Teacher High School Special Education Teacher
Job Description
Special Education Teacher
(Full time, Certification Required)
Position Description
About the Organization
Educators for Quality Alternatives operates alternative schools in New Orleans serving students who have dropped out, been expelled, or otherwise have struggled academically or behaviorally in traditional school settings. Our students leave school with the skills, confidence, and experience to succeed in the career and education paths of their choice. EQA currently runs two high schools, The NET: Central City and The NET: Gentilly, and a middle school program, The Bridge. EQA will open its third high school, New Orleans Accelerated High School, in July 2020.
Position Summary
This position is a unique opportunity to work intensively with students who haven’t excelled in traditional classrooms. You will join a dedicated and mission aligned team of professionals who believe that every student should have high quality, individualized supports.
EQA Schools Special Education Teachers are responsible for:
- Teaching, co-teaching, and tutoring to insure all students thrive
- Collaborating with the team to insure all students receive the appropriate supports, accommodations, and modifications
- Managing student caseload for compliance and progress monitoring purposes
- Building and leveraging transformative relationships for student growth
- Constantly developing your own craft
Duties and Responsibilities:
Direct Instruction
- Develops and implements feedback on creation and implementation of customized/differentiated Math lesson plans for any student in resource, small groups, and co- taught settings.
- Plans, teaches, assesses, and adjusts instruction based on data.
- Uses the Resource Math pacing guide to plan daily lessons, and modify/accommodate content based on student need.
- Collaborate, co-plan, and co-teach in Math courses with a focus on SWE but also supporting the needs of all students in the classroom.
Case Management for students with exceptionalities
- Review and analyze files of all students assigned to caseload to ensure a thorough and holistic understanding of student needs to inform next steps/action planning (including determination of appropriate instructional and behavioral support and appropriate testing accommodations).
- Schedule and convene annual and requested Individual Education Program (IEP) review meetings as well as amendments based on schedule changes.
- Develop measurable IEP goals, based on current quantitative Present Levels of Performance (PLOPs) and qualitative general educator input, including meaningful transition planning.
- Quarterly progress reports on IEP goals are complete, timely, meaningful and indicate student progress.
- Hold monthly Attendance, Behavior, and Classwork (ABC) checkins with each student on your caseload to ensure adequate progress and support attendance and enrollment initiatives.
- Collaborate with SEC to enter, track, monitor and analyze a range of data, resulting in data-driven decisions about individual student programming.
- Collaborate with clinical providers; consistently reinforce and monitor behavior management strategies and behavior intervention plans (BIPs).
- Encourage and sustain positive family partnerships, through a minimum of one documented phonecall per month for individualized progress updates.
- Collaborate with SEC to maintain compliant practices, including but not limited to IEP file folder and data (i.e. academic, behavior, attendance, action plans, and meeting notes).
Acts as a resource to colleagues
- Provide a range of supplementary resources/aides and technical assistance in general education classes and remedial classes, co-teaching expertise, and/or consultation with Math general education teachers regarding students with exceptionalities.
- Manage data collection for all IEP goals for all SWE across the school in the areas of Math and be the special education point of contact for that content areas.
Position Requirements:
- 3+ years teaching at risk students with a demonstrated record raising student achievement
- A BA or BS required
- Louisiana Special Education Teacher Certification completed or in progress required
- Specialized interest and skills in working with students with learning and emotional difficulties
- Excellent communication, interpersonal, relationship building & management skills
- Learning mindset dedicated to effectively and innovatively problem solving and constantly improving
- Passion for improving educational opportunities for urban students and for being a part of a strong, mission-driven team
- Commitment to EQA’s mission, vision and growth
Details
- Start Date: July 2020
- Location: TBA
- Schedule: School is year-round with generous leave schedule.
- Salary: $45,000-$55,000 depending upon experience. Initial salary is set based on years of experience and degrees. Future salary increases are based on performance and responsibilities.
- Benefits: Comprehensive benefits and 403b retirement plan
- Reports to: Special Education Coordinator
Detailed Responsibilities
Teach, co-teach, and tutor to insure all students thrive
- Push-in, pull out, or co-teach for Math, Science and/or Humanities classes as needed
- Plan and teach small group interventions, individualized tutoring, test prep, and/or Act 833 portfolio development as needed
- Use the tenants of Differentiated Instruction to develop high quality long term and daily plans
- Develop rigorous, diverse assessments to accurately gauge student understanding & skills
- Collect and analyze a variety of data to assess student’s strengths, gaps, and weaknesses
- Use this information to appropriately adjust course curriculum and delivery and individualized approaches and supports
Collaborate with the team to insure all students receive the appropriate supports, accommodations, and modifications
- Consult with teachers and provide modifications and accommodations
- Develop and monitor FBAs/BIPs
- Support student scheduling
Manage student caseload for compliance and progress monitoring purposes
- Develop, manage and continually update legally compliant IEPs and files
- Work closely with staff, students, and families to identify students who have or should have IEPs or evaluations and to obtain the appropriate information
- Develop high quality IEPs and IEP goals which align with state policies, EQA values, and student needs
- Monitor progress toward IEP goals to insure students are appropriately progressing
- Coordinate and lead IEP meetings to insure students and families are empowered in the plan development and implementation process
Building and leveraging transformative relationships for student growth
- Participate in all aspects of students’ experience including: intake, RtI, special education, internships, and post high school transition
- Conduct structured bi-weekly meetings with students’ to review their progress and develop plans for success
- Actively practice restorative approaches and collaborative problem-solving in order to teach students how to take responsibility for improving their behavior and communication
Constantly develop your own craft
- Actively reflect on your own work and monitor progress toward goals
- Productively seek, give, and use feedback
- Positively contribute to the school’s collegial community
- Participate in all scheduled professional development activities and seek out additional opportunities
- Involve yourself in the continual development and improvement of the school’s curriculum, culture, and program
