Behavior Specialist

Job Description


Job Title


Position Title: Exceptional Student Education Behavior Specialist


Location: Various Locations


Salary: $55,000 - $94,000

Reports to: Exceptional Student Education Lead Administrator


Bargaining Unit: Detroit Federation of Teachers


Benefits Eligible: Yes


Telecommuting Eligibility: Not eligible for telecommuting.

In accordance with the Detroit Federation of Teachers and the Board of Education of the School District of the City of Detroit, the following vacancy is announced.

*DPSCD will offer a $2,000 retention/recruitment certification bonus to existing and new educators who hold an active State of Michigan License for Behavior Specialist for the 2026-2027 school year.


Position Summary:

The Behavior Specialist works collaboratively as a member of the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) team to improve the educational outcomes of students with exceptionalities through the provision of additional support for school personnel in the development of Functional Behavioral Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans, providing modeling, coaching, and recommendations for the development of IEPs and best practice systems of support. Behavior Specialists provide resources, training and support in order to build district capacity for educating students.


Minimum Qualifications:

• Must possess and provide evidence of a minimum of a Master¿s Degree in Education and a valid Teaching Certification with at least one Special Education Endorsement, or a Master of Social Work Degree with a Preliminary School Social Woker certificate or state approval for School Social Worker.
• Must have a minimum of five (5) years of successful certified teaching experience, three (3) of which must be in special education or five (5) years successful employment in a related service support position (e.g., Social Worker, School Social Worker, Behavior Specialist or ABA Therapist)
• Experience with providing instructional or service support for students.
• Demonstrated knowledge of current behavior research and best practices to support student success.
• Training and experience with applying evidence-based practices in the development of functional behavioral assessments and behavior intervention plans.
• Training and experience with data collection and analysis methods, including a range of observational techniques and interviewing strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively solve practical problems and appropriately address a variety of unpredictable situations.
• Demonstrated collaboration, consultation, and group facilitation and process skills.
• Knowledge of theoretical and scientific basis for a Response to Intervention/ Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (RtI / MTSS) model to support the needs of students with exceptionalities.

Essential Functions:

• Provide additional support and consultation to school-based support teams in the development of Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP)

• Provide additional support and consultation to school-based support teams by participating in IEP Team meetings, Manifestation Determinations and Behavior Review and Support meetings

• Provide additional support and consultation for classroom teachers/teams and school personnel on behavior reduction, classroom management, crisis intervention and skill acquisition as a part of a student¿s supports system or Behavior Intervention Plan

• Implement on-going assessments to maintain a consistent progress monitoring system/record of progress

• Promote highly specialized positive behavior interventions in which at risk students can thrive

• Promote behavior instruction that is explicit, intensive, accelerated, and provides ample practice time

• Provide additional support and consultation to school-based teams with crisis intervention, learning and collaboration concerns, and behavior factors that can affect the development and implementation of intervention strategies and/or plans

• Model positive, real-life assessment processes that will assist students with evaluating their own behaviors and encourage self-advocacy

• Provide support, consultation, and recommendations to evaluation and IEP teams with eligibility determinations, LRE determinations, and other programming decisions

• Develop a repertoire of social stories, behavior strategies, and emergency behavior plans consistent with instructional goals, academic environment, and teaching methods that can be tailored to individual student needs to more accurately assess student behavior skills and understanding

• Engage parents and families in the behavior intervention process to empower them by providing skills and techniques to support positive behavior development in the student.

• Develop and facilitate workshops/professional development on a variety of behavior management techniques and related social skills and on the utilization and implementation of evidence-based strategies and interventions, best practices, PBIS and START programming
• Provide additional support for classroom teachers/teams by providing recommendations of strategies and interventions for students exhibiting challenging behaviors in the classroom that disrupt their learning and the learning of others

• Participate in a local system of training and support to provide school leadership teams with the highest quality professional development leading to changes in systems and practices and improved student outcomes

• Meet the needs of all students effectively by working in collaboration with other disciplines

• Continually observe students to ensure safety safe, non-threatening, nurturing behaviors increase in the learning environment to support academic and social emotional growth

• Fulfill other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Security Clearance:

Internal Applicants

If you are a current Detroit Public Schools Community District employee, you do not have to submit to a new security clearance, unless your new role requires a different type of criminal background check.

External Applicants

In alignment with Michigan law, if you are hired to fill a position, you will be required to submit to a Detroit Public Schools Community District criminal background check. Information regarding required background checks will be shared at point of hire.

Method of Application:

Applicants must apply through the online application system. Only applications submitted through the online application system will be considered for any posted position and all applications require a resume to be considered.

Successful candidates are required to submit official transcript(s) at point of offer to hire. It is the applicant's responsibility to provide all documentation (including copies) as requested.

Applicants requesting assistance during the application process should contact the Office of Human Resources via email at [email protected] or phone at View phone number on click.appcast.io.

DPSCD does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability and/or religion. Contact the Civil Rights Coordinator for more information at View phone number on click.appcast.io or detroitk12.org/compliance.