Job Summary:

Under the direction of the Building Principal and Director of Student Services, the Licensed Special Education Teacher develops and provides specialized instruction to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities; Evaluates and assesses student progress against instructional objectives; follows IDEA-mandated due process procedures and functions as Case Manager to assigned IEP students.

Qualifications:

Professional Educator License (PEL)

Highly Qualified in Special Education 

LBS1 Certification

Bilingual preferred, not required

Evaluation:

The performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with provisions of the Board's policy on the Evaluation of Staff.

Reports to:

Director of Student Services and Building Principal 

Terms of Employment:

This is a 9-month position—salary and benefits established by the Board of Education. The position retains the Harvard Education Association membership and is part of the Collective Bargaining Unit.

Compensation and Benefits:

The details of compensation and benefits for employees are comprehensively outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), a document accessible at the following link: https://www.cusd50.org/page/careers. This agreement is a valuable resource for individuals seeking comprehensive information regarding our organization's remuneration and benefits structure.

FLSA Status:

Exempt

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Facilitates students' learning in correlation with the Illinois Learning Standards.
2. Provides research-based specialized instruction to address the instructional goals and objectives contained within each student's IEP.
3. Communicates the essential questions to clarify the learning goals for each lesson.
4. Configure lessons and select instructional strategies to ensure that all students can answer a lesson's essential question by its conclusion.
5. Designs daily lessons incorporating Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading (WICOR) to ensure authentically rigorous learning experiences for all students.
6. Designs lessons to include three or more unique learning tasks for students, at least one of which provides for whole-class verbal participation.
7. Creates and nurtures supportive, student-centered classroom communities that promote personal empowerment, academic growth, and the social-emotional well-being of all learners.
8. Creates an effective environment for learning through functional and visual tools.
9. Manages student behavior to provide a safe and optimal learning environment.
10. Provides students with regular opportunities to collaborate with peers, move with purpose, and experience diverse instructional strategies so that they are physically and intellectually engaged as learners.
11. Provides students time to interact with instructional resources and materials thoughtfully and actively to support their comprehension and long-term retention of information.
12. Cooperates with general education teachers, special education teachers, bilingual teachers, and related services personnel to accommodate and modify the curricula for special education students.
13. Allows students to take an active role in their learning by setting and monitoring individualized goals and processing and reflecting deliberately within lessons
14. Assists in providing academic interventions and progress monitoring support to students with social-emotional/behavioral concerns aligned with the MTSS framework.
15. Incorporates cultural diversity and appreciation within the curriculum.
16. Uses technologies appropriately in the teaching/learning process.
17. Participates in a professional learning community with various stakeholders, including but not limited to instructional staff, other school personnel, parents, and a variety of community resources to improve the overall quality of student outcomes, achieving established classroom objectives supporting the school improvement plan.
18. Assesses student progress and determines the need for additional reinforcement or adjustments to instructional techniques.
19. Employs various teaching techniques, methods, and learning principles to enable students to meet their IEP goals.
20. Develops and implements annual Individualized Educational Program (IEP) plans for students to include present levels of educational performance, special education accommodations and needs, instructional goals and objectives, and the special education and related services required to meet those goals.
21. Coordinates the delivery of special education services in each student's IEP.
22. Creates a positive learning experience with an emphasis on individualized instruction.
23. Serves as primary contact for the parent. Participates in Initial evaluations and reevaluations.
24. Provides direction, supervision, and evaluation of educational assistants as directed.
25. Completes all district and state reporting requirements
26. Performs other duties and responsibilities as determined by the principal or designee or as needs arise.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Must demonstrate a record of effectiveness in their teaching
• Must have excellent planning and organization skills
• Must have the ability to work collaboratively with others
• Must have strong verbal communication skills
• Must model a desire and willingness to learn continually

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands of this position include frequent sitting and standing for extended periods. Repetitive bending at the waist and kneeling, stooping, and crouching to assist students are also required. Regularly walk, talk, hear, and operate a computer, hand-held learning devices, student equipment, and other office equipment; reach with hands and arms and occasionally lift and move up to 10 pounds.

ADA:

The employer will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This job description will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity. Essential and marginal job functions are subject to modification.

This job description is intended to describe the minimum qualifications, duties, and responsibilities of employees assigned to this position. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The District reserves the right to amend and change the position responsibilities to meet District needs as necessary.