What are the responsibilities and job description for the Special Education Director position at Reed City Area Public Schools?
Position Summary
The Director of Special Education assists the Superintendent with staffing, budgeting, data collection, and reporting, staff development, and program implementation and evaluation for identified special education programs; coordinates special education compliance; and serves as the district’s liaison in all matters concerning special education.
Qualifications
- Master's Degree in Special Education
- State of Michigan approval as a Special Education Director
- Continuing Education Credit Requirement, under current Michigan law, or 18 State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECH)
- Successful experiences as a classroom teacher and administrator, local school district experience preferred
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
Key Responsibilities
- Understands, accepts, and abides by the Reed City Area Public Schools philosophy and mission statement in all his/her school activities
- Establish and communicate a division-wide philosophy of least restrictive environment for serving special needs students
- Keep informed of legal requirements governing Special Education and ensure that staff and programs are in total compliance with the law
- Evaluate and recommend for continuation of employment and promotion of all personnel serving in the Special Education area
- Assume responsibility for compiling, maintaining and filing all reports, records other documents legally required or administratively useful
- Supervise the recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training and evaluating of all assigned Special Education personnel
- Monitor the development and implementation of all aspects of the special education program process
- Assume responsibility for Child Find activities including the coordination of all schools’ referral activities
- Collaborate with school-based administrators and central office administrators regarding the discipline of students with disabilities
- Facilitate and/or participate in all matters of dispute resolution with the Michigan Department of Education and the Office for Civil Rights pertaining to students with disabilities; manage mediation and due process procedures
- Coordinate the implementation of federal and state grant applications and manage appropriate IDEA grants
- Maintain accurate database and files of former and current students served in special education
- Conduct ongoing needs assessments, collect and analyze data, use pertinent data to refine and improve operational functions and services
- Plan, implement, and facilitate professional development/in-services for school staff assigned the responsibility of delivering and overseeing the special education services/process in their buildings
- Work with Child Study Committees in developing, implementing, and evaluating proper child study procedures
- Serve as the district’s liaison in all matters concerning special education
- Perform related work as required by the Superintendent