Special Education Teacher

Description

AGENCY OVERVIEW

Since our founding in 1895 in Marin County as an orphanage – and through subsequent years as Sunny Hills Services – Side by Side has been at the forefront of best practices in child welfare, working with the most vulnerable youth in our community. Today, Side by Side operates in four counties – Marin, Alameda, Sonoma, and Napa – across the Bay Area, reaching nearly 2,000 children, young adults, and family members per year with much-needed services related to behavioral and mental health, early intervention in schools, LGBTQIA+ support, transitional housing for foster youth, and special education.

Side By Side places high value on individuals with a passion for helping underserved youth and families in a collaborative and inclusive work culture. We strive to work together to create a trauma-informed workplace where we walk the walk of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging principles.

JOB SUMMARY

The Special Education Teacher is part of a multidisciplinary team providing academic instruction and a positive, proactive classroom management approach ensuring compliance with CDE guidelines and national accreditations; lead and assist with education strategies and behavior management problem solving, collaboration on behavior assessments, as well as, providing leadership toward data-guided instruction and interventions.

The Special Education Teacher actively supports and implements a strengths-based, trauma-informed, culturally competent, and youth-centered approach in working with students. This exempt position may require a work week in excess of 40 hours, as well as, evening and weekend work.

COMPENSATION

This exempt position has an annual salary of $68,428 to $95,064 depending on experience.

BENEFITS

Benefits outlined below are for employees working 30+ hours a week. Benefits for part-time employees are calculated based on number of hours worked.

• •Vacation corresponds to school district closure schedule
• •2 weeks of sick leave for F/T employees with 4 additional for school staff
• •10 paid holidays per year and 1 Self-Care Anniversary Day each year
• •99% employer-paid Medical for F/T employees including platinum level Kaiser Permanente insurance, Sutter Health or Anthem options
• •Dental and Vision Insurance
• •Long Term Disability insurance up to $9,000 per month, plus $50,000 Life and AD&D insurance. Employees also have the option to purchase additional life insurance at their own cost.
• •403b Retirement Plan with agency match after one year of employment
• •Professional development and other learning opportunities including unlimited access to over 1,000 behavioral health courses online. Side By Side is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness certified employer
• •FREE Employee Assistance Program including up to 10 complimentary personal counseling sessions per problem, per year for staff and dependents
• •Employee recognition program with $500 bonus awards
• •Employee referral bonus of up to $1,000
• •Pet Insurance

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• •Provide leadership to develop, structure, and maintain student academic acquisition and a strong school behavioral program
• •Implements each student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
• •Complete daily lesson plans per CDE certification standards and National Accreditation
• •Complete IEP documentation and participates professionally in student IEP meetings
• •Complete quarterly progress reports per set due dates
• •Participates in the preparation of daily data and reports that document student daily academic and social behaviors
• •Ensure accurate data collection and record keeping, as directed by behavioral staff and/or other administrative school staff
• •Facilitate supervision of classroom support staff; teaching assistant and 1:1 aides
• •Mentor, maintain, and build upon positive approaches to learning in support of significant positive behavioral changes
• •Assist in facilitating the school wide behavior intervention program demonstrating an ability to assess challenges and set clear, yet firm, limits and boundaries
• •Supervise students across all school settings, including breaks and lunch, as assigned
• •Responsible for all standardized academic and statewide assessments
• •Maintain grade-based curriculum, ensuring compliance with CDE and contractual standards
• •For middle and high school students, ensure each student is working to complete the curriculum requirements of the contracting middle or high school district
• •Other duties as assigned

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and expectations required of the position.

AGENCY-WIDE CORE COMPETENCIES

Ethical Conduct: Understands and adheres to the Agency’s Code of Conduct, demonstrates a high level of integrity in all internal and external activities and complies with the Employee Handbook and all other Agency policies, practices and procedures. Must maintain strict confidentiality related to client, staff and other Agency information.

Communication: Able to inform verbally and in writing, with clarity and good effect and to understand clearly and quickly when instructions or orders are received. Includes judgment about what information is important and what is not, and what should be communicated, how, to whom, and when.

Judgment: Able to make decisions in a timely fashion that are sound, accurate, and supported by the reasoning and inclusion of appropriate people. Includes the ability to recognize, address, and propose solutions to challenges that arise.

Safety: The employee is safety conscious about the work environment and equipment. The work area is free of debris to prevent trip and slip hazards. Standard operating procedures, safety work rules, and good general practices are followed on a daily basis.

POSITION SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES

Work Quality

• •Has knowledge of and follows through on school and agency administrative procedures and deadlines (e.g., timeline to submit incident reports, attendance, progress reports, IEP drafts, etc.) towards supporting and meeting school outcomes and agency mission
• •Prepares present levels and IEP annual and benchmark goals for students’ IEPs via SEIS; input data and manage agency electronic record system-TIER
• •Administers or oversees the administration of criterion referenced tests and standardized assessments needed to measure student progress for IEPs, report cards, and progress reports, including annual mandated state testing

Job Knowledge

• •Plans and provides appropriate learning experiences for development of the academic and social skills of students
• •Designs instruction to enable students to meet state standards at grade level, whenever possible, or to approach this level to the best of a students’ abilities
• •Participates professionally in IEP meetings to convey students’ academic and social emotional needs and present plans devised to remedy behavioral/social/emotional challenges
• •Encompasses the knowledge and possesses the academic skills to deliver appropriate instructional experiences within a student’s assigned grade level

Cooperation

• •Implements the classroom and school wide positive behavioral intervention management system in collaboration with school team members
• •Attends and participates in school staff meetings

Continuous Learning

Maintains professional competence through completion of required credential programs, participation of in-service education provided by the agency/school, by the County Office of Education and through participation in self-selected professional growth endeavors

Adaptability

• •Capability to work creatively and cooperatively with a team
• •Willingness to work within an interdisciplinary model (special education, applied behavior analysis, mental health)
• •Ability to work independently, and collaboratively as a team member, while being flexible in a chan