Special Education Director

Maine School Administrative District #60 (Berwick, North Berwick and Lebanon) is seeking a Director of Special Education who will be responsible for developing, supporting, and monitoring the delivery of all special education and related services from the age of birth to 22 years for the Noble School District. In collaboration with the administrative team, this position provides leadership in the District’s strategic priority to provide all students with an academic experience that is accessible, rigorous, relevant, and engaging. The Director of Special Education is a crucial member of our district leadership team. His or her insight helps identify and remove potential learning barriers to ensure that all MSAD 60 students are college and/or career ready upon graduation from the Noble School District.

Responsibilities:

The Director of Special Education provides oversight and administrative leadership of all special education and related services (including those provided to students who may be placed in out-of-district programs). As such, the Director of Special Education is responsible for:

• IEP process from referral through evaluation, eligibility determination, and the implementation of resulting IEPs

• Ongoing cycles of student evaluation, re-evaluation and assessment

• Provision of the district’s specialized, inclusive instruction

• Oversight of the district’s specialized programs

• District-wide management of student special education records and reporting

• Oversight of all related services and staff including occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech pathology, school psychologist, etc.

• Management of the special education budget, including contracted services

• Oversight of required annual state data reporting cycles, and grant preparation

• Hiring and Evaluation of special education assistant directors, teachers and related service providers

• Communication with district’s special education attorneys and building administrators

• Oversight of the special education mediation, hearing and complaint process

Essential Duties

• Plans, coordinates, and evaluates the delivery of special education and related services to meet or exceed federal and state laws and regulations as a collaborative member of the District’s leadership team and in support of the district’s vision, mission and goals

• Ensures that all students with disabilities have access to appropriate educational supports as determined by the Individualized Education Program team

• Monitors the development and implementation of IEPs throughout the district

• Oversees out-of-district student placements

• Prepares, administers, and monitors budgets related to supplemental and/or special education services in accordance with federal, state, and district laws, regulations, conventions, and quality criteria

• Oversees the preparation of federal and state grants, data collection and reports related to special education

• Builds strong relationships and partnerships with local special education collaboratives

• In cooperation with assistant directors and principals, coordinates the work of Special Education teams

• Works cooperatively with parents and community on special education matters and attends/participates in meetings of the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee

• Acts as a liaison to community agencies, courts, hospitals and clinics on special education and guidance matters

• Prepares reports as needed for program and state mandates

• Assumes additional duties and responsibilities as necessary or assigned by the Superintendent or Assistant Superintendent

Key Skills and Beliefs

• Demonstrates innovative thinking and problem solving skills

• Prioritizes collaboration with the administrative team

• Holds high expectations for student learning and believes that all students can learn and achieve mastery of the standards when provided with the right supports

• Commits to developing and internalizing a shared educational vision around outcomes, college and career readiness, and responsible citizenship for every student in the Noble District

• Demonstrates strong context and audience-specific interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills

• Demonstrates strong conceptual, analytical, organizational, and management skills and demonstrated leadership ability

• Experienced in the process of identifying and supporting English Language Learners (ELLs) with special needs

• Analyzes situations accurately and plans an effective course of action

• Consistently meets schedules, deadlines and timelines

• Prioritizes collaboration with the administrative team

Supervision, Evaluation and Development of Staff

• Builds, develops and maintains effective leadership and teacher teams

• Supports special education level staff with professional learning opportunities that ensure adult performance results in improved student outcomes

• Provides mentorship to special education administrative team through collaboration

• Supports and empowers staff to create rigorous standards-based units of instruction that are aligned across grade levels and content areas and meet the needs of diverse learners

• Ensures that all staff are evaluated annually and receive ongoing, timely, actionable verbal and written feedback & coaching

• Addresses instances of underperformance of staff to improve student outcomes

• Provides technical assistance to general education staff and administrators, ensuring the implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS)

• Oversees the supervision and evaluation of related services staff

• Ensures that all staff are sensitive to the diverse needs of students

Competitive salary and benefits package.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $127,490.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Work Location: In person

Salary : $127,490