Special Education Coach

About the Role

When students enter HCZ Promise Academy Charter Schools, we make a promise to help each and every one get to and through college. Everything we give our students—from world-class instruction and exceptional extracurricular activities to social emotional support and healthy meals—is aimed at fulfilling that promise. The ideal candidate will bring a passion for the mission of HCZ Promise Academy, an understanding and respect for the culture of all residents of Harlem, and a desire for working in a school setting that fosters a love for children.

Responsibilities

• Provide support in the delivery of services based on the scholars' needs and strengths.
• Provide all families with ongoing communication about their children's needs and the support available to them.
• Ensure that all special education services are delivered with fidelity to meet compliance requirements as a minimum threshold.
• Deliver high-quality professional development opportunities for teachers and related service providers.
• Support and align with the District Leadership in their vision for special education at Promise Academy.
• Oversee academic and behavior Response to Intervention (RTI) processes with school teams.
• Manage enrollment processes for the most critical scholars.
• Monitor accountability for all roles, systems, and processes related to special education.
• Monitor communication with families to promote or enhance outreach and engagement.
• Train and support General Education and Special Education Teachers with developing and writing robust Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for each student, including appropriate narratives and goals for the following school year.
• Manage the progress report process, ensuring all progress reports are completed on time.
• Oversee completion of IEPs, including ensuring all IEPs are completed in SESIS prior to IEP meetings.
• Communicate with the Committee of Special Education, teachers, and parents to schedule and facilitate IEP meetings, ensuring all staff and families are informed about IEP meetings, outcomes, and related next steps.
• Coordinate and support teachers in planning groups and individually on using a multi-sensory approach to designing and delivering appropriate lesson plans and preparing accessible, differentiated materials to teach students both individually and in small groups.
• Train and support Special Education Teachers on utilizing appropriate data collection methods to write and develop lesson plans, annual assessments, and quarterly progress reports for each student.
• Facilitate special education team meetings and team communication, ensuring all team members are clear on expectations and receive consistent levels of support.
• Observe and provide feedback to learning specialists with a focus on their individual professional development.
• Conduct targeted professional development/workshops to address and respond to teachers' needs.
• Organize and facilitate parent meetings to provide regular updates and support with evaluations and processes.
• Plan events to celebrate scholars' progress and growth.
• Create opportunities to recognize the work of special education teachers and related service providers.
• Collaborate with special education-related staff, including related service providers (on staff and contracted), counselors, social workers, school psychologists, etc.

Requirements

• Master's Degree required in Education or a related field.
• NYS Professional certification in Special Education required.
• Experience (2-5 years minimum) working in or with an urban education system managing special education services.
• Special education teaching experience (3-5 years minimum).
• Experience providing coaching and technical assistance to peer and non-peer audiences.

Skills

• Ability to support an inclusive learning environment for all students.
• Familiarity with Common Core standards and evidence-based approaches for differentiation in the classroom.
• Knowledge of best practices in Response to Interventions to meet students' social and emotional needs.
• Knowledge of adult learning styles and best practices for coaching and providing feedback.
• Ability to develop respectful professional relationships and build trust with teachers.
• Cultural competency and ability to navigate and promote sensitivity with issues of race, disability, and equity.
• Ability to coordinate and collaborate with diverse groups of professionals across multiple departments and organizations.
• Experience coordinating and delivering professional development for a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• Skilled multi-tasker and excellent time manager; ability to effectively achieve multiple goals and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong analytical, time management, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Passion and urgency for the critical role of special education in improving the lives of students and families.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (e.g., Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and Google Drive.

Benefits

• Highly competitive base salaries.
• Up to $30,000 Student Loan Forgiveness.
• Paid time off.
• Employee referral bonus.
• Career advancement.
• No-cost health insurance.
• Life Insurance.
• Short-term and long-term disability.
• Additional voluntary benefits.
• Wellness discounts.
• Commuter benefits.
• Financial wellness perks.
• Additional Benefits (Discounts on flights, hotels, theme parks, concert tickets, and more).

Pay

The salary range for this position is $123,000-$133,000 per year.