal Graduation Plans;
• Verifying and submitting rosters for TIA eligibility for Special Education Teachers;
• Additional duties as assigned.

THE PERSON

THE MUST HAVES

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)
• At least 3 years of teaching experience in Special Education
• Texas teaching certificate in Special Education
• Proven record of student achievement results in Special Education
• Strong ability to navigate web-related applications and technology
• Ability to work outside of normal hours and on weekends
• Openness to giving and receiving frequent feedback
• Ability to maintain emotional control under stress
• Ability to work urgently in a fast-paced and results-oriented environment
• Creates and maintains positive working relationships on a team and/or in a highly collaborative environment
• A dedication to learn, grow, and develop as a professional

THE MUST HAVE BELIEFS

• Belief in and commitment to the of YES Prep Public Schools
• Relentless belief that all students are capable of college-readiness, including students with disabilities
• Desire to disrupt systemic status quos in education
• Willingness to go above and beyond to disrupt said status quos
• Passion to develop resiliency through a relentless pursuit of jaw-dropping results
• Conviction that high expectations + high accountability = high performance and high growth

THE NICE TO HAVES

• Experience with dissecting and interpreting TEKS
• Data analysis and disaggregation skills leading toward targeted interventions
• Knowledge of a range of disabilities and how they manifest in a classroom setting
• 1 year or more of team or people management experience
• Past experiences managing cross-functional projects in a school setting
• Demonstrated ability to pinpoint and manage escalated risk
• Action orientation, problem-solving and critical-thinking
• Ability to engage with and influence others, including those with dissenting opinions
• Family and stakeholder relationship-building and engagement skills
• Self-directed learner: actively asks questions, reflects, identifies gaps and seeks resources to close gaps
• Fluent in Spanish
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks and initiatives at once

YES Prep is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood.

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