Academic Specialist: 10 Month (Special Education)

Plans, oversees, and leads projects from ideation through to completion at the direction of content/program supervisor in support of the AACPS Strategic Plan. The role encompasses assessment, curriculum, data analysis, instruction, professional learning for all stakeholders, and implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future and other local, state, and federal initiatives. Facilitates interactions with internal and external stakeholders, sets and maintains deadlines, and ensures successful completion of content/program projects. Provides support to school-based lead teachers and school leadership relevant to the content/program.

Based on the assignment, the following additional work days and/or hours may be required as needed: evenings, nights, extended hours, outside of normal business hours, summer hours, and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Acts as a strategic and collaborative member of the program/content office to communicate AACPS’s mission, vision, goals, and expectations for assessment, curriculum, and instruction to school staff and community.
• Plans, oversees, and leads program/content projects from ideation through to completion at the direction of content/program supervisor.
• Supports system leadership in the review, adoption, writing, and implementation of research-based, standards-aligned programming that includes best practices for school-level implementation and planning for student mastery.
• Works with school administration and teacher leaders to ensure structures for the facilitation of planning to enhance teacher capacity.
• Participates in local, state, and federal monitoring initiatives, including analyzing multiple measures of student achievement and performance data to evaluate program, curricular, and assessment effectiveness, and adjust system resources to support on-track academic success of students.
• Provides professional learning for all stakeholders at the school, system, and community level to understand and model research-based instructional best practices utilizing the lens of equity.
• Implements system initiatives aligned to The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and other local, state, and federal requirements to ensure fidelity across all schools.
• Provides system oversight while monitoring school-level implementation to ensure fidelity of program and documentation of services as appropriate.
• Facilitates collaboration with internal offices from various departments and schools along with external offices and stakeholders, including local and state agencies, aligned with content/program initiatives to ensure voice, equity, and results on system initiatives.
• Facilitates and plans system initiatives that occur for students and staff outside of the school day (e.g., evenings, weekends, summer) ensuring logistics and instruction align with system goals. Coordinates services through outsourcing with vendors and non-profit organizations.
• Remains current with and models best practices in content/program area while working with local, state, and national content/program organizations to advance the work of the field.
• Performs other related duties as assigned within the same classification or lower.

Requirements

• Master's Degree in a related field of education from a regionally accredited college or university required; or an equivalent combination of education and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Four (4) years of successful classroom teaching experience required.
• One (1) year of experience as a school-based teacher leader preferred.
• One (1) year of experience providing professional development to adult learners preferred.
• Hold or be eligible for a professional educator certificate/license appropriate to the assigned content area issued by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).
• Hold or be eligible for a Driver's License (DL) Class C Non-Commercial issued by Maryland or State of Legal Residence (MVA/DMV).
• Daily access to reliable transportation.

Skills

• Knowledge of school organization, curriculum, teaching techniques, current trends, research, and materials of instruction in field of specialization.
• Demonstrates leadership qualities as a member of an instructional staff.
• Ability to work effectively with grade levels, pre-K through 12, and collaborate with other disciplines to develop comprehensive programs for students.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in written form, with professional colleagues, staff, students, and parents.
• Proficiency in data analysis, assessment, curriculum, instruction, building teacher capacity, and professional development methods.
• Ability to employ technology into instruction and professional development (e.g., document cameras, projectors, Smart Boards).
• Demonstrated ability to effectively work and communicate with diverse populations.
• Proficiency with business technology applications (e.g., video/web conferencing, Microsoft Office Suite - Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).

Leadership Role

• Train employees.
• Direct the work of employees.
• Provide feedback to assist the supervisor’s assessment of the employee’s performance.
• Plan the work.
• Instruct employees in specific techniques and technical methods to use.
• Perform the same type of work as employees the Lead Worker is assigned to lead.

Physical Demands

• Standing: under 1/3 of the time.
• Walking: under 1/3 of the time.
• Sitting: between 1/3 and 2/3 of the time.
• Keyboarding: between 1/3 and 2/3 of the time.
• Talking: between 1/3 and 2/3 of the time.
• Hearing: between 1/3 and 2/3 of the time.
• Driving: under 1/3 of the time.
• Lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds: under 1/3 of the time.

Working Conditions

• Location: Office, school, or similar indoor environment (over 2/3 of the time); outdoor environment (between 1/3 and 2/3 of the time).
• Exposure to outdoor weather conditions: under 1/3 of the time.
• Noise level: Moderate (between 1/3 and 2/3 of the time).
• Vision demands: Close vision, distance vision, and peripheral vision (with correction).
• Travel: 10% daily day/night travel within the county between schools and office locations.

Schedule

10-month position, 195 days worked per year, 7.5 hours worked per day.