Title: Special Education Teacher

Minimum Qualifications:

• Appropriately licensed/certified by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience teaching special education and/or related service.
• Specialized training in research-base and evidence-base interventions.

Accountable to:

• Director of Student Services, Building Administrators

Primary Objective:

• Apply principles, methods and procedures for an analysis of designing specialized instruction to meet the diverse needs of students to special education services. Provide intervention strategies and services related to individualization of academic and behavior/emotional needs.

Major Areas of Accountability*:

• Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and effectively communicate those objectives to students.
• Identify students’ needs and make appropriate referrals and develop strategies for individual education plans.
• Effectively communicate with parents by means of newsletters, email, notes, phone calls and individual parent conferences.
• Discuss student problems, behavior incidents, positive developments, and progress with parents in an honest, sensitive, and confidential manner.
• Promotes parent participation and involvement in education activities provided for their children.
• Confer and cooperate with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting student learning, following approved curriculum.
• Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, support staff, and administrators to resolve student behavioral and academic problems.
• Engage in collaborative work and contribute to team planning.
• Support instruction through an Individual Education Plan for students with special needs, aligning with District adopted curriculum.
• Provide individual and small group research-based instruction designed to meet individual needs of students based upon data that promotes academic, social, and emotional growth.
• Evaluate students’ academic and social growth by monitoring individualized education plans and progress reports.
• Develop and use instructional materials suitable for verbal or visual instructions of students with a wide range of mental, physical, and emotional maturities.
• Develop lesson plans and instruction materials and provide individualization and small group instruction in order to adapt the curriculum to the needs of each student.
• Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and or time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.
• Translate lesson plans and activities into developmentally appropriate learning experiences to best utilize the available time for instruction.
• Develop individualized educational plans that meet State and Federal guidelines.
• Foster cooperative social behavior through activities and group projects to assist children in forming satisfying relationships with other children and adults.
• Utilize technology-computers, audiovisual aids, and other equipment in the delivery of instruction.
• Utilize assessment materials and make appropriate classroom student assessments.
• Maintain accurate and complete student records and prepare reports on students and activities as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
• Model and maintain standards of responsible student behavior.
• Establish, implement, and enforce rules and procedures for appropriate classroom behavior, to maintain a positive learning environment.
• Implement effective individualized behavior management strategies and curriculum accommodations.
• Attend professional inservice activities and teacher training workshops offered and provided by the District, as well as self-selected professional growth activities in order to maintain and improve professional competence.
• Effectively communicate collaborate, and cooperate with parents, colleagues, supervisors, and
• Plan and coordinate the work of special education paraprofessionals. Demonstrate cultural competence and behaviors consistent with the core values, visions, and mission of District 159.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• Ending, carrying, climbing, must be able to travel between job sites, lifting, pushing-pulling, reaching, sitting, standing and walking.
• Must be able to occasionally lift, move, or push items of 50 lbs such as assisting children or moving/rearranging furniture.
• Must be able to supervise students in all types of weather, meet multiple demands from several people, and interact with the public and other staff.
• CPI Trained and Certified

Working Conditions:

• Includes extremes of temperature and humidity.
• Hazards include stairs and communicable diseases.

*All areas of accountability considered essential functions of the job.