EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHING - POOLED 2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR

About the role

Early Childhood Special Education (SPED) Teachers provide services to students with all identified educational disabilities. ECE Model 1 is an inclusive ECE program that supports children ages 3-5 who require a higher level of specialized instruction and related service support. It is staffed by an Early Childhood Special Educator as the lead teacher and two paraprofessionals. Special education teachers are responsible for managing a caseload, monitoring student growth, and developing and implementing Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).

Responsibilities

• Instruct students in academic subjects using a variety of techniques to meet students’ varying needs.
• Create, write, monitor, and facilitate IEPs for students on the caseload to ensure that students' individualized academic and social-emotional needs are met.
• Oversee the scheduling of IEP meetings and the IEP process for students assigned to caseload to ensure compliance with state and federal law.
• Absess student progress towards objectives, expectations, and/or goals to provide feedback to students, parents, and administration.
• Promote student respect for the rights of others in the classroom to create and maintain a positive learning environment.
• Prepare lesson plans and materials according to curriculum guidelines, adapting teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests; establishes and communicates clear objectives for lessons, units, and projects; and instructs students individually and in groups using various teaching methods.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to students' physical, medical, and varying learning styles to their identified disabilities to support students.
• Manage and teach socially appropriate behavior to promote self-regulation and safety.
• May participate in extra-duty activities as outlined in the teachers' collective bargaining agreement (this is for coaching, tutoring, or summer programs, etc. for Dept. of Labor laws).

Requirements

• Hold a Bachelor’s degree in Education or related field required. A Master's Degree is only required for Concurrent Enrollment positions.
• Hold a Master’s Degree in Deaf Education, preferred.
• Have a valid Colorado Department of Education (CDE) teaching license. Click here for additional information regarding specific requirements and qualifications for the various subject areas (DPS does accept a CDE Application Receipt for 90 days).
• ELA-S Only (teaching in both Spanish and English) positions, candidates are required to take the Spanish language proficiency (SLP) exam, proctored by Berlitz Testing. Click here for more information.
• Additionally, if a teacher has taken, or chooses to take, the Praxis II - Spanish: World Language 5195 exam, it will also work at DPS as an appropriate SLP exam, as long as the candidate scores 163 or higher on the Praxis II (#5195) exam.
• ELA-S Only: Must be Bilingual in Spanish and English Required.
• Experience working with young students with exceptional needs and their parents preferred.
• Experience developing and implementing IEPs and BIPs.
• Experience co-teaching in core academic subjects and thrives in a collaborative team approach preferred.
• Experience working or teaching a diverse student population.
• Lead for racial and educational excellence and work to dismantle systems of oppression and inequity in our community, along with believing in and supporting all students so they feel seen and heard with access to high quality education.

Qualifications

Live and work with a permanent home address in Colorado while working with us. Have the ability with or without accommodations to meet the physical demands of the position.

Skills

None specifically listed in the job description.

Benefits

Competitive Teacher Compensation and Procomp Incentive plan, click here for the DCTA Teacher and SSP Salary Schedule. Click here for more information on compensation for these roles.

Pay

Details about pay are provided in the Benefits section.

Schedule

Details about schedule are provided in the Benefits section.

Denver Public Schools

DPS is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender expression, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or any other status protected by law or regulations. It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors.