SY25-26 Empowerment Zone Behavior Specialist

SEZP Behavior Specialist

Grade Levels: 6-12

Start Date: August 18, 2025

Essential Responsibilities

• Works under the direction of the SEZP Chief of Student Support and Services in collaboration with the Senior Administrators of Special Education
• Provides technical assistance and coaching in the area of effective behavior management techniques including school and SEZP implementation of Culturally Responsive SEL and Trauma Informed Practices
• Designs and helps to implement programs to promote prosocial behavior based on systematic analysis of the variables that cause and maintain behavior
• Consults with staff to modify instructional programs based on frequent systematic evaluation of direct observational data
• Develops and implements intervention strategies and activities to assist teachers in implementing behavioral plans
• Assists in the development of social/emotional/behavioral curriculum to be used with students in special education classes in compliance with the requirements of Massachusetts Common Core Curriculum
• Works as an internal coach providing support and consultation to students with challenging behaviors in the general and Special Education classrooms
  
  

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree required; Master's degree preferred
• Appropriate content/ program area educator license (e.g., Teacher of Students with Moderate/ Severe Disabilities, Guidance or School Adjustment counselor, School Psychologist, Board Certified Behavioral Analyst [BCBA]) in accordance with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
• Familiarization with trauma informed practices/ restorative practices preferred
• Experience and/or training in providing social-emotional-behavioral support for students with social-emotional challenges and mental health issues
• Successful teaching experience in special education and/or early childhood preferred
• At least 5 years experience in pre-K to 12 school setting, at least 3 years of which should be in an urban setting
• Familiar with 603 CMR regulations and policies
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills
• Goal oriented and data driven with a focus on problem solving
• Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively with others
  
  

If you meet some of the qualifications above, we encourage you to apply or to reach out for more information. We know that historically marginalized groups - including people of color, women, people from working class backgrounds, and people who identify as LGBTQ - are less likely to apply unless and until they meet every requirement for a job. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities.

We encourage you to reach out to info@sezp.org if you have questions about the role or your qualifications. We are happy to help you feel ready to apply!

Benefits

SEZP offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience; salaries for new behavior specialists start at $51,038. Educators in SEZP qualify for benefits (sick days, retirement, health insurance, etc.) offered to other educators in the Springfield Public Schools.

Positions will be filled on a rolling basis; applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. Please contact info@sezp.org with any questions.

About The Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership

While Massachusetts is consistently ranked as one of the top states for education results in the country, we have one of the highest and most persistent opportunity gaps. The Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership (SEZP) - established in 2015 as a collaboration between Springfield Public Schools (SPS), the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and the Springfield Education Association (SEA) - seeks to improve the longitudinal life outcomes of the nearly 5,000 students in our seventeen middle and high schools.

As a "zone" of schools within the city of Springfield, SEZP's approach draws on a deep and embedded partnership with the school district and local teachers' union, while harnessing the flexibility and innovation found in autonomous school models. As a result, each school within SEZP is accorded significant school-based autonomies - in curriculum, talent, calendar, schedule, and budget - while being held accountable for realizing achievement gains for historically marginalized students. In all of our work, SEZP is in pursuit of equity and anti-racism - acknowledging the systemic oppression our students and families encounter daily and working to disrupt these provision gaps urgently and courageously.

Nondiscrimination Statement

The Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, age, disability or military service or marital status. The Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate in admission to, access or treatment in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation, disability or homelessness.

Title IX Notice of Nondiscrimination

Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex in admission, administration of its educational programs or activities or employment. Springfield Public Schools is required by Title IX and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 106 not to discrimination on the basis of sex in admission, administration of its educational programs or activities or employment. The Senior Administrator of Human Resources, Kathleen O'Sullivan, Springfield Public Schools, 1550 Main St. Springfield MA, 01103, 413-787-7100, ext. 55428, has been designated as the employee responsible for coordinating Springfield Public Schools efforts to comply with and carry out its responsibilities under Title IX. Inquiries concerning the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 106 to Springfield Public Schools may be referred to Kathleen O'Sullivan or to U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 400 Maryland Ave., SW Washington, DC 20202-1100, telephone 800-421-3481.