Tampa Metro - Special Education Teacher

KEY RESPONSILITIES

• Serve as the IEP case manager for an assigned caseload of students with disabilities — coordinating evaluation timelines, annual reviews, amendment meetings, and progress reporting in compliance with IDEA and state requirements
• Develop individualized IEP goals that are measurable, standards-aligned, and meaningful to each student’s educational participation and post-secondary trajectory
• Write IEP present levels, goals, accommodations, and services sections with clinical and legal precision; ensure all documentation is accurate, timely, and complete
• Coordinate with SLPs, OTs, PTs, BCBAs, school psychologists, and mental health clinicians to align related services goals with classroom instruction
• Facilitate IEP meetings with families, general education teachers, administrators, and related services providers in a collaborative, family-centered way
• Design and deliver differentiated, evidence-based instruction aligned to each student’s IEP goals and grade-level standards across academic, functional, and communication domains
• Implement a range of instructional approaches — including explicit instruction, systematic phonics, structured literacy, task analysis, visual supports, and modified curricula — matched to each student’s disability profile
• Provide instruction across service delivery models: resource room pull-out, co-teaching in general education, self-contained classrooms, and community-based instruction as appropriate
• Monitor student progress toward IEP goals through systematic data collection; use data to adjust instruction in a timely and documented manner
• Develop and implement accommodation and modification plans that allow students to access the general education curriculum
• Establish and maintain a structured, positive, and predictable classroom environment that supports student regulation, engagement, and independence
• Implement Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) developed by BCBAs with fidelity; collect required behavioral data and communicate patterns to the behavior team
• Apply trauma-informed, positive behavior support approaches that prioritize teaching replacement behaviors and building student self-regulation skills
• Supervise and direct paraprofessionals and instructional aides assigned to your classroom, providing clear direction and performance feedback
• Partner with general education teachers on co-teaching, inclusion support, and co-planning for students in the general education setting
• Communicate regularly with families about student progress, IEP implementation, and upcoming team decisions in a way that is warm, jargon-free, and culturally responsive
• Collaborate with school administrators on scheduling, caseload management, eligibility decisions, and placement recommendations
• Collaborate with transition specialists and outside agencies for students approaching post-secondary transition
• Participate in building-level professional learning communities, PBIS teams, and RTI/MTSS problem-solving processes
• Develop Transition Plans for students age 14 and older (or per state requirement) that are individualized, outcome-oriented, and coordinated with community agencies and post-secondary institutions
• Facilitate student-led IEP meetings and self-advocacy skill development as part of the transition process
• Connect students and families with community resources, vocational rehabilitation, supported employment, and adult services agencies

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Special Education or a related field from an accredited program
• Active state Special Education teaching license or certification in good standing, or documented initiation of licensure transfer prior to start date
• Knowledge of IDEA, IEP development and case management, special education eligibility categories, and applicable state regulations
• Experience or training in evidence-based instructional approaches for students with disabilities
• 1+ years of special education teaching experience in a K–12 school setting (student teaching or residency counts)
• Experience as an IEP case manager with a caseload of students with varied disability profiles
• Training or certification in structured literacy or Orton-Gillingham-based approaches
• Experience co-teaching or providing inclusion support in general education settings
• Bilingual (Spanish) — bilingual SpEd teachers are strongly encouraged to apply
• Familiarity with transition planning, VR coordination, and post-secondary planning for students with disabilities