Executive Director of Special Education

Performance Responsibilities

Candidates are responsible for, but not limited to, the following:

Policy Formulation and Executive Authority

Serve as a full voting member of the Superintendent's Cabinet; participate in executive-level decision-making on district policy, strategic planning, budget, and human resources matters across all divisions of the district.

Formulate, determine, and effectuate management policy governing all special education programs and student support services in the district; exercise final executive authority over departmental policy and its implementation through subordinate administrators.

Develop, draft, and present for Board of Education adoption all policies, regulations, and administrative procedures relating to special education and student services; ensure alignment with applicable federal and state law and the district's strategic plan.

Serve as the Superintendent's designated executive agent and senior representative in all special education-related legal proceedings, impartial hearings, Office for Civil Rights complaints, and NYSED monitoring and compliance visits.

Advise the Superintendent and Board of Education on all matters of law, policy, risk, and strategy within the department's scope; make independent executive recommendations on matters with significant legal or fiscal consequence.

Develop and execute a multi-year strategic plan for the Department of Special Education; establish measurable district-wide goals, report progress to the Superintendent and Board, and hold subordinate administrators accountable for outcomes.

Labor Relations and Confidential Personnel Functions

Serve in a confidential capacity to the Superintendent of Schools in the area of labor relations; regularly access and work with confidential information relating to the district's positions, strategies, and proposals in collective negotiations involving special education and student services personnel.

Actively participate in the development of the district's collective bargaining strategy for all bargaining units whose members work within or are supervised by the Department of Special Education; advise the Superintendent and district counsel on management positions during negotiations.

Serve as the district's management representative at the final administrative step of grievance proceedings involving personnel within the Department of Special Education; render written management decisions on Step 3 grievances.

Review, analyze, and respond to arbitration demands and Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) charges involving department personnel in coordination with district counsel; maintain confidential files related to all pending and potential labor matters.

Access and review confidential personnel records, disciplinary histories, and compensation data for all staff within the department for purposes of labor relations strategy, grievance response, and management decision-making.

Advise the Superintendent on the labor relations implications of proposed organizational changes, staffing decisions, and policy initiatives within the department.

Independent Personnel Authority

Exercise independent authority to recruit, screen, interview, and select candidates for all positions within the Department of Special Education; make final hiring recommendations to the Superintendent without intermediate review.

Independently initiate, direct, and carry out disciplinary investigations and proceedings involving department personnel; issue or recommend corrective action, formal discipline, or termination, subject only to Board ratification.

Directly supervise and formally evaluate the Director of Special Education and the Director of Student Services and Compliance; set annual performance goals, conduct formal evaluations, and make independent determinations regarding performance ratings and employment continuance.

Establish, modify, and enforce performance standards and accountability systems for all personnel within the department; exercise independent judgment in personnel decisions without requiring approval at a supervisory level above the Superintendent.

Direct succession planning and determine professional development priorities for all staff within the department.

Fiscal Authority and Resource Control

Independently prepare and present the Department of Special Education's annual budget to the Superintendent and Board of Education for adoption; exercise signature authority over all departmental expenditures and purchasing decisions.

Administer and ensure fiscal compliance with IDEA Part B, Preschool Special Education, McKinney-Vento, and all other federal and state funding streams flowing through the department; make independent determinations regarding fund allocation and expenditure priorities.

Authorize and approve contracts, service agreements, and vendor relationships on behalf of the department within Board-approved parameters.

Departmental Oversight

Provide executive oversight, through the Director of Special Education and the Director of Student Services and Compliance, of all departmental programs and compliance functions, including special education services, IEP implementation, McKinney-Vento, student registration, attendance enforcement, DASA compliance, and homebound instruction. Operational execution of these functions is the responsibility of subordinate directors.

Direct the district's response to NYSED compliance reviews, corrective action plans, and State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) indicators at the policy and systems level; delegate operational implementation to subordinate administrators.

Cultivate strategic partnerships with BOCES, community agencies, mental health providers, legal counsel, and advocacy organizations; serve as the district's senior external representative on all matters within the department's scope.

Additional Responsibilities

Performs such other tasks and assumes such other responsibilities as determined by the Superintendent of Schools.

This posting in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee. The employee will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform other related duties as assigned by the Superintendent or appropriate designee. The Mount Vernon City School District reserves the right to update, revise, or change this posting and related duties at any time without prior notice.

Qualifications

Valid New York State School District Administrator (SDA) or School District Leader (SDL) certification required

Master's degree in Special Education, Educational Administration, or a closely related field required; Doctorate (Ed.D. or Ph.D.) strongly preferred

Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in special education administration, including experience at the district level

Demonstrated experience supervising and evaluating administrative and professional staff

Proven track record of leading large, complex departments or programs in a public school setting

Expert-level knowledge of IDEA, Part 200 and Part 201 regulations, McKinney-Vento Act, DASA, Section 504, and other applicable federal and state laws governing special education and student services

Demonstrated ability to manage and administer IDEA Part B grant compliance and NYSED corrective action processes

Strong fiscal management skills, including experience preparing, presenting, and administering multi-million-dollar budgets with signature authority

Experience with labor relations, collective bargaining strategy, grievance administration, or personnel disciplinary proceedings in a public sector setting

Experience serving as a member of a superintendent's cabinet or senior executive leadership team strongly preferred

Exceptional leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills; ability to build consensus across a diverse organization

Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and high expectations for all students, particularly those with disabilities and other marginalized populations