Special Education Early Childhood Autism Teacher Full-time Standard

About the role

A special education teacher will be assigned a caseload and will implement school board policy regarding the educational curriculum of a particular instructional division and/or instructional unit.

Responsibilities

• Administer appropriate district curriculum which is aligned with Common Core State Standards and is consistent with IEP instructions as needed.
• Designs and implements the components of an effective lesson for instruction and student assessments aligned with Common Core State Standards.
• Designs coherent, differentiated, instruction and student assessments aligned with Common Core State Standards at the appropriate instructional level for the student.
• Provide appropriate instructions, modifications, adaptations, and implements Individual Education Plans (IEP) in an organized, systematic, and meaningful manner.
• Analyze student progress and ensure assessment regulations and guidelines are followed at all times.
• Demonstrates mastery of content and pedagogy, knowledge of students and resources, typical developmental patterns of student, and characteristics of students with disabilities.
• Sets instructional outcomes for diverse learners.
• Create an environment of respect and rapport while developing a climate that promotes positive learning conditions.
• Maintain a positive, orderly, safe, accessible and academically focused learning, resource-rich environment.
• Manage classroom procedures and student behavior.
• Demonstrate cultural competency.
• Communicate learning expectations to students.
• Engage students in learning.
• Utilize discussion and questioning techniques.
• Embed assessment in instruction.
• Demonstrate flexibility and responsiveness.
• Demonstrate familiarity with Multi-Tiered Systems of Support.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies and accommodations to assist students with disabilities to access curriculum.
• Coordinate effectively with other service staff in providing student instruction.
• Maintain accurate records and IEP's as mandated by state and federal guidelines, within established timelines.
• Demonstrate professionalism, integrity and ethical conduct.
• Support, communicate and work professionally with administrators, staff and community and follow all protocols consistent with the WCSD's procedures.
• Makes a focused effort to promote meaningful participation of parents in the IEP process.
• Reflect on teaching.
• Participate in a professional community.
• Participate in other job-related duties and activities related to the position as assigned.
• Work as part of an education/assessment team responsible for identifying, developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating individual objectives for assigned students.

Requirements

Education/Experience: Any combination of education and experience in teaching would provide the required knowledge and skills are qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and skills would be:

• Education: Bachelor's Degree from and accredited college or university with student teaching experience and the ability to obtain a valid Nevada teaching license.
• Knowledge of: Child development; behavior and characteristics of students; subject area and/or credential area of teaching. (e.g., special education, math, science, etc.); effective teaching skills; planning and organizing; supervision and control; assessment and diagnosis; interpersonal relations.
• Skill at: Creating an effective environment for learning, establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with teachers, administrators, counselors, and other staff members. The ability to establish and maintain standard of pupil behavior needed to achieve a functional learning atmosphere in the classroom. Effective utilization of technology in instruction, planning, data-based decision making and monitoring of student achievement.
• Licenses/Certificates: Possession of, or the ability to obtain a valid Nevada teaching license in the relevant subject area/and or grade level.

Qualifications

Special Education teachers can be assigned as Resource Special Education teachers or can be assigned to specific specialized programs that are broken down from the Special Education umbrella in order to provide adequate supports for all students requiring special needs. In the case where a teacher is assigned to a specialized program, all of the above-mentioned job duties/responsibilities apply, as does the information tied to the specific program. Specialized programs within the Special Education umbrella at WCSD are described below.

Skills

Education/Experience: Any combination of education and experience in teaching would provide the required knowledge and skills are qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and skills would be:

• Education: Bachelor's Degree from and accredited college or university with student teaching experience and the ability to obtain a valid Nevada teaching license.
• Knowledge of: Child development; behavior and characteristics of students; subject area and/or credential area of teaching. (e.g., special education, math, science, etc.); effective teaching skills; planning and organizing; supervision and control; assessment and diagnosis; interpersonal relations.
• Skill at: Creating an effective environment for learning, establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with teachers, administrators, counselors, and other staff members. The ability to establish and maintain standard of pupil behavior needed to achieve a functional learning atmosphere in the classroom. Effective utilization of technology in instruction, planning, data-based decision making and monitoring of student achievement.
• Licenses/Certificates: Possession of, or the ability to obtain a valid Nevada teaching license in the relevant subject area/and or grade level.

Benefits

The Washoe County School District offers various benefit packages to eligible employees, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, sick leave, holiday pay, vacation pay, PERS, and more. New employees will be fingerprinted upon hire and will have $58.50 deducted from their first paycheck to help defray the cost of fingerprinting. Salaries are subject to adjustment and may increase and decrease each fiscal year. New employees hired by Washoe County School District are normally placed on the entry step of the grade of the position. View the salary schedules here.