Special Education Teacher

Special Education Teacher

The Special Education Teacher will work collaboratively with a diverse team to provide high-quality educational services to students with disabilities, ensuring a supportive and inclusive learning environment. This role requires effectively communicating with students and families in both English and Spanish, advocating for students' individual needs while implementing specialized instructional strategies. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of both special education and bilingual education, along with a passion for supporting students in achieving their full potential. Responsibilities include developing and modifying curricula, assessing student progress, and creating individualized education plans (IEPs), all while fostering positive relationships with students, families, and staff.

Professional Educator License (PEL) or eligible for appropriate license

LBS1 Endorsement

This job's performance will be evaluated per provisions of the Board's policy on the Evaluation of Staff.

Building Principal

This is a 9-month position—salary and benefits established by the Board of Education. The position retains the Harvard Education Association membership and is part of the Collective Bargaining Unit.

Exempt

Facilitates students' learning in correlation with the Illinois Learning Standards

Provides research-based specialized instruction to address the instructional goals and objectives contained within each student's IEP.

Communicates the essential questions to clarify the learning goals for each lesson.

Configures lessons and select instructional strategies with the intent of ensuring that all students can answer a lesson's essential question by its conclusion

Designs daily lessons incorporating Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and/or Reading (WICOR) to ensure authentically rigorous learning experiences for all students.

Designs lessons to include three or more unique learning tasks for students, at least one of which includes whole-class verbal participation.

Assesses student progress towards objectives, expectations, and/or goals to provide feedback to students, parents, and administration.

Demonstrates the ability to individually assess and monitor the students' skills in their native language and English.

Creates and nurtures supportive, student-centered classroom communities that promote personal empowerment, academic growth, and the social-emotional well-being of all learners.

Manages student behavior to provide a safe and optimal learning environment.

Provides students with regular opportunities to collaborate with peers, move with purpose, and experience diverse instructional strategies so that they are physically and intellectually engaged as learners.

Provides students time to interact with instructional resources and materials in a thoughtful, active manner to support their comprehension and long-term retention of information

Allows students to take an active role in their learning by setting and monitoring individualized goals and processing and reflecting deliberately within lessons

Develops and Implement each student's Individual Education Plan (IEP) and manage the individual caseload.

Supports classroom teachers in writing each student's Individual Education Plan (IEP) and collaborating with colleagues to ensure appropriate modifications or accommodations.

Assists and supports students struggling with social-emotional and behavioral concerns through the MTSS framework.

Incorporates cultural diversity and appreciation within the curriculum.

Uses technologies appropriately in the teaching/learning process.

Participates in a professional learning community with various stakeholders, including but not limited to instructional staff, other school personnel, parents, and a variety of community resources to improve the overall quality of student outcomes, achieving established classroom objectives supporting the school improvement plan.

Participates in various meetings and professional development activities to convey and/or gather information required to perform functions.

Demonstrates the ability to work collaboratively with parents and community agencies to promote second language acquisition

Serves as primary contact for the parent. Participates in Initial evaluations and reevaluations.

Provides direction, supervision, and evaluation of educational assistants as directed.

Completes all district and state reporting requirements

Performs other duties and responsibilities as determined by the principal or designee or as needs arise.

Must demonstrate a record of effectiveness in their own teaching

Must have excellent planning and organization skills

Must have the ability to work collaboratively with others

Must have strong verbal communication skills

Must model a desire and willingness to learn continually

The physical demands of this position include frequent sitting and standing for extended periods. Repetitive bending at the waist and kneeling, stooping, and crouching to assist students are also required. Regularly walk, talk, hear, operate a computer, hand-held learning devices, and other office equipment, reach with hands and arms, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.

The employer will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This job description will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity. Essential and marginal job functions are subject to modification.

This job description is intended to describe minimum qualifications, duties, and responsibilities performed by employees assigned to this position and is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The District reserves the right to amend and change the position responsibilities to meet District needs as necessary.