Special Education Co-Teacher - IDEA Pflugerville Academy (Immediate Opening)

About the role

The Special Education Co-Teacher position supports students with significant cognitive and/or pervasive developmental disabilities in a functional curriculum focused on daily living and vocational skills, preparing them for successful transition to adult life. IDEA Special Education RISE Co-Teachers work in Academy (K‑5) or College Prep (6‑12) classrooms with low student‑teacher ratios (often 1:3) to address academic needs, implement Individual Education Plans, and foster communication, independence, and skill generalization in natural settings and general education activities.

IDEA Public Schools believes every child can go to college. Since 2000, IDEA has grown from a small school with 150 students to the fastest‑growing network of tuition‑free, Pre‑K‑12 public charter schools in the United States, serving nearly 80,000 college‑bound students across Texas, Florida, and Ohio, with a track record of sending 100% of graduates to college.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the educational and social development of students under the direction and guidance of the facilitator and classroom teachers
• Assist in the implementation of Individual Education Plans for the students and monitor their progress
• Provide support for individual students inside and outside of the classroom to enable them to fully participate in activities
• Work with other professionals, such as speech therapist, social worker, occupational and physical therapists
• Assist classroom teachers with maintaining student records
• Support students with emotional or behavior concerns and assist them in developing appropriate social skills
• Assistance of daily living may include feeding, lifting and/or toileting in the Life Skills Unit
• At some campuses, school bus riding to accompany students may be needed before or after school

Qualifications

• Education: At least 48 college hours required; bachelor’s degree preferred
• Experience: Experience working with children with cognitive and/or pervasive developmental disabilities strongly preferred
• Licenses or Certifications: Willingness to pursue a Special Education teaching certification preferred
• IDEA Co‑Teachers with a bachelor’s degree are eligible to enroll in the IDEA Special Education Certification Program (ISECP), an alternative certification program facilitated by South Texas Transition to Teaching (SOTEX), aimed at obtaining special education certification and future special‑education teaching roles at IDEA

Skills

• Capable of physically assisting students with special needs as required (positioning, lifting, transferring, restraining)
• Ability to instruct students and manage student behavior
• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to adjust and adapt to a multitude of situations in the school environment
• Believes and is committed to the mission and being an agent of change: that all students are capable of getting to and through college
• Has demonstrated effective outcomes and results, and wants to be held accountable for them
• Has a propensity for action, willing to make mistakes by doing in order to learn and improve quickly
• Works with urgency and purpose to drive student outcomes
• Thrives in an entrepreneurial, high‑growth environment; is comfortable with ambiguity and change
• Seeks and responds well to feedback, which is shared often and freely across all levels of the organization
• Works through silos and forges strong cross‑departmental relationships in order to achieve outcomes
• Believes in education as a profession and holds themselves to a high level of conduct, professionalism, and behaviors as models for colleagues and students

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits plan covering the majority of the employee premium for the base medical plan and subsidizing the majority of costs for a spouse/domestic partner and children
• Paid Family Leave: Eligible staff may receive up to 8 weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child, based on tenure and caregiver designation
• Tuition Reimbursement: Staff may apply for up to 50% of tuition paid toward a qualifying degree program, up to $5,250 maximum per year, subject to manager discretion and budget availability
• Employer‑Paid Mental/Behavioral Health: 5 face‑to‑face counseling sessions within a year, unlimited 24/7 telephonic counseling, and other work‑life services at no cost
• Additional benefits include dental and vision plans, disability, life insurance, parenting benefits, flexible spending account options, generous vacation time, referral bonuses, professional development, and a 403(b) plan
• IDEA may offer a relocation allowance to defray moving costs for this role, if applicable

Pay

Compensation for this role is set at an hourly rate ranging between $16.57 for 0 years of experience and $23.30 per hour. Hourly co‑teacher earnings are paid out over a 12‑month period.