Academic Specialist: 12 Month (Special Education)

About the Role

Acts as a strategic collaborative member of the Academic team in support of the AACPS Strategic plan throughout the entire school year. The role encompasses all aspects of curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional learning for all stakeholders, analysis of data, and planning and execution of county-wide events to ensure a positive impact on the achievement of all learners. Provides direct support and assistance to schools to ensure instruction is aligned to best practices for all students.

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

Responsibilities

• Acts as a strategic and collaborative member of the Academic team to communicate Anne Arundel County Public Schools' philosophy, goals, and expectations of curriculum, instruction, and assessment to school staff and the community.
• Assists teachers and school-based administration with implementation and ongoing enhancement of a comprehensive academic program which engages students in relevant and rigorous coursework aligned to the Maryland State Department of Education Standards.
• Works with school leadership and school teams facilitating collaborative and instructional planning to enhance teacher capacity with curriculum and instruction; enhances communication between school and the office.
• Visits schools to observe instructional practices and curriculum implementation, provides targeted feedback, and assists with data-driven decisions about planning.
• Leads professional development initiatives for individual teachers and school teams at school and district level meetings to model best instructional practices based on the standards and create a student-centered learning environment.
• Supports the Coordinator in all aspects of the curriculum writing and assessment development process as well as the materials of instruction evaluation process, including serving as a curriculum lead writer; monitors process and facilitates all sub-group curriculum writing teams; provides feedback to team members on the curriculum writing progress; and develops professional staff development relative to the curriculum documents being developed.
• Stays current and models best practices of new ideas, programs, and trends in the field.
• Collaborates with other offices and programs to ensure quality content curricula and teacher professional development.
• Serves on committees, councils, and representative bodies to include but not limited to professional, civic, and interagency groups who partner with AACPS and the Board of Education.
• Facilitates and participates in evening and summer meetings and workshops; plans and executes logistics related to countywide sponsored events.
• 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.
• 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.
• Demonstrates proficiency in data analysis, assessment, curriculum, instruction, building teacher capacity, and professional development methods.
• Ability to employ technology into instruction and professional development such as document cameras, projectors, and Smart Boards.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively work and communicate with diverse populations.
• Demonstrated proficiency with business technology applications (e.g., Video/Web Conferencing, Microsoft Office Suite - Word, Excel, Outlook, and/or 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 & Working Conditions

The physical demands and working conditions described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• 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
• Vision Requirements (with correction):
  • Close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less)
  • Distance vision (clear vision at 20 feet or more)
  • Peripheral vision
• Work Environment:
  • 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)
• Travel Requirements: 5% semi-annual day/night travel out of state to attend professional development conferences.