Special Education Teacher

Introduction

Are you an endorsed educator in Connecticut and looking to transform the lives of our incarcerated population? If so, we have the opportunity for you!


The State of Connecticut, Department of Correction (DOC) is seeking enthusiastic and experienced Special Education Teachers to fill various positions across the State.


To be considered you must possess Connecticut Teaching Endorsements 065, 165, or 265. Please note we do not currently accept DSAP Certifications or any other short or long term permits. All Endorsements must be active Initial, Provisional, or Professional. Click here to confirm you possess the appropriate license and that it is up-to-date.

Incumbents in this class must meet the State Board of Education requirements to receive an initial educator certificate for External Diploma Program/Noncredited Mandated Programs (107). Secondary certified candidates will also need to meet the requirements to receive an initial educator certificate for High School Credit Diploma Program (106). Selected candidate will have six (6) months from their hire date to obtain the applicable endorsement.

We encourage endorsed educators who are interested in becoming a State School Teacher with the DOC to apply directly to this recruitment!


What we can offer you


We take part in a competitive benefits plan which includes:

• Option to maintain State of Connecticut Teacher Retirement Plan or enroll in the State Employee Retirement System;
• A variety of medical and dental plans;
• Participation in a hybrid retirement plan which provides a retirement benefit, that may include retiree health insurance;
• Sick and personal leave;
• Five (5) weeks of scheduled vacation time;
• Annual $1,000.00 lump sum payment
• Tuition reimbursement; and
• The State of CT is an eligible Public Services Loan Forgiveness employer, meaning you may be eligible to have qualifying student loans forgiven after 10 years of service.

Visit our State Employee Benefits Overview page to learn more!

In addition, the State puts an emphasis on:

• Providing limitless opportunities;
• Hiring for diversity and fresh perspectives;
• Performing meaningful work and;
• Encouraging a healthy work/life balance!

Position highlights

• SCHEDULE : first-shift, full time (35 hours per week,) Monday through Friday
• ACADEMIC CALENDAR: Unified School District (USD) #1 follows a 12-month school calendar, 222 school days per year.
• TRAINING : Candidates selected for hire, are required to attend a fourteen (14) week training at the CT DOC Training Academy. More details can be found in the 'Selection Plan' of this job bulletin.
• LOCATION : Positions are available at all of our facilities.

Candidates new to the State of Connecticut will start on 'Step one' of the pay plan, in the tier that their highest level of education corresponds to. Starting salary is non-negotiable.


Bachelors Degree Masters Degree 6th Year Step 1 (minimum) $72,275 $75,900 $81,208 Step 13-15 (maximum) $111,912 $131,422 $140,620


The Connecticut Department of Correction Unified School District #1 is dedicated to providing quality educational programs for incarcerated individuals. Academic knowledge, vocational competencies and life skills integrated with technology are offered to students in a positive environment to foster lifelong learning, multicultural awareness and a successful transition to society.


As a Special Education Teacher with the DOC, you will be responsible for:

• Prioritizing safety and security as it pertains to staff, victims, citizens, and offenders;
• Teaching early intervention, elementary, secondary, special subject, and/or special education curricula;
• Developing educational plans for individuals and groups;
• Setting short and long term goals and evaluating student progress;
• Participating in planning team meetings and case review conferences to assess student behavior;
• Holding conferences with parents or officials concerned with student performance;
• Relating to professionals in ancillary educational roles;
• Maintaining student records and writing reports;
• Modeling positive teaching practices.
• More details can be found in the class specification.

We are seeking a candidate who possesses:

• An understanding of the different types of learning styles of students and being able to teach to their ability levels.
• The ability to work with a variety of different disciplines throughout the day.
• Working knowledge of classroom routines and disciplines.
• Outstanding personal and interpersonal skills.
• The ability to follow the class schedule as provided by the school administration with the understanding that it may change unexpectedly.

Endorsements we are recruiting for include:
• 065 Comprehensive Special Education, PK-12
• 165 Comprehensive Special Education, PK-12
• 265 Comprehensive Special Education, 1-12

About us

The Connecticut Department of Correction is a diverse agency with a wide variety of employees from Correction Officers, to Educators, to Managers and Skilled Professionals. We value differences that make us stronger as a team and support our mission statement.


The Connecticut Department of Correction (DOC) is the agency responsible for corrections in the U.S. State of Connecticut. The agency operates 13 correctional facilities. It has its headquarters in Wethersfield. The DOC protects public safety by ensuring offenders serve their sentences of imprisonments in facilities that are safe, human, and provide re-entry programming.


The State of Connecticut, Department of Correction is a unified system; all sentenced and un-sentenced offenders are supervised by the DOC. The Department also provides supervision for offenders on parole, community release, and other discretionary release programs.


Our School District


USD #1 is dedicated to providing quality educational programs for incarcerated individuals. Students are offered academic knowledge, vocational competencies, and life skills integrated with technology in a positive environment to foster lifelong learning, multicultural awareness, and a successful social transition. USD#1 offers an array of academic programming, including:

• K-12 High School Program
• Adult Basic Education (ABE)
• General Education Development (GED)
• Credit Diploma Program (CDP)
• English Second Language (ESL)/ Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and;
• a wide variety of Career-Technical Education (CTE) programs.

Our USD#1 motto is defined by the Latin phrase on the District's seal. The phrase, "Non Sum Qualis Eram," translates into English as "I am not what I once was." The hope is that returning citizens will be provided with some of the core tools required to change their path in life through education.

Selection Plan

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THIS RECRUITMENT:

• Please include any related endorsement certification(s) and/or licensure credential details within your application.
• Be sure to select all DOC facility locations you are interested and commutable to.
• Selected candidates may be required to present a lesson plan in front of students in one of our Correctional Facilities as part of the interview process.
• This is a hazardous duty* position.
  • Candidates selected for hire will be required to attend a 14-week hazardous duty training at the Maloney Center for Training & Staff Development located in Cheshire, CT. This training consists of both classroom and on the job training (one day of classroom presentation and nine days of "hands-on" physical training.) The Behavior Management Program training will education on the use of physical force as it applies to self-defense, and the maintenance of order and security within the inmate population. In order to graduate, trainees will be required to pass a written exam, as well as a practical skills test which will be scored.

FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:


Check out our Applicant Tips on How to Apply! Need more resources? Visit our Applicant Reference Library for additional support throughout the recruitment process.


BEFORE YOU APPLY:

• Meet Minimum Qualifications: Ensure you meet the Minimum Qualifications listed on the job opening by the job closing date. You must specify your qualifications on your application. The minimum experience and training requirements listed must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
• Educational Credits: List your earned credits and degrees from accredited institutions accurately on your application. To receive educational credits towards qualification, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the contact listed below.
• Resume Policy: Per Public Act 21-69, resumes are not accepted during the initial application process. As the recruitment process progresses, candidates may be required to submit additional documentation to support their qualification(s) for this position. This documentation may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the request and discretion of the hiring agency.
• Preferred Shift/Location: Select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift.
• Timely Submission: All application materials must be received by the job posting deadline. You will be unable to make revisions once you officially submit your application to the State. Late submissions are rarely accepted, with exceptions only for documented events that incapacitate individuals during the entire duration of the job posting. Request exceptions by emailing View email address on click.appcast.io.
• Salary Calculations : For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.

• Note : The only way to apply to this posting is via the 'Apply' or 'Apply Online' buttons on the official State of Connecticut Online Employment Center job posting.

AFTER YOU APPLY:

• Some email providers may experience delays or issues delivering messages. To avoid missing important updates-such as referral questionnaires or interview scheduling links-please check your Personal Status Board regularly. For added convenience, you can also enable text (SMS) notifications. To do this, log in to your Personal Status Board and select "Update My Contact Information."
• Referral Questions: This posting may require completion of additional Referral Questions (RQs), which must be completed by the questionnaire's expiration date. If requested, RQs can be accessed via an email sent to you after the job close date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section).
• Prepare For An Interview: Interviews are limited to those whose experience and training are most aligned with the role. To prepare, review this helpful Interview Preparation Guide to make the best impression!
• Stay connected! Log in daily to your JobAps Personal Status Board to track your status and check email (including spam/junk folders) for updates and tasks.
• The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
• Note : This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules. Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State employees, available at

QUESTIONS? WE'RE HERE TO HELP:


Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt or provide status updates directly. For recruitment updates, please check your Personal Status Board and review our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have additional questions about the recruitment process, reach out to Mackenzie Robinson at View email address on click.appcast.io.


Join the State of Connecticut and take your next career step with confidence!

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)


In a state institution, facility or region within a state unified school district this class teaches appropriate early intervention, elementary, secondary, special subjects and/or special education curricula to individuals enrolled in departmental education programs.


EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

• Teaches early intervention, elementary, secondary, special subject and/or special education curricula;
• Develops educational plans for individuals and groups material level to students ability;
• Sets short and long term goals and evaluates progress of students;
• Participates in planning team meetings and case review conferences assessing student behavior;
• Relates to professionals in ancillary educational roles;
• Maintains student records and writes reports;
• May hold conferences with parents or officials concerned with student's performance;
• Performs related work as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

• Knowledge of
  • the philosophy and methods of education and teaching;
  • the principles and practices of education for special needs population;
  • student program needs and goal setting;
• Ability to
  • motivate students;
  • communicate at the appropriate level;
  • establish cooperative relationships with those contacted in work;
  • prepare written reports.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS


Possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college.


PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with teaching a diverse group of people;
• Experience working in a correctional institution, detention center or similarly structured environment;
• Experience participating in the PPT process;
• Experience with providing data on annual goals and objectives;
• Experience with Transition Planning;
• Experience with CT Special Education Data Systems to create, develop, review and revise IEPs;
• Experience with administering, scoring and analyzing various achievement assessments;
• Experience writing comprehensive achievement evaluations;
• Experience progress monitoring and utilizing various data collection materials to gather data;
• Experience teaching and providing interventions to students with Emotional Disabilities;
• Experience with RTI/SRBI/MTSS;
• Experience with special education identification and referral processes;
• Experience writing comprehensive achievement assessments.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Employment in this class is conditional upon possession of a valid Connecticut State Board of Education teaching certificate appropriate to the teaching assignment.
• Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and retain a current Connecticut Motor Vehicle operator's license.

CHARACTER REQUIREMENTS


In addition to the checking of references and of facts stated in the application, a thorough background investigation of each candidate may be made prior to appointment.


Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER


The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT


As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.