About this role
Special Education Teacher GAIN Program Kennedy Middle Schoool Job Description: The Special Education Teacher will provide special education services for students with disabilities across grades (6-8).The Special Education Teacher reports directly to the Principal of the School and the Assistant Director of Student Services, and is expected to work closely with all district personnel to provide high quality instruction to our diverse student population. S/he will provide a safe, equitable, culturally responsive learning environment with high expectations for all students. This role will be specific to the GAIN program at Kennedy Middle School, a therapeutic program that services students in grades 6-8 with social-emotional learning disabilities. Responsibilities:
• Provide direct and indirect special education services to students with social emotional learning disabilities.
• Collaborate with GAIN program staff (clinical psychologist, special educators, paraprofessionals) to effectively support student needs
• Create and maintain a welcoming, inclusive, culturally responsive classroom environment that is conducive to student's learning and their ability to comfortably share their authentic selves.
• Provide individual and small group instruction to students in both the Special Education and the General Education settings, as appropriate.
• Administer special education assessments/evaluations to comprehensively determine student need and/or eligibility for special education
• Write comprehensive IEPs for caseload including measurable goals, detailed PLAAFPs etc.
• Support students in maintaining safe behaviors across settings by implementing the strategies outlined in the Safety Care program
• Design and implement modifications to school curricula, differentiated instruction, and positive behavior support programs as needed.
• Evaluate student abilities and progress through a variety of formal and informal assessments, including to determine special education eligibility; monitor student progress and adjust instruction accordingly.
• Chair all annual review and IEP progress meetings; participate in evaluation and eligibility meetings, as appropriate.
• Participate in ongoing professional development activities, including Safety Care training.
• Participate in collaborative consultation with special education teams, including service providers and administrators.
• Maintain accurate, complete, and correct student records as required by law and district policies.
• Maintain and build relationships and communication pathways with parents and other community liaisons.
• Abide by state statutes, school committee policies, regulations, and WPS Employee Handbook.
• Attend all required meetings and perform duties as assigned by the Assistant Director of Student Services and Building Administrator(s).
• Implement of behavior support plans for students
• Oversee paraprofessional staff in supporting students and in data collection and entry.
• All other duties as required by the Principal or WPS Administration.
Qualifications & Skill Set:
• Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university required; Master's degree preferred
• Required Licensure: Current Massachusetts's DESE Certification in Moderate or Severe Special Needs for corresponding grade levels (K-8 or 5-12), Moderate License preferred
Preferred Qualifications:
• Experience working in a diverse educational setting, including the ability to work successfully with students, colleagues, and families from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds.
• Competence with technology tools and platforms, including Google applications
Terms of Employment: As outlined in the Agreement Between The Woburn Teachers' Association and The Woburn School Committee. At the Woburn Public Schools, we are committed to cultivating an environment where diverse perspectives and backgrounds are embraced. We believe that a team reflecting diversity of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and veteran status allows us to serve our communities better. To that end, Woburn Public Schools continues to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and a district member of Mass Partnership for Diversity in Education.