[2026-2027] Special Education Teacher - Mild/Moderate or Moderate/Severe

Job Description

Job Description

Full-Time Special Education Teacher - Mild/Moderate or Moderate/Severe

Yu Ming Charter School seeks dynamic, innovative, and experienced educators to join our team, committed to nurturing lifelong learners who are bilingual, bicultural and able to create change in their own lives and in our community. We seek teachers that are excited by the possibility of transforming the traditional model of education to be learner-centered through personalized and project based learning that cultivates both the cognitive and social emotional skills our students need to thrive in school and beyond.  Yu Ming teachers are leaders that thrive on exploration, collaboration, and seek to continuously learn and grow as individuals and team members.

ABOUT YU MING CHARTER SCHOOL

Yu Ming Charter School is a non-profit, tuition-free network of public schools located in Oakland and San Leandro and open to all residents of California. As a leader in Mandarin Immersion education, our mission is to nurture our inclusive and diverse community to become empowered, engaged, and outstanding global citizens. We currently serve 1060 students across three campuses, and continue to grow our enrollment each year. Our intentionally diverse student body comes from many racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds representing 70 zip codes across the Bay Area and 29 home languages. Founded in 2011, Yu Ming is the first Mandarin immersion public charter school in the state. 

We believe every child, regardless of their background or zip code, deserves a free, high-quality education that prepares them today to succeed tomorrow. Ranked the #7 Elementary School and the #2 Elementary Charter School in California by U.S. News, Yu Ming is a 2019 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence and a 2020 and 2023 California Distinguished School. Yu Ming’s future-forward model prepares young people to succeed and thrive in an interconnected and multicultural world through personalized and rigorous learning experiences, active student agency, whole child and community focus, and multilingual education.  As a result, our students far outperform their peers in the district, county, and state, regardless of socio-economic status, race, language background, and learning differences. We are closing the opportunity gap for our historically underserved students every day. To learn more about our innovative school visit our website

POSITION SUMMARY

The Special Education teacher reports to the Yu Ming Charter School Director of Student Support Services. The role of the Special Education Teacher is to improve students’ success in basic academics (reading, language and/or math, etc.) through implementing Yu Ming approved curriculum; documenting teaching and student progress/activities/outcomes ; modeling the necessary skills to perform assignments; providing a safe and optimal learning environment and providing feedback to students, classroom teachers, parents and administration regarding student progress, expectations, goals, etc.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensure that the student experiences gains through the academic goals outlined both within their IEPs and by Yu Ming standards
• Evaluate students' abilities in basic academics for the purpose of assisting other personnel in the support of learning disorders, development of remediation plans and/or student progress
• Provide one-to-one instruction, direct services and push in or pull out intervention as required by IEP
• Administer assessment, interpreting results to determine learners' strengths and areas of need for IEPs
• Provide accommodations and/or modifications for assignments and testing as determined by the IEP team
• Perform a variety of specialized tasks:  draft and write professional and compliant IEPs, maintain records, meet schedule and compliance deadlines
• Instruct students for the purpose of improving their success in assigned basic academic subject areas of reading, writing and/or math
• Manage student behavior for the purpose of providing a safe and optimal learning environment, develops behavior support plans and collaborates with staff on behaviors as needed
• Participates in various meetings as needed (IEP, SST, Parent Conferences, Professional Development and Training, Staff Meetings etc.)
• Ensures full compliance with legal requirements as prescribed by federal law under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act 1997) and IDEIA (Individuals with Disabilities in Education Improvement Act, 2004) and State of California Education Code
• Collaborate with school personnel, parents, and other service providers for the purpose of improving the quality of student outcomes, developing solutions, and planning curriculum
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• B.A. or B.S. 
• Valid Special Education Teacher Credential for Mild/ Moderate or Moderate/Severe disabilities, or enrolled in an accredited teacher preparation program working towards a credential. Must be qualified for Intern Credential at time of application.
• Knowledge of curriculum, education code and special education law/policies
• Skills in appropriate special subject matter

Preferred

• M.A. or M.S. in Education or Subject Area
• Experience with Google apps and other educational technology
• Experience with Special Education Full Inclusion Model
• Experience with one or more of the following a plus: Wilson reading curriculum, project-based learning, social-emotional learning, and personalized learning, service learning, interdisciplinary or IB curriculum
• Maturity, humility, strong work ethic, sense of humor, and a solutions-oriented attitude

TIME COMMITMENT

185-day school year, 8 student-free professional development days for collaboration with colleagues. Common building hours are Monday 8:00-3:30 and Tuesday-Friday 8:00am-4:00pm.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Yu Ming values you as a person and a professional. Here’s an overview of how we invest in you: 

• Placement on the Yu Ming Charter School Salary Table based on years of experience and highest degree earned, with up to 12 years of experience recognized. 
• $5,000 Signing Bonus and $3,000 Special Education Stipend following years.
• An additional $5000 stipend for National Board Certification.
• 100% of Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance covered by the school (depending on the selected plan).
• Free Access to an Employee Assistance Program offering a variety of services including counseling and legal aid.
• 19.1% contribution of your salary in the California State Teachers' Retirement System to

invest in your long-term financial well-being.

• 11 Sick days per full time employee per school year. 

Work Sustainability is also important to us. Here are the ways in which we create this for you:

Protected Workload Shields 

• Union Protected Direct Service Minute Cap: Per YMEU contract, Ed Specialist direct service minutes cannot exceed 20 hours per week. 
• Remote IEP Meetings: IEP meetings occur online and Ed Specialists are allowed to take IEP meetings remotely if they have completed all other student facing duties for the day.
• 2 Weeks of IEP Release Days: Ed Specialists are allowed to work from home during the Parent Teacher Conference week on paperwork related to IEPs and case management responsibilities. 
• IEP Meeting Scheduling Support:
  • IEP meetings are not scheduled before school starts or after the contract day ends. An hourly stipend compensation per YMEU contract is provided if this has to occur. 
  • Administrative Support for IEP meeting scheduling and gathering parent signatures. 
• High Quality paraeducator support for service provision. 
• Flexible Session Scheduling: Teachers get to build their own session schedule for students

Professional Support

• Professional Development Stipend: Up to $500 to pay for professional development  opportunities related to student support

Workplace and Instructional Support

• Dedicated service space: Dedicated service space to provide student support and shared private office for testing students and holding confidential parent meetings. 
• Curriculum and Student Support Budget: A dedicated $1,000 annual "flex budget" for sensory tools, rewards, and specialized software to support students on your caseload. 

TO APPLY

Interested candidates should apply at

Application submission screening and initial phone interviews will be completed on a rolling basis.

Yu Ming Charter School is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity at all levels.