Special Education Manager - YES Prep Southside Secondary (Immediate)

At YES Prep, work for a mission that impacts the life trajectory of students and their families. YES Prep creates pathways to extraordinary opportunity through best-in-class development, competitive compensation and benefits, and recognition for your impact. Grow as an authentic leader and be part of a high-performing, team-oriented culture.

About the Role

YES Prep needs a dynamic Special Education Manager with a robust set of experiences to make our mission a reality. As a YES Prep employee, you will achieve jaw-dropping results, create pathways to opportunity for our students, and build transformative relationships. You will be a cross-functional leader who coaches and develops a team of Special Education teachers to provide excellent services as outlined in the IEP of each student, while maintaining a high bar of Special Education compliance to support every child's needs.

• Student Achievement
  • Set Special Education objectives and key results for the year in alignment with the campus’ strategic priorities, collect relevant data, and design and execute the strategy necessary to achieve campus goals.
  • Monitor and manage progress toward increased student achievement outcomes for students in Special Education on achievement measures including IEP goals, standards-based grades, curriculum, district, and state assessments.
  • Sit on the campus leadership team with the Principal, Director of Campus Operations, and other leaders to develop action plans ensuring all students – including students in Special Education – engage in rigorous, aligned, active, and accessible learning in every classroom, every day.
  • Work with the Director of Academics and campus instructional leaders to set and maintain a vision for co-teaching and rigorous instruction in specialized programs.
  • Build and apply knowledge of curriculum design & implementation for students with disabilities, including general education curriculum, alternate instruction, and other special programs.
  • Support teachers in setting and monitoring goals for students in Special Education, including IEP goals and objectives in addition to course and classroom growth goals.
  • Co-observe and coach with other members of the Instructional Leadership team to support differentiation and growth for all students in both General and Special Education classrooms.
  • Collaborate with other instructional leaders to share best practices in differentiation and problem-solving instructional challenges for students with learning needs, including students in Special Education.
  • Work with General Education staff to identify areas of need for students in Special Education and appropriate specially designed instruction, including the use of accommodated, modified, and alternate materials.
  • Design and deliver professional learning opportunities for campus staff on topics relevant to Special Education, such as differentiation, specially designed instruction, behavior management, and inclusive practices.
  • Plan and deliver engaging, rigorous instruction aligned to YES Prep curriculum and tailored to meet student needs when necessary.
  • Create, execute, and coach others to implement Behavior Intervention Plans and Student Safety Plans for students with behavior needs.
• Team Leadership
  • Ensure that students receive outstanding instruction in all settings by managing, evaluating, and developing at least two (and up to 8) Special Education teachers and a Compliance Specialist in alignment with YES Prep coaching & evaluation expectations.
  • Plan for and execute regular Special Education team meetings to support the development of Special Educators on campus.
  • Provide individual and group coaching to Special Education Teachers on instructional strategies, curriculum internalization & execution, assessment practices, TEKS alignment, and data-driven decision-making.
  • Model effective teaching practices and provide both real-time feedback and standalone coaching on Special Education teacher performance.
  • Support teachers in developing and executing effective lesson plans and instructional materials aligned with state and district standards and individual student needs, including modified and alternate curriculum for students with significant disabilities.
  • Assist teachers in developing and executing functional life skills and social-emotional curricula for students with significant support needs.
• Compliance
  • Develop and manage Special Education Teachers to meet compliance requirements, including development of critical sections of the IEP, IEP progress reports, and service logs.
  • Collect and review paperwork for incoming students to identify students with disabilities.
  • Demonstrate and apply knowledge of IEP content, compliance timelines, and Special Education law to maintain accurate & timely completion of Special Education compliance tasks.
  • Ensure the campus complies with all Special Education paperwork with the support of the Compliance Specialist, including maintaining accurate state audit folders.
  • Work with all members of the campus team to identify any students suspected of having a disability & refer them for a Special Education evaluation, and follow up on any campus deliverables related to the referral.
  • Meet regularly with campus administrators to discuss required paperwork from staff, upcoming due dates, participation in upcoming ARD meetings, alignment on student recommendations, and growth areas for additional development in compliance-related topics.
  • Monitor service logs to ensure that students in Special Education receive all required instructional services.
  • Build strong collaborative relationships with families of students in Special Education, including sharing timely updates on students’ progress, seeking and implementing family feedback, and responding effectively to concerns.
  • Seek and participate in continuing development on federal and state regulations related to Special Education.
  • Monitor the fidelity of accommodations through the collection of work samples.
• Cross-Functional Project Management
  • Provide guidance on Tier 1 classroom management and behavior strategies.
  • Supervise the implementation of classroom, district, and state assessments for students in Special Education.
  • Work with the Director of Campus Operations to cohort students, creating and regularly updating a Special Education inclusion schedule to ensure that all IEP-required service minutes are met.
  • Cover vacancies & leaves of absence on the Special Education team, including the Compliance Specialist.
  • Create and execute attendance supports for students in Special Education.
  • Manage the attendance and participation of students in Special Education in tutorials and summer programs.
  • Manage the ChildFind process for initial evaluations and maintain compliance with all re-evaluations with support from the Compliance Specialist.
  • Verify and submit rosters for TIA eligibility for Special Education Teachers.
  • Conduct quarterly transcript scrubs for high school students in Special Education to ensure alignment with Personal Graduation Plans.
  • Verify testing accommodations for SAT, MAP, system benchmark exams, STAAR tests, etc.
  • Provide support to the Director of College Counseling during course requests to ensure alignment to the Transition Plan in the IEP.
  • Apply for and monitor the internal Graduation Waiver process, submit Graduation codes to the Director of College Counseling, and monitor progress for all SpEd students toward their Personal Graduation Plans.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).
• At least 3 years of teaching experience in Special Education.
• Texas teaching certificate in Special Education.
• Proven record of student achievement results in Special Education.
• Strong ability to navigate web-related applications and technology.
• Ability to work outside of normal hours and on weekends.
• Openness to giving and receiving frequent feedback.
• Ability to maintain emotional control under stress.
• Ability to work urgently in a fast-paced and results-oriented environment.
• Creates and maintains positive working relationships on a team and/or in a highly collaborative environment.
• A dedication to learn, grow, and develop as a professional.

Beliefs

• Belief in and commitment to the mission and core values of YES Prep Public Schools.
• Relentless belief that all students are capable of college-readiness, including students with disabilities.
• Desire to disrupt systemic status quos in education.
• Willingness to go above and beyond to disrupt said status quos.
• Passion to develop resiliency through a relentless pursuit of jaw-dropping results.
• Conviction that high expectations + high accountability = high performance and high growth.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with dissecting and interpreting TEKS.
• Data analysis and disaggregation skills leading toward targeted interventions.
• Knowledge of a range of disabilities and how they manifest in a classroom setting.
• 1 year or more of team or people management experience.
• Past experiences managing cross-functional projects in a school setting.
• Demonstrated ability to pinpoint and manage escalated risk.
• Action orientation, problem-solving, and critical-thinking.
• Ability to engage with and influence others, including those with dissenting opinions.
• Family and stakeholder relationship-building and engagement skills.
• Self-directed learner: actively asks questions, reflects, identifies gaps, and seeks resources to close gaps.
• Fluent in Spanish.
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks and initiatives at once.

Benefits

• Compensation: Starting at $70,500 annually.
• Health and Supplemental Insurance: A $0 monthly medical option and a plan that includes $600 towards a Health Savings Account, in addition to a variety of supplemental benefits including Dental.