Supervisor of Special Education Data and Policy Education Program Supervisor

About the role

The Maryland State Department of Education seeks a Supervisor of Data and Policy for the Family Support and Dispute Resolution Branch. This position is responsible for ensuring systemic compliance, accountability, and strategic policy development under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Responsibilities

• Supervises staff who oversee Corrective Actions and Data and provides Policy Review, Data, and Accountability for Family Support and Dispute Resolution.
• Counsels staff in the review of branch-level legal and policy documents, policy statements, and formal decisions issued by the FSDR branch to ensure alignment with the IDEA, applicable COMAR regulations, and MSDE policy.
• Serves as FSDR’s principal expert on the interpretation and application of special education law.
• Designs, implements, and maintains robust internal and external systems of accountability across the FSDR branch to measure the overall efficacy of compliance monitoring and IDEA dispute resolution systems.
• Develops, coordinates, and implements an annual plan for professional learning and technical assistance reflecting state, regional, and local priorities and concerns, and which is responsive to trends emerging in Family Support data and IDEA Dispute Resolution data.
• Collaborates with family support services staff to collect statewide data for Family Support Networks, Preschool Partners, and Partners for Success Centers focusing on data measuring the impact of services and supports provided to families, as well as identifying trends for statewide TA, professional development, and effectiveness of the system of family support.
• Identifies trends in dispute resolution data and develop training and supports for LEAs and parents to implement and utilize informal dispute resolution processes.
• Manages, reviews, and investigates complex, sensitive, or high-profile State complaints at the request of the Director, FSDR.
• Oversees the development of internal systems, implementation, and tracking of corrective actions assigned to LEAs and PAs resulting from IDEA State complaint investigations.
• Develops effective systems of IDEA enforcement and accountability to ensure that all noncompliance related to IDEA dispute resolution is durably corrected within mandated timelines.
• Provides Development and oversight of the PIA response process for the Division of Special Education.

Requirements

• Education: A Juris Doctorate, Master’s Degree, or equivalent 36 post-baccalaureate credit hours of course work in Education, Special Education or a related field.
• Experience: Four years of legal, policy, administrative, compliance, accountability, or teaching experience in, or affiliated with, a special education or other disability program.

Qualifications

• One year of experience in one of the following: Providing legal or policy analysis on matters related to special education or other disability programs Compliance monitoring in a special education or other disability program
• Possession of a juris doctorate degree specializing in special education and/or disability law
• Extensive experience in public policy and applying law
• Experience with IDEA or other disability regulations, policies, programs, and issues
• Experience conducting authoritative legal and policy research
• Experience providing legal advice or opinions to decision-makers
• Experience supervising staff
• Experience with special education compliance systems