SY26-27 ELA Special Education Teacher - High School

Job Description

Job Description

Join a School Where We Build, Learn, and Grow Together

About Innovation Charter High School

At Innovation Charter High School, we believe schools can be places where young people are deeply known, challenged, and prepared to shape their futures, and where educators do some of the most meaningful work of their careers.

We are a mission-driven public charter high school in New York City serving students with ambition, care, and urgency. Our team is fiercely committed to improving student outcomes and continuously strengthening the school we are building together.

This is a place for educators who believe:

• Feedback is essential to growth, for students and adults
• Curiosity is a driver of strong teaching and learning
• Great schools are built through reflection, collaboration, and persistence
• Students thrive when adults hold high expectations and provide deep support
• Supporting one another as a community and showing up as strong team players matters just as much as individual excellence

We are not interested in maintaining the status quo. We are actively working to create new ways of supporting students and new ways of working together as colleagues. That takes humility, experimentation, resilience, and heart.

Our staff cares deeply. We challenge one another. We learn in public. We keep improving.

If you are energized by joining a dedicated team that is building toward something better, for students and for each other, we’d love to meet you.

About the Role

We are seeking a passionate, equity-driven High School Special Education Teacher to support students in developing strong reading, writing, and critical thinking skills within an Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) classroom.

In this role, you will partner closely with general education teachers, families, and student support teams to ensure students with IEPs access rigorous instruction, feel known and supported, and make meaningful academic and social-emotional growth.

This role is ideal for an educator who believes inclusion is not a program, but a practice and who sees special education as both advocacy and instructional excellence.

What You’ll Do

Deliver Inclusive, Rigorous ELA Instruction

• Co-plan, co-teach, and co-assess across grade bands in ELA classrooms using effective co-teaching models
• Design and implement specially designed instruction that supports access to grade-level texts and writing tasks
• Differentiate instruction to meet a wide range of literacy levels, including students needing foundational skill development
• Support students in close reading, text analysis, and evidence-based writing
• Use inquiry-based strategies to build engagement, discussion, and critical thinking

Build Strong Readers, Writers, and Thinkers

• Support students in developing analytical and argumentative writing across genres
• Scaffold complex texts to ensure all students can access and engage with rigorous material
• Build student confidence in expressing ideas through discussion and writing
• Strengthen vocabulary, comprehension, and academic language skills
• Use formative and summative assessment data to drive literacy growth

Serve as an IEP Case Manager and Student Advocate

• Manage a caseload of students with IEPs and monitor progress toward goals
• Provide regular 1:1 student support and progress monitoring
• Prepare documentation, maintain compliance in SESIS, and contribute to IEP development
• Partner with families and colleagues through meetings, conferences, and collaborative problem-solving
• Advocate for students’ academic, social-emotional, and developmental needs

Contribute to a Collaborative Adult Culture

• Engage actively in feedback, coaching, and professional learning
• Collaborate with colleagues to improve practice and student outcomes
• Contribute to a culture of reflection, curiosity, and continuous improvement
• Help create classrooms and a school community rooted in belonging, safety, and high expectations 

Who Thrives Here
You may be a strong fit if you are:

• A relationship-centered educator with unwavering belief in students
• A reflective practitioner who seeks and uses feedback
• A collaborator who enjoys co-planning and shared problem-solving
• A teacher who balances structure, compassion, and rigor
• Someone energized by building and improving, not just inheriting finished systems
• Committed to educational equity and serving diverse learners in NYC public schools
• Someone who is willing to adapt high quality instructional materials (HQIM) to meet the needs of your students. 

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• New York State Students with Disabilities Teaching Certification required, or active pathway toward certification
• Bachelor’s degree required

Strongly Preferred:

• Master’s degree in Special Education or related field
• 3+ years of teaching experience, ideally in New York City schools or urban public/charter settings
• Experience supporting adolescents with IEPs in inclusion settings
• Familiarity with Regents-aligned instruction, Common Core standards, and NYC special education systems (including SESIS)
• Experience using assessment data to inform instruction and intervention

Compensation & Benefits

This is a full-time position with a salary range of $68,902 – $95,000 (based on certification level and experience).

Innovation teachers certified in New York State receive a highly competitive compensation package. Uncertified teachers receive competitive compensation with increases upon certification.

Benefits include:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) with up to 5% employer match
• Life insurance
• Professional development and coaching
• A collaborative team deeply committed to growth and support

Why Join Innovation

You’ll join a school where:

• Your voice and ideas matter
• Coaching and feedback are part of the culture
• People work hard, care deeply, and keep learning
• Students are at the center of every decision
• You can help shape what the school becomes

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