Dean of Special Populations (27-28 School Year)

Dean of Special Populations

Who We Are

Fort Worth STEAM Academy is a tuition-free public charter middle school in East Fort Worth. Our mission is to prepare every student for success in high school, college, and career through a rigorous STEAM-focused education, a joyful culture of high expectations, and strong community partnerships. As a member of our team, you won't just take a job—you'll help build a safe, structured, joyful school where curiosity and excellence thrive.

Summary

The Dean of Special Populations leads Fort Worth STEAM Academy's Special Education, Emergent Bilingual (EB), and Section 504 programs—ensuring students receive high-quality services and that all programs meet federal, state, and local compliance requirements.

This leader owns Special Education compliance and case management, including ARD meetings, IEP implementation, service-minute tracking, related services coordination, progress monitoring, and Special Education coding. The Dean also serves as FWSA's EB Coordinator, leading LPAC processes and monitoring EB student progress, and as the Section 504 Coordinator, overseeing required meetings, plans, and implementation.

In addition to program leadership, the Dean maintains a focused instructional coaching load, directly supporting two Special Education Teachers and one Reading Interventionist to strengthen instruction and improve student outcomes.

Success looks like: 100% compliance with required timelines and documentation , 100% implementation and monitoring of required student services , strong student progress toward IEP, language-development, and intervention goals , accurate special populations coding and records, and meaningful contributions toward FWSA's schoolwide academic goals.

Reports to: Superintendent
Directly Manages: 2 Special Education Teachers; 1 Reading Interventionist
Location: Fort Worth, TX (on-site)
Schedule: Full-time, school calendar; some evenings/weekends for family meetings and school events

Anticipated Start Date: June 2027

Who We're Looking For: Values-Driven and Mission-Focused

This is an opportunity to lead the systems that ensure every student receives the services, support, and high expectations needed to thrive. We're seeking a leader who combines strong technical knowledge of special populations with excellent organization, instructional leadership, and a deep belief in what all students can achieve.

• Achievement: Set bold, measurable goals, use data relentlessly, own outcomes, and prioritize high-impact work.
• Teamwork: Collaborate across roles, communicate directly with empathy, uphold high standards, and put the team above ego.
• Continuous Improvement: Seek feedback fast, find root causes, iterate on systems, and treat setbacks as learning data.
• Innovation: Spot problems early, test bold ideas quickly, share learnings, and scale what works to advance the mission.

Key Responsibilities

Special Education — Goal: 100% compliance and service delivery

• Lead all Special Education programming, case management, and compliance.
• Coordinate and facilitate ARD meetings and ensure evaluation, IEP, and required notice timelines are met.
• Monitor IEP implementation, student progress, accommodations, and service-minute delivery.
• Coordinate evaluations and related services with internal and contracted providers.
• Ensure Special Education records, documentation, and coding are complete, accurate, and audit-ready.

Emergent Bilingual & LPAC — Goal: 100% compliance and strong EB student progress

• Serve as FWSA's EB Coordinator and lead all required LPAC processes and meetings.
• Oversee student identification, placement, review, reclassification, and monitoring.
• Coordinate required language proficiency assessments, including TELPAS.
• Maintain accurate LPAC documentation, parent communication, timelines, and student coding.
• Monitor EB student progress and partner with teachers to ensure appropriate linguistic supports are implemented.

Section 504 — Goal: 100% timely and compliant Section 504 processes

• Serve as FWSA's Section 504 Coordinator and facilitate required committee meetings.
• Oversee referrals, evaluations, eligibility determinations, plan development, annual reviews, and reevaluations.
• Maintain accurate Section 504 documentation and required timelines.
• Ensure accommodations are communicated to staff and implemented with fidelity.
• Monitor student progress and address concerns related to implementation or student access.

Instructional Leadership & Coaching — Goal: Strong specialized instruction and measurable student growth

• Directly manage and coach two Special Education Teachers and one Reading Interventionist.
• Conduct regular observations and provide clear, actionable feedback.
• Lead regular check-ins focused on student progress, service delivery, intervention data, and compliance priorities.
• Coach staff on specially designed instruction, intervention, accommodations, progress monitoring, and inclusive practices.
• Partner with the Dean of Instruction to strengthen instruction and intervention for students receiving additional support.

Family Partnership & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Build strong relationships with families and serve as a knowledgeable point of contact for Special Education, EB, and Section 504 programs.
• Communicate student progress, services, and required processes clearly and respectfully with families.
• Collaborate with school leaders, teachers, evaluators, PEIMS staff, and related service providers to coordinate student supports and meet required timelines.
• Proactively identify compliance, service-delivery, and student-progress concerns and ensure appropriate follow-through.
• Support state monitoring, audits, record requests, and other special populations compliance reviews.

Minimum & Preferred Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• Valid Texas Special Education teaching certification.
• 3–5+ years of successful experience in Special Education teaching, case management, compliance, or special populations leadership.
• Strong working knowledge of ARD/IEP processes, Special Education timelines, service delivery, progress monitoring, accommodations, and documentation.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple compliance timelines and maintain accurate student records.
• Experience analyzing student data and using it to improve instruction and intervention.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to facilitate meetings with families and staff.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to proactively identify and address compliance risks.
• Ability to coach and develop teachers while maintaining high expectations for student outcomes.
• Commitment to FWSA's mission: a safe, structured, joyful school with rigorous STEAM learning for all.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Special Education, Educational Leadership, School Administration, or a related field.
• Texas Principal certification.
• Experience serving as a Special Education Coordinator, Special Populations Coordinator, department chair, or comparable leadership role.
• Experience facilitating ARD committees and overseeing Special Education compliance in a Texas public or charter school.
• Experience with LPAC processes, TELPAS, EB compliance, and monitoring EB student progress.
• Experience coordinating Section 504 meetings, plans, and implementation.
• Experience supervising or coaching Special Education Teachers and interventionists.
• Familiarity with Texas PEIMS Special Education and EB coding requirements.
• Experience coordinating contracted related service providers.
• Bilingual Spanish.

Certifications/Licensure

• Required: Valid Texas Special Education teaching certification.
• Required: DPS fingerprint clearance per Texas Education Code §22.0835 .
• Preferred: Texas Principal certification.
• Preferred: ESL certification.