Special Education Teacher

Special Education Teacher

Waltham Public Schools is seeking a collaborative, skilled, and student-centered Special Education Teacher to provide high-quality, individualized instruction and support to students with disabilities.

The current opening is anticipated to be within the Connections Program, a specialized program serving students with significant and complex learning needs across cognitive, physical, health, communication, academic, and adaptive domains. The program emphasizes meaningful access to learning, communication, independence, belonging, and active participation in the school community.

Special Education Teacher assignments are based on student and district needs and may change over time. Across settings and programs, Special Education Teachers serve as instructional leaders and IEP liaisons, working collaboratively with students, families, educators, paraeducators, related service providers, and administrators to help students make meaningful progress.

Essential Responsibilities

Instruction and Student Support

• Design and deliver engaging, individualized instruction aligned with students' IEPs, the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, and individual learning profiles.
• Maintain high expectations while differentiating instruction, materials, supports, and learning environments to ensure meaningful access for all students.
• Provide specially designed instruction addressing academic, communication, social-emotional, behavioral, adaptive, and/or functional needs, as appropriate.
• Promote student independence, self-advocacy, communication, belonging, and participation in the school community.
• Select and use evidence-based instructional practices, specialized materials, assistive technology, and other supports appropriate to student needs.
• Collect and use student data to monitor progress and inform instruction.

IEP Development and Implementation

• Serve as an IEP liaison for assigned students and ensure consistent implementation of IEP goals, accommodations, modifications, and services.
• Develop meaningful and measurable IEP goals based on student strengths, needs, evaluation data, and Team priorities.
• Monitor and document progress toward IEP goals and prepare required progress reports.
• Contribute to evaluations, IEP development, and Team meetings.
• Maintain accurate and timely special education documentation in accordance with district, state, and federal requirements.

Collaboration and Team Leadership

• Collaborate with families, general and special educators, related service providers, behavior and clinical staff, administrators, and other members of students' educational teams.
• Provide direction, support, and instructional guidance to paraeducators when assigned to the classroom or students.
• Integrate recommendations from specialists and related service providers into students' instruction and daily routines.
• Partner with colleagues to create meaningful opportunities for inclusion and participation in the broader school community.
• Build respectful partnerships with families and communicate regularly about student progress, successes, and needs.

Learning Environment

• Create a safe, welcoming, structured learning environment in which students are valued, supported, challenged, and connected.
• Establish predictable routines while remaining responsive to individual student needs.
• Implement individualized communication, behavioral, social-emotional, health, mobility, adaptive, and other supports identified through student plans and Team decisions.
• Promote student dignity, autonomy, and age-appropriate independence throughout the school day.

Professional Responsibilities

• Participate in professional learning and district initiatives relevant to the role and assignment.
• Engage in ongoing reflection, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Maintain student confidentiality and adhere to professional, ethical, district, state, and federal requirements.
• Contribute positively to the culture and community of the school and district.
• Fulfill other responsibilities consistent with the role of a Special Education Teacher and the needs of the assigned program or school.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• Massachusetts DESE licensure, or eligibility for licensure, as a Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities or Teacher of Students with Severe Disabilities, appropriate to the grade level and assignment.
• Knowledge of special education processes, IEP development, progress monitoring, and specially designed instruction.
• Ability to differentiate instruction and supports to meet a range of student needs.
• Strong collaboration, communication, and organizational skills.
• Commitment to high expectations, belonging, and meaningful educational opportunities for students with disabilities.

Current Vacancy: Connections Program

For the current Connections Program vacancy, experience supporting students with significant cognitive, communication, physical, health, and/or multiple disabilities is especially valuable. Candidates may hold either a Moderate Disabilities or Severe Disabilities license, as appropriate to the assignment.

Experience with functional communication and AAC, adaptive and functional skill development, multidisciplinary collaboration, assistive technology, and leading or supporting a team of paraeducators is preferred.

Salary: As per the WEA contract

Non-Discrimination Notice: Waltham Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation.

Waltham Public Schools has partnered with the Massachusetts Partnership for Diversity in Education (MPDE) in our effort to welcome diverse candidates to our school system. We value and prioritize the hiring of educators who bring a wealth of perspectives and experiences to our schools, and who reflect the diversity of the students we serve.

MPDE is a collaborative of public school districts with a 40-year uninterrupted history committed to supporting the interest of its members to increase the numbers of teachers of color for their schools by providing recruitment support and related services.