Who Are We? Prospect Hill Academy Charter School is a highly successful urban PK-12 public school located in Somerville and Cambridge. We enroll over 1,100 students from cities and towns throughout the greater Boston metro area. Our inclusive and restorative school celebrates and serves a diverse community - with 87% BIPOC, 27% ELL, and 16% of our students qualifying for special education services. Our mission is to prepare all students for success in college, foster responsible citizenship, and inspire a lifelong love of learning - as we believe academic achievement opens doors and creates opportunities for our students. We center the values of anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work. Our approach to instruction is founded on culturally sustaining, inquiry-based, and student-centered practices. To invest in the growth of our educators, we offer comprehensive professional development, instructional coaching, and mentorship. Our campuses foster a collaborative team environment with extraordinary educators who are committed to ongoing learning, reflection, and professional growth. What does a Special Education Team Chair at Prospect Hill do? The Special Education Team Chair is responsible for all aspects of the special education IEP team process, including meeting facilitation, IEP development and implementation and progress monitoring to ensure that students with disabilities receive a Free and Appropriate Public Education in accordance with IDEA. In conjunction with the campus principal and Director of Students Services, the Team Chair provides supervision and evaluation of special education team members and coordinates and monitors implementation of all department policies and procedures at the campus level. A Team Chair may maintain a small caseload of students with a teaching load proportionate to the size and scope of Chair responsibilities at his/her campus. Essential Responsibilities:

• Perform all Team Chair responsibilities pertaining to the planning and facilitation of IEP meetings (annual reviews, eligibility determinations, interim reviews, manifestation determinations, etc.)
• Process new special education referrals for the campus.
• Oversee all aspects of IEP development and implementation.
• Monitor compliance with the special education process and timelines in accordance with state and federal regulations.
• Maintain accurate IEP records and documentation (ESPED, student files, department roster, etc.)
• Oversee the development, tracking, dissemination, and proper implementation of IEP mandated accommodations for students with disabilities.
• Serve as secondary evaluator for all special education teachers.
• Provide support targeting inclusive strategies for all educators and instructional coaching support to special education teachers and associates
• Coordinate service delivery between special education teachers, paraprofessionals, and related services providers at the campus level (ensure that all services are provided, monitor pass/fail and exempt status, coordinate MCAS proctoring, etc.)
• Promote implementation of department policies and procedures (assign duties, monitor compliance with timelines, monitor mail and maintain the roster, etc.)
• Serve as liaison between the special education team and leadership with regard to daily issues at the campus level.
• Plan and facilitate departmental Collaborative Inquiry meetings.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of department specific professional development.
• Participate in campus and department wide program evaluation and planning.
• When applicable, oversee supervision for associate teachers (including PD planning and implementation)
• Serve as campus liaison for students on 504 plans.
• Serve as a member of the campus Crisis Response Team, implementing de-escalation and physical restraint as needed, in accordance with PHA policies and state regulations.
• Provide direct instruction to students with disabilities, in accordance with campus needs.
• Any additional responsibilities and tasks requested or assigned by the supervisor.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Serve as a member of the campus based Instructional Leadership Team
• Contribute to the onboarding and orientation of new special education team members.
• Attend and support summer initiatives including ILT planning and New Teacher Institute when relevant, with anticipated time commitment ranging between 2-5 days per summer.

What Knowledge, Skills, and Experiences are needed for this role?

• Minimum 3 years’ experience as a special education teacher
• Experience in IEP meeting facilitation.
• Master's degree in special education (or related field) and licensure as a Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities
• Ability to build and maintain positive relationships, including bringing teams toward consensus and resolving conflicts.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to distill and present complex assessment data to a variety of audiences (parents, teachers, leaders)
• Aptitude for details and a high level of organization
• Strict adherence to timelines
• Extensive knowledge of state and federal laws and regulations pertaining to special education

Our students and families are diverse, and we are committed to hiring educators who reflect the wonderful diversity of our students. We encourage applicants of all backgrounds to apply to work at Prospect Hill.