Special Education Teacher

Special Education TeacherAt BHA Academy, Certified Special Education Teachers are essential leaders in advancing our mission: empowering individuals with developmental disabilities and behavioral needs to achieve academic, social, emotional, and functional success. Grounded in our Core Values—Compassion with Purpose, Structure Builds Safety, Professionalism in Every Moment, Positivity Drives Progress, Education is Empowerment, Consistency Creates Change, Reunification is Our Mission, and Advocacy Through Action—Special Education Teachers/Case Managers provide highly individualized instruction and support to students with significant and severe needs.This is a highly specialized classroom environment serving students who require intensive levels of academic, behavioral, social, and functional support. Students may have complex developmental disabilities, significant communication and adaptive needs, intensive behavioral needs, and/or require a high degree of structure, supervision, and individualized support throughout the school day. Teachers should be comfortable working with students who may have limited communication skills, significant support needs, and behaviors that require consistent implementation of individualized behavioral and safety strategies.Special Education Teachers are responsible for designing and delivering instruction that is meaningful, accessible, and aligned with each student's Individualized Education Program (IEP), while also supporting functional life skills, communication, independence, and social-emotional development. Teachers use creativity, patience, structure, and consistency to help students make progress toward both academic and functional goals.Teachers collaborate closely with an interdisciplinary team of educators, behavior professionals, paraprofessionals, families, and school districts to ensure each student's educational, behavioral, and functional needs are addressed. They provide leadership and coaching to paraprofessionals, model appropriate instructional and behavioral strategies, and ensure consistent implementation of each student's IEP and support plans across environments.Success in this classroom requires a teacher who is calm under pressure, highly structured, adaptable, compassionate, and comfortable working with students who require intensive support. This is an opportunity for an experienced Special Education Teacher who wants to work in a specialized environment where consistency, advocacy, and individualized instruction can create meaningful progress for students with some of the most significant support needs.This is a safety-sensitive position. Employees must be able to safely perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, including maintaining continuous alertness, providing direct supervision, responding appropriately to behavioral and safety needs, driving individuals served as required, and administering medications as trained.QualificationsEducation & Experience:Bachelor's degree in Special Education or a related field; Master's degree preferred.Current Missouri licensure or certification as a Special Education Teacher; endorsement in Autism or Behavioral Disabilities preferred.Minimum 2 years of experience working with students with significant developmental disabilities, autism, complex behavioral needs, or intensive support needs preferred.School-based special education experience strongly preferred, particularly experience working in high-support or self-contained classroom environments.Experience developing and implementing IEPs and providing individualized academic, functional, and behavioral instruction.Experience working with students with significant communication, adaptive, behavioral, or sensory support needs preferred.Experience working as part of a multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary team.Ability to provide structure, consistency, and active supervision in a highly individualized classroom environment.Ability to remain calm, professional, and responsive when addressing challenging behaviors and safety-sensitive situations.Key Responsibilities:Compassion with Purpose• Approach each student with a trauma-informed mindset, recognizing that behind every behavior is a story, and respond with empathy, high expectations, and skill.• Build strong, trusting relationships with students and families by maintaining open, respectful, and strengths-based communication about progress, challenges, and successes.• Provide individualized supports and accommodations that preserve student dignity while promoting independence in academics, behavior, and self-care.Structure Builds Safety• Create and maintain a predictable, structured classroom environment with clear expectations, routines, visual schedules, and supports that promote safety and learning.• Implement and monitor classroom management systems that align with behavior intervention plans (BIPs), IEPs, and Academy procedures, including reinforcement systems and visual behavior supports.• Collaborate with behavior analysts and clinical staff (e.g., BCBAs, Behavior Specialists) to implement proactive, positive behavior strategies and participate in Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and BIP development as needed.Professionalism in Every Moment• Maintain confidentiality, professionalism, and ethical standards in all interactions with students, families, colleagues, and external partners.• Complete all required documentation, including IEPs, progress monitoring, grade reporting, data collection, and communication logs, accurately and within required timelines.• Participate actively in IEP meetings, parent-teacher conferences, staff meetings, and multidisciplinary collaboration as a prepared, solution-focused team member.• Provide consistent coaching, direction, and feedback to paraprofessionals to ensure they understand and implement instructional and behavioral supports with fidelityPositivity Drives Progress• Foster a classroom culture of optimism, resilience, and growth by celebrating small wins, effort, and progress toward IEP goals.• Maintain a solution-focused mindset when addressing challenging behaviors, academic gaps, or crises—modeling calm, regulated responses for students and staff.• Encourage and reinforce positive peer interactions, social skills, and self-advocacy, emphasizing what students can do and are learning to do.Education is Empowerment• Develop and implement IEPs tailored to each student's unique needs, including measurable goals, accommodations, services, and progress monitoring plans.• Plan and deliver differentiated instruction aligned with state standards and IEP goals, using evidence-based strategies and specialized techniques to support sensory, communication, cognitive, motor, and academic development.• Utilize instructional technology, visual supports, and assistive tools appropriate for students with autism and other disabilities to maximize engagement and accessibility.• Regularly analyze academic and behavioral data to adjust instruction, update goals, and refine interventions to support meaningful progress.Consistency Creates Change• Implement classroom routines, reinforcement systems, instructional strategies, and BIPs consistently, ensuring predictability and follow-through for students and staff.• Maintain consistent data collection on IEP goals and behavior targets, ensuring that paraprofessionals are trained and supported to collect accurate data.• Follow all BHA Academy protocols, behavior support plans, safety procedures, and mandated reporting requirements, ensuring alignment and reliability across the team.Reunification is Our Mission• Design instruction and supports that promote student skills necessary for successful participation in less restrictive environments, including public school settings when appropriate.• Collaborate with sending school districts, families, and external partners to support transition planning, reintegration, and long-term success.• Provide timely, clear, and data-based progress reports to school districts and families, highlighting growth and next steps toward reunification or the least restrictive environment.Advocacy Through Action• Advocate for student needs, rights, and access to appropriate services and supports in IEP meetings, school-based teams, and cross-agency collaborations.• Partner with families by providing resources, strategies, and education that help extend learning and behavior supports into the home environment.• Identify and help remove barriers to student learning, participation, and inclusion—using data and professional judgment to recommend changes in programming, supports, or services.Other Duties• Perform other duties and special projects to support Academy and organizational initiatives as assigned.• Conduct staff training, supervision, and performance evaluations as assigned.• Participate in on-call rotations for behavioral crisis response.• Complete all documentation, billing, and reporting requirements in accordance with BHA and regulatory guidelines.• Uphold BHA's mission and values in all work performed.Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.RequirementsFull-Time BenefitsMedical, Dental & Vision401(k) with company matchHSA & Flexible Spending Account optionsShort- & Long-Term DisabilityPTO & Sick Time accrue starting Day 1$100 monthly wellness spending account after 90 daysOnDemand Pay (access pay when needed