Special Education Teacher

The Special Education Teacher provides high-quality, individualized instruction and case management for students with disabilities in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), New Mexico requirements, and each student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP).

The Special Education Teacher is responsible for ensuring students receive the specially designed instruction, accommodations, supports, services, and progress monitoring necessary to access and make progress in the general education curriculum.

At The MASTERS Program (TMP), this role extends beyond compliance. As an early-college high school located on the Santa Fe Community College campus, TMP is committed to ensuring students with disabilities have meaningful and equitable access to rigorous academics, dual-credit opportunities, career pathways, Service Learning, Work-Based Learning, and preparation for college, career, and adult life.

Head of School and/or designated Special Education Administrator

• Plan, deliver, and evaluate specially designed instruction based on students’ identified needs and IEPs.
• Provide individual, small-group, co-taught, and other instructional supports appropriate to student needs and service requirements.
• Adapt instructional content, methodology, and delivery to address disability-related needs while maintaining appropriately high expectations.
• Utilize evidence-based instructional practices and interventions aligned with student needs.
• Provide targeted support in academic, executive-functioning, organizational, behavioral, social-emotional, communication, and transition-related areas as identified in students’ IEPs.
• Ensure instruction supports meaningful access to and progress in the general education curriculum.
• Promote student independence, self-determination, and self-advocacy.

• Serve as case manager for assigned students with disabilities.
• Develop legally compliant, individualized IEPs based on current data, evaluation information, student strengths, identified needs, family and student input, and educational priorities.
• Develop clear Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP/PLOP) statements that establish the foundation for measurable annual goals and services.
• Develop measurable annual goals addressing identified disability-related needs.
• Ensure services, accommodations, modifications, supplementary aids, supports, and placement recommendations align with identified student needs.
• Coordinate and facilitate IEP meetings in collaboration with required IEP team members.
• Ensure required IEP timelines, notices, documentation, and procedural requirements are completed accurately and on time.
• Provide teachers and other responsible staff with access to and understanding of the portions of students’ IEPs necessary for implementation.
• Monitor implementation of IEP services and accommodations across educational settings.
• Maintain organized and accurate special education records.

• Develop and implement systems for regularly monitoring progress toward IEP goals.
• Collect, analyze, and maintain objective data related to student performance and IEP goals.
• Provide required progress reports to families.
• Use progress-monitoring data to determine whether students are responding to specially designed instruction and interventions.
• Adjust instructional strategies when data indicate insufficient progress.
• Collaborate with the IEP team when data indicate that a student’s program, goals, services, accommodations, or supports may need to be reconsidered.
• Maintain documentation necessary to demonstrate implementation of IEP services.

• Collaborate closely with general education teachers to ensure students with disabilities have meaningful access to grade-level curriculum and instruction.
• Support teachers in understanding and appropriately implementing IEP accommodations, modifications, supplementary aids, and supports.
• Co-plan and co-teach when appropriate.
• Assist with adapting instructional materials and learning experiences without unnecessarily reducing rigor or student expectations.
• Promote inclusive practices and participation in the least restrictive environment appropriate to each student.
• Help distinguish disability-related needs from issues involving attendance, motivation, behavior, missing instruction, or other barriers so that appropriate interventions can be provided.

• Provide instructional direction to Special Education Educational Assistants assigned to support students on the teacher’s caseload or within the teacher’s instructional setting.
• Ensure EAs understand relevant accommodations, supports, instructional strategies, behavioral plans, safety procedures, and data-collection expectations.
• Provide appropriate training, modeling, feedback, and ongoing communication to EAs.
• Monitor EA implementation of assigned student supports.
• Ensure paraprofessional support promotes student independence and does not unnecessarily create dependence on adult assistance.

Because TMP is an early-college high school, transition planning is an essential component of the Special Education Teacher’s role.

The Special Education Teacher will:

• Develop meaningful, individualized transition plans consistent with student strengths, preferences, interests, and postsecondary goals.
• Ensure transition assessments and services appropriately inform IEP development.
• Help students understand their disability, strengths, accommodations, and learning needs and develop effective self-advocacy skills.
• Collaborate with students, families, TMP staff, SFCC personnel, and community partners to support successful transitions.
• Support students with disabilities in accessing appropriate dual-credit, CTE, career exploration, Service Learning, Work-Based Learning, and community-based opportunities.
• Assist students in understanding the differences between high school special education services and disability-access processes in postsecondary education and employment.
• Connect IEP transition goals to realistic education, employment, independent living, and adult-life outcomes when appropriate.

• Participate as a required member of multidisciplinary evaluation and eligibility teams.
• Review existing data and contribute relevant educational and progress-monitoring information.
• Participate in reevaluations and eligibility determinations in accordance with applicable requirements.
• Collaborate with school psychologists, diagnosticians, related-service providers, families, teachers, and administrators.
• Ensure educational decisions are individualized and based on appropriate data rather than disability labels alone.