Special Education RISE Co-Teacher - IDEA Burke College Prep (Immediate Opening)

About the Role

The Special Education Co-Teacher position is ideal for a candidate looking to gain valuable experience in Special Education teaching. This role supports students with significant cognitive and/or pervasive developmental disabilities through a functional curriculum focused on daily living and vocational skills, leading to a successful transition to adult life. These K-12 classrooms provide instruction in practical academics, communication, community, domestic, leisure/recreation, and vocational skills in a general education school building. The role emphasizes communication, independence, and generalization of skills in natural settings, as well as participation in general education activities with typical peers.

IDEA Special Education RISE Co-Teachers support the Special Education-RISE classroom in the Academy (K-5) or College Prep (6-12) with lower student-teacher ratios (often 1 to 3) to address students' academic needs.

What We Offer

Compensation

Compensation for this role is an hourly rate ranging from $16.61 (0 years of experience) to $23.98. Hourly co-teachers' earnings are paid out over a 12-month period.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Benefits Plan: Covers the majority of the employee premium for the base medical plan and subsidizes 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: 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 per year, unlimited 24/7 telephonic counseling, and other work-life services at no cost.
• Dental and vision plans, disability, life insurance, parenting benefits, and flexible spending account options.
• Generous vacation time, referral bonuses, professional development, and a 403(b) plan.
• Relocation allowance may be offered to defray moving costs, if applicable.

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. 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).

Skills

• Capable of physically assisting students with special needs (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.

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 (IEPs) for students and monitor their progress.
• Provide support for individual students inside and outside the classroom to enable full participation in activities.
• Work with other professionals, such as speech therapists, social workers, occupational and physical therapists.
• Assist classroom teachers with maintaining student records.
• Support students with emotional or behavioral concerns and assist in developing appropriate social skills.
• Assist with daily living activities, which may include feeding, lifting, and/or toileting in the Life Skills Unit.
• At some campuses, accompany students on school bus rides before or after school.

Core Values

• Believes and is committed to IDEA’s mission: all students are capable of getting to and through college.
• Demonstrates effective outcomes and results, and wants to be held accountable for them.
• Has a propensity for action, willing to make mistakes to learn and improve quickly.
• Works with urgency and purpose to drive student outcomes.
• Thrives in an entrepreneurial, high-growth environment; comfortable with ambiguity and change.
• Seeks and responds well to feedback, shared often and freely across all levels of the organization.
• Works through silos and forges strong cross-departmental relationships to achieve outcomes.

About IDEA Public Schools

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. IDEA serves nearly 80,000 college-bound students in 137 schools across Texas, Florida, and Ohio, with a legacy of sending 100% of its graduates to college.

When you join IDEA, you become part of a team committed to ambitious goals, growth, and making college for all a reality.