Director of Department for Exceptional Learning

240 day position

Job Goal/Summary:  To provide leadership and operational oversight for the department of exceptional learning programs. To provide the highest quality educational experiences for students with exceptional needs between ages three and twenty-one in the Liberty County School System.

Reports to:  Executive Director for the Department of Exceptional Learning. 

QUALIFICATIONS: 

1. Master’s degree or higher in a special education related field from a Professional Standards Commission approved accredited college or university
2. Minimum of 5 years of successful teaching or administration in a special education related position within a public school setting in Georgia
3. Hold or be eligible for a valid Professional Standards Commission approved certificate Educational Leadership or in a special education related field
4. The successful applicant must have extensive knowledge of federal, state, and local special education administrative laws, rules, and regulations; and familiarity of current trends and best practices in special education practices and procedures
5. Such alternatives to the above qualifications as the Superintendent may find appropriate and acceptable       

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Prompt and regular attendance.
• Assists teachers and special education staff in ordering of materials and supplies to enhance the classroom instructions and provide needed instructional supplies as warranted in the IEPs.
• Prepares/codes/processes purchase orders.
• Maintains purchase totals and reports to the Executive Director.
• Processes purchase requests of support staff, OT, PT, transportation, etc.
• Assist in training teachers to ensure that IEP errors are corrected.
• Handles incoming questions/emergencies in the absence of the Executive Director.
• Ensures that all students are accounted for and transmitted appropriately on FTE reports.
• Provides training for the Georgia Alternative Assessment (GAA).
• Assist the Executive Director in collections of data for GADOE.
• Serves as liaison for special education students who have been incarcerated or placed temporarily at YDC.
• Provides training for computerized IEPs.
• Facilitates Assistive Technology Referrals.
• Coordinates the purchases of Assistant Technology and maintains an inventory of such purchases.
• Provides training to staff and parents for individual assistive devices.
• Facilitates IEP meetings for special education students at LEAD and the Ombudsman Program.
• Attends all tribunals for special education students and facilitates the required Post-Tribunal IEP meetings.
• Serves as a committee member with the Executive Director (upon request) for special education student meetings when advocates/attorneys are present.
• Attends SST meetings as needed (or when requested by school staff) or when advocates are in attendance.
• Coordinates SLPs’ trainings, materials requests and addresses concerns.
• Facilitates purchasing and training for newly created special education classrooms.
• Maintains/coordinates NOVA training to keep Autistic classes endorsed.
• Prepares old records to be purged/destroyed before sending to Records Retention Unit. 
• Maintains Inventory for evaluation materials for school psychologists, SLPs, and special education teachers.
• Completes observation of School Psychologists and Division for Exceptional Learning secretarial staff and other special education staff as warranted.
• Attends IEP meetings that require a central office representative.
• Serves as a liaison for Special Education Contacts, Speech Language Pathologists and Psychologists from each school.
• Updates and maintains special education student files. (This includes reading files for accuracy, written correspondence to teachers in regard to errors. organizing files, working with the secretary to keep information current in the computer).
• Oversees the special education databases maintained in SASI and FileMaker.
• Coordinates 504 meetings and serves as site reviewer for plans coming into the Liberty County School System.
• Attends 504 meetings that must be held at least once per year.
• Addresses parental concerns for special education and regular education students.
• Assists the Executive Director in the preparation of the Special Education Teacher Handbook annually to reflect changes that will be in effect for the upcoming school year.
• Assists the Executive Director in updating forms and paperwork.
• Works with other systems requesting student records.
• Completes other duties as assigned by the Supervisor or Superintendent of Schools..

Physical Requirements:

Able to perform routine physical activities that are required to fulfill job responsibilities including:

Light Work:  Exerting 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently and/or up to 10 pounds as needed to move objects.

Terms of Employment:

       Salary shall be paid consistent on the System’s approved salary schedule.  Length of work year and hours of employment shall be established by the system.

Evaluation:

          Performance of this job will be evaluated by the Executive Director Department for Exceptional Learning