Overview

Special education carries a beautiful mission of ensuring that our differences are not seen as barriers, but instead cherished, supported, and incorporated into each child's journey through school. The Gathering Place's mission is to nurture and celebrate the inner-brilliance of every child. This means that staff are committed to creating a sense of belonging for each child and for developing environments and supports that accommodate each child's unique needs so that each child may grow and thrive at TGP.

The Gathering Place’s unique project-based model has led to the school having a significantly larger percentage of children in special education (15-20% of children with IEPs compared to roughly 10% found at surrounding schools, district or charter). The Director of Special Education oversees the SPED program as well as 504s. 

Leadership Responsibilities

• Support the TGP mission and TGP design principles.
• Embody TGP Collective norms.
• Lead with an equity lens. 
• Manage and facilitate turnaround and change management within the Special Education program, while continuing to build on existing strengths. 
• Center students, student outcomes, inclusion, and school sustainability in all decisions. 

Role Specific Responsibilities

• Design and oversee the vision, full scope, and implementation of TGP’s Student Supports program, which includes special education, 504s, and the like and create standard operating procedures. 
• Design and oversee all special education settings which include Life Skills, Adaptive Behavior settings, Resource, push-in services, ESY (Extended School Year), Summer School, Tutoring, etc.
• Design and oversee Student Support systems and standard operating procedures to drive student and teacher development, and that are efficient, compliant, and effective. 
• Develop key performance indicators and measures of success of the TGP Student Supports Program and conduct regular quality checks. 
• Ensure high quality implementation of all SPED and 504 programming and initiatives; high student and teacher outcomes as well as compliance with local, state, and federal laws; Texas charter rules and regulations; and TGP organizational policies. 
• Work collaboratively with fellow leaders and staff as one team to best support schools, school staff, and children. 
• Cross-train and collaborate with fellow leaders and staff on programmatic and role-specific content, as needed.
• Provide ongoing training, cross-training, support, and role specific content-coaching (as needed) to Principals and School Leaders so that they may best support campus-level implementation of the TGP Student Supports Program. 
• Provide ongoing training, create professional development sessions and experiences, and provide coaching to SPED Coordinators, SPED teachers, SPED Aides, and other SPED staff focused on SPED law, interventions, compliance, and inclusion mindsets. Coaching may include modeling, co-facilitating, co-teaching, and observation in order to increase teacher and support staff effectiveness and capacity. 
• Provide ongoing training, create professional development sessions and experiences, and provide coaching to staff on SPED- or 504-related items so that all staff are working together to implement a strong student supports program. Coaching may include modeling, co-facilitating, co-teaching, and observation in order to increase staff effectiveness and capacity.
• Oversee and manage all state and federal submissions, data records, compliance items and the like related to TGP’s Student Supports program. 
• Collect and analyze data for all program elements. Additionally, assess for disproportionality and redress if any findings are identified.
• Oversee and manage partnerships and contracts with Special Education Service providers or Behavior Support providers, and identify key moments within the organization’s growth trajectory to begin bringing in providers to be in-house instead of contracted. 
• As the organization grows, manage and coach direct reports.
• Ensure all state and federal requirements for compliance and/or reporting for items related specifically to special education, 504s, mental health, or social emotional learning are met and are completed on time at a high quality. 
• Support with the completion of district-level administrative tasks. 
• Lead or participate in town halls, district events, or school events (virtual or in-person). 
• Research, select, and implement TEKS-aligned curricula and resources for program-specific initiatives. 
• Oversee STAAR Alt testing and logistics. 
• Lead, support, and/or participate in various School and District Committees or Councils.
• Employ a research-based, data-driven approach to decision making and program goal setting. 
• Keep up to speed with education research and pedagogical best practices. 
• Help ensure that a school system with a focus on student projects is adapting to meeting the needs of all our children, which includes thinking how to best support and include all students in experiences like showcases, performances, etc.
• Help hire and onboard staff directly connected to the Student Supports Program (SPED staff, Behavior Staff, SEL staff, etc). 
• Observe students to help provide feedback and recommendations for school-based staff on how to best support children to reach their goals and to thrive. 
• Lead regular meetings focused on the Student Supports program, its goals, and effective instructional and behavior best practices. 
• Meet regularly with Principals, School Leaders, and the District to discuss student achievement data. 
• Conduct academic walkthroughs with leaders focused on improving instruction and coaching. 

All Staff Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain healthy working relationships with students and families.
• Attend critical school events such as Professional Development Days, school events for students, and school events for caregivers and/or community members.
• Meet professional obligations including timeliness and consistency in meeting deadlines, among all other policies outlined in the Staff Handbook. 
• Compile, maintain and file all reports, records and other required documents.
• The foregoing statements describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties that may be assigned or skills that may be required. Other duties as assigned.

Key Information: 

• This position is a full-time, 12-month, exempt position and follows the 12-month employee calendar.
• Health benefits include medical, dental, vision with different plan options and telehealth services. 
• Employer-paid life insurance.
• Paid time off, paid bereavement leave, and paid parental leave.
• Participation in Texas Teacher Retirement System (TRS). 
• Some evening and weekend hours may be expected.
• This role may be asked to perform additional responsibilities related to ongoing needs of the school throughout the year.
• This role may be asked to serve on campus or district committees. 
• This role is expected to be flexible outside of school hours to accommodate families who cannot attend ARD or family meetings during school hours.
• There will be one, one-hour staff meeting after school from 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM every two weeks that are required for this role.
• There are three weeks of required summer professional development starting mid-July and several professional development days built into the calendar throughout the year.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree
• Valid Texas teaching certificate with special education endorsement
• Prior experience as a special education teacher in Texas
• Prior experience as a special education administrator or leader in Texas

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary is based on experience within the range of $70,000 - $90,000
• High-quality health, dental, and vision insurance options
• 100% Employer paid Life Insurance

Commitment to Diversity

The Gathering Place seeks to establish a diverse staff that reflects the identities of our children. We do not and shall not discriminate on the basis of a person's actual or perceived identity with regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, ancestry, nationality, pregnancy, political or religious beliefs, national or ethnic origin, veteran status, parental status, or any other distinguishing physical, or genetic characteristics. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff as well as potential staff members.