Teacher Special Education Teacher
Job Description
Gateway University
Founding Special Education Teacher
Immediate Opening
Memphis, Tennessee
SUMMARY:
“World Class Schools for a World Class Memphis”
Gateway University will be the city of Memphis’ first Career Focused Early College High School. Gateway will allow Memphis high school students to engage in a rigorous academic model that equips them to be both college and career ready upon graduation. At Gateway , the building blocks to success aren’t limited to the classroom—our strategic partnerships with cutting-edge industry leaders and local colleges gives students the unique hands-on training they need to become tomorrow’s leaders.
Our Core Values are Scholarship, Leadership, and Excellence, and combined with a rigorous and diverse personalized learning model, create a first-class educational environment that promotes success in career and life beyond.
OPPORTUNITY:
Gateway University is seeking a mission-driven, founding Special Education Teacher for a new start charter school in Downtown Memphis.
Our ideal Special Education Teacher believes that all students, regardless of zip code, can and will achieve at high levels! They agree that failure is not an option; and they posses Educational Grit – a relentless drive to ensure that every student is successful both academically and emotionally.
They possess a Growth Mindset – and are excited about taking on new challenges. They constantly seek to understand how they can improve their craft because they know that the better they get, the deeper the impact they will have on student achievement.
The Special Education teacher is responsible for ensuring that all special education students make significant academic gains through classroom (inclusion) support and additional out-of-class support. Out of the classroom and with the support of school administrators, the Founding Special Education teacher will manage administrative/ regulatory aspects of the special education Program.
Reports to: Director of Curriculum & Instruction and School Principal
Essential Duties & Responsibilities of Founding Special Education Teacher
Instructional Responsibilities
- Teach daily instructional support lessons to students on caseload, utilizing time outside of core-academic classes
- Serve as an inclusion teacher as needed to effectively support the learning abilities of students with high needs
- Work closely with general education teachers to differentiate curriculum, help create effective accommodations, and modify curriculum when appropriate
- Ensure that all work with students with special needs is aligned with the school’s academic goals for student achievement
- Develop, co-develop, and teach clear and engaging lessons that follow the rigorous, Common Core aligned Gateway curriculum
- Hold students accountable for high behavioral expectations and implement Gateway’s behavior management system with consistency
- Actively participate in grade-level meetings, collaborative planning, and professional development, including an annual summer institute
- Build a warm and inclusive classroom environment, implementing the practices of Responsive Classroom
- Provide additional remediation and acceleration based on formative assessments so that individual students are appropriately challenged according to their zones of proximal development
- Actively participate in opportunities to strengthen her/his own pedagogical skills as well as contribute to the learning of colleagues
- Serve as the advisor to a group of students to support their academic and non-academic growth and development
- Contribute to the school’s smooth and efficient operation by fulfilling required administrative duties, responsibilities, and maintaining open and proactive communication with colleagues
- Accept ultimate responsibility for the academic progress of his or her students, and work to actively overcome setbacks
Administrative Responsibilities
- Write all IEPs of new special education students & revise/update existing IEP’s
- Coordinate outsourced special education testing and manage special education consultants (i.e. Speech and Language Therapist; Occupational Therapist, etc.)
- Effectively progress monitor students and gather evidence to deliver specialized instruction and supports that are aligned to students’ individualized goals
- Ensure that implementation of special education services is compliant with federal and state special education regulations
- Manage all paperwork (e.g. IEPs, 504s, Child Study Records of Accommodations, Teacher Input Questionnaires, IEP Progress Reports, subject-area checklists for MCAS, etc.) associated with special education cases, ensuring deadlines are met and information is accurately recorded
- Maintain regular communication with students’ parents/guardians and families
- Collaborate with other special education teachers, special service providers, general educators, school leaders, and curricular specialists to ensure that instruction is always meeting the needs of all learners.
- Complete and submit all necessary paperwork in a timely and professional manner.
- Create all documents to ensure DOE compliance.
Our ideal Founding Special Education Teacher candidates will possess the following qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree and certification preferred
- Multiple Certifications (SPED, ELL, Additional subjects) will be given higher preference
- A minimum of three years teaching experience, is strongly preferred
- Proven ability to provide high quality teaching and support
- Track record in obtaining dramatic and measurable results in academic, social, and emotional skills development
- Experience in curriculum planning using Understanding By Design
- Deep content knowledge and the ability to effectively teach that content knowledge to a range of secondary grades and explain the content to students with a variety of ability levels
- Deep understanding of Common Core standards and high-quality, exciting teaching practices that ensure students exceed those standards
- Experience with and a deep understanding of both formative and summative assessment and creating corresponding action plans
- Experience planning and executing advisory and college readiness programs for high school students
- Experience working with teacher teams
- Flexibility and “roll-up my sleeves” attitude and a willingness to take on additional roles as it relates to the needs of a start up organization
COMPENSATION:
Salary for this position is competitive and commensurate with experience. We also offer a comprehensive benefits plan as well as the opportunity career growth, and to impact a growing, mission driven organization that is committed to the success of Memphis students.
