Education Specialist (SpEd)

Description

Education Specialist Job Description 

About St. HOPE Public Schools

Since 2003 St. HOPE Public Schools has passionately worked toward the mission of graduating self-motivated, industrious and critical thinking leaders who are committed to serving others, passionate about lifelong learning and prepared to earn a degree from a four-year college. St. HOPE Public Schools includes three charter schools:  PS7 Elementary School, PS7 Middle School, and Sacramento Charter High School located in the Oak Park neighborhood of Sacramento.

We’ve raised the bar and our schools are producing extraordinary results with closing the achievement gap and helping our scholars reach their fullest potential. Our student demographics have a much higher percentage of minority and low-income scholars, yet our state testing scores show much better results than District averages. A few examples of how our model is succeeding include: 

• Sacramento Charter High School was recognized by the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) for being the highest performing High School for black students in the state of California.
• PS7 and Sacramento Charter High School were named California Education Champions by the National Action Network for being 2 of 16 predominantly African American schools that performed in the top 25% of all schools in California, and each scored a 10/10 when compared to similar schools.  For context, this year there were a total of 90 predominantly African American schools in California, of which 70 performed in the bottom 25% of all schools.
• PS7 has twice been named a Title 1 Achievement Award winner, and has been recognized as a California Distinguished School and as a federal Blue Ribbon School nominee for its educational outcomes with low-income students.
• In 2020, 93% of Sac High scholars were accepted into four-year colleges and we are proud to have among the highest percentage of scholars admitted to UCs and CSUs in the Sacramento region.  100% of our scholars graduated meeting UC/CSU requirements compared to district and state averages of 44%.  100% of our scholars with an IEP graduated meeting UC/CSU requirements compared to district averages of 12% and state average of 15%.

At St. HOPE Public schools we believe in the power of the classroom teacher and know that having three years in a row of excellent teaching can overcome the average achievement deficit between low-income scholars and others.  We consistently ground ourselves in this belief and prioritize collaboration so that we are building upon scholar success year after year. Alignment is essential - we work hard to ensure different teachers, grade levels, curriculums, and academic focus areas are all coordinated and working together coherently.  We take the time needed with our teachers to plan out curriculums that transition smoothly across grades, and foster a collaborative work environment with consistent expectations and support across grades and campuses.

• At PS7 Middle School, our results highlight the power of three years of good teaching. Our 6th graders enter our system with only 9% of our scholars on or above grade level in math compared to the district average of 25%.  Then after spending three years at PS7 Middle that same group of scholars promotes from 8th grade with 48% of scholars on or above grade level in math compared to the district average of 32%. This same trend is evident in English Language Arts with our 6th graders entering our system with 25% on or above grade level and promoting from 8th grade with 57% on or above grade level compared to the district average of 43%.  

In addition to prioritizing academic achievement, we prioritize school culture. We host several engaging scholar and family events throughout the school year, and we seek to provide a well-rounded experience for our scholars with  far more elective courses than are available at traditional schools. We value our teachers and offer every teacher a robust coaching and support plan in order to develop our teachers into the best possible educators. Their daily efforts are what make this learning environment as successful as possible for our scholars.

In addition to St. HOPE Public Schools, St. HOPE is a family of nonprofits that also stands for economic growth and revitalization.  One of St. HOPE’s most prized development projects in Oak Park is the 40 Acres Art and Culture Center on Broadway unveiled in 2003.  The project involved refurbishing the old Guild Theater and Woodruff Hotel Buildings at 35th street and Broadway, a building that had been vacant.  40 Acres currently includes the Guild Theater, Underground Books, Old Soul Co., twelve loft apartments, and it’s newest addition, Fixins Soul Kitchen. 

Although St. HOPE Public Schools has come a long way in the last 18 years, there is still so much more to accomplish. St. HOPE Public Schools looks forward to continuing its vision of being one of the finest urban TK-12 public school systems in the nation and seeks outstanding individuals who are committed to this journey and willing to do whatever-it-takes to provide our scholars with the best education possible!  Our future depends on it. Our scholars deserve it.

Ready to Join the Team?

The ideal candidate will bring passion and grit to the mission and vision of St. HOPE Public Schools and a desire to positively impact the Oak Park community and help close the achievement gap for our scholar population. They will have a willingness to learn, grow and work hard along the way. At St. HOPE Public Schools, we live by five key pillars:

High Expectations- You not only set the bar high for every scholar, but also for yourself.  You possess a clear vision for what excellence looks like for scholar work, scholar behavior, and your craft.

Choice & Commitment- You understand how your work impacts life outside of your office or classroom. You wake up every morning and commit yourself to doing what's best for our scholars.

More Time- You are one of those people that goes above and beyond in all areas of life. Some people may even say you do too much, but you know that more time equals better results.

Focus on Results- Everything you do is done with purpose because you are dedicated to growth. You believe in data and work tirelessly to reach your goals. You are a problem solver and find feedback empowering.

Power to Lead- You are a natural influencer. You can't help but train and nurture scholars and peers. People are attracted to you because of the way you equip them to succeed.

Position Summary

St. HOPE Public Schools is opening the application process in an effort to attract the best candidates to work with students in Special Education at St. HOPE Public Schools. Research continues to show that teachers are the greatest determinant of student achievement.  Therefore, St. HOPE Public Schools is committed to hiring a team of highly qualified teachers who are not only subject matter experts and effective instructors, but who are also committed to mission, culture and expectations set forth by the organization.  Key attributes to describe a St. HOPE Public School teacher include: (1) instructional expert; (2) student advocate; (3) relentless achiever; (4) continuous learner; (5) critical thinker; (6) effective communicator; (7) problem solver; and (8) people person with excellent interpersonal skills. Candidates must hold the belief that [all children can succeed academically and socially and this belief must drive him or her to be relentless in his or her work]. 

The Education Specialist reports to the Director of Special Education.

Responsibilities will include:

Planning

• Develops measurable and ambitious big goals for dramatically increasing student achievement for their caseload of scholars.
• Collaborates with their co-teacher(s) to use the Common Core state standards to backwards plan and create Lesson Plans, Unit Plans, and Assessments.
• Collaborates with their co-teacher(s) to differentiate plans to support diverse learners in the classroom.

Execution

• Invests scholars in working hard to achieve big goals within the classroom and throughout campus.
• Engages and challenges scholars during practice time and ensures scholars are focused throughout their learning time.
• Utilizes effective strategies to check for understanding for all scholars and is flexible in adjusting methods based on scholar responses.

Assessment

• Gives daily Exit Tickets and tracks data so in order to inform instruction to best support scholars in the classroom.
• Engages with families and ensures all stakeholders are made aware of scholar data and scholar progress.

Culture

• Creates a positive classroom culture that is focused on high expectations, respect, and equity.
• Maintains scholar attention, supports and manages scholar behavior, and creates a culture that is ripe for learning.
• Creates procedures and routines that support scholar learning and maximize time spent on learning.

Case Management

• Adheres to all IEP and legal timelines to ensure all requirements are met
• Keeps a focus on organization and compliance with all scholars on their caseload and with all scholar files
• Ensures IEPs are written to support scholar growth, and maintains records of those IEPs in SEIS

Leadership

• Has a positive, whatever-it-takes attitude.
• Collaborates with co-workers and stakeholders to build up campus culture
• Demonstrates personal responsibility by following processes, procedures, meeting deadlines, maintaining professional dress, and being a reliable team member for both their scholars and colleagues
• Holds self to high expectations, is reflective, and continuously pursues feedback and progress in their practice
• Attends and participates in school-wide events both during and after-hours to promote stakeholder engagement and satisfaction

Qualifications

We are seeking a results-driven leader committed to the St. HOPE Public Schools mission, high expectations and his or her own professional growth.  

Required:

• Holds a valid California Education Specialist credential (mild/moderate)
• Pass a criminal background check
• Have demonstrated success in the classroom

Highly Desired (but not required):

• At least 2 years of full-time relevant subject teaching experience in an urban, underserved community
• Bilingual speaking, reading, and writing abilities (Spanish or Vietnamese)
• Leadership and/or counseling experience and/or ability to teach enrichment classes (ex: music, art, sports) 

Knowledge of:

• All areas of special education including: behavior management techniques, learning theories, curriculum development and vocational development
• Current laws and regulations pertaining to students with disabilities
• Policies and procedures pertaining to IEP’s
• Assessment practices and statistics relevant to the behavioral sciences

Skills:

• Collaboration with administrators, teachers, classified personnel, parents and students
• Plan, organize; and prepare IEP’s, behavior and transition plans as appropriate
• Exercise initiative and possess mature judgment
• Previous experience overseeing services or programs for children with special needs

Salary

$64,170 starting salary; commensurate with credential held; Signing Bonus offered

This is a full time exempt position and includes a comprehensive benefits package.

To Apply

All candidates for this position must submit the following two pieces of information. Please note you must submit both documents or your application will not be considered.

1. Resume
2. Thoughtful cover letter outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of this position and stating how you heard about this opportunity

Submit the application materials via our website at https://www.sthope.org/public-schools-career-opportunities

As an equal opportunity employer, SHPS prohibits unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation or bullying against any protected group, including actual or perceived discrimination, on the basis of the actual or perceived characteristics of age, ancestry, color, disability, ethnic group identification, gender expression, gender identity, gender, marital status, pregnant, parenting or lactating status, genetic information,  nationality, national origin, immigration status, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, or sexual orientation, or on the basis of a person’s association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics in any SHPS activity, including hiring and employment.