About this role
Special Education Advisor
Project Description: Schools and education-focused organizations across Georgia are seeking experienced special education teachers to strengthen the support provided to students with disabilities and special needs.
Georgia’s efforts to develop special needs education began in the early 2000s with small, community-driven pilot classes. By 2006, these initiatives had evolved into a nationally adopted policy for general education, supported by international partners. Over the past two decades, the system has broadened considerably, extending into the vocational sector, establishing mandatory early‑preschool inclusion standards, and strengthening psycho‑educational support services. Today, the country relies on regional multidisciplinary teams, localized after-school programs, and child rights centers to act as knowledge hubs, all of which serve as practical knowledge hubs for educators and families. Despite this progress, several challenges persist. Municipal funding remains uneven, and specialized personnel are still in short supply outside major urban centers. Social stigma and limited parental collaboration hinder holistic support for learners, while aging school infrastructure often falls short of meeting accessibility needs. Families would also benefit from clearer, more consistent guidance to help them feel confident and engaged in their child’s educational journey.
As a Special Education Advisor, you will help learners better participate in classroom activities, build essential skills, and experience greater independence. By supporting the creation of individualized plans, modeling techniques, and helping staff adapt learning materials, you will help educators better meet the diverse needs of their students.
Required Skills: Bachelor's or master's degree in education or a related field. AND Two or more years of special education experience, preferably in one of the following areas: American Sign Language (ASL), speech therapy, occupational therapy, or working with visually-impaired.
Living Conditions: Volunteers may begin their service living with a host family or in independent housing, depending on options available. Semi‑urban and urban communities across regions are well connected by minibuses and taxis. Worksite travel typically ranges from 20–45 minutes. Access to basic services is widely available.
Job Highlights: Strengthen your ability to design individualized strategies and coach educators in approaches valued in education systems worldwide. Gain international insights into special education challenges while supporting the country’s education reforms. Develop Georgian language proficiency through immersive, daily conversations.
Activities: Evaluate current standards to identify systemic areas for improvement. Provide training on guiding families through the diagnostic process and applying home-based learning support strategies. Model evidence-based teaching practices and co-teaching approaches to seamlessly integrate students with special needs. Plan after-school activities and school-wide initiatives that foster social integration across all ability levels. Coach educators on enhancing the design, tracking, and execution of Individual Development Plans (IDPs) to ensure measurable student progress. Create actionable workshops and user-friendly instructional manuals that support differentiated teaching and effective IDP management. Assist staff in assessing and documenting learner progress, preparing basic reports, and strengthening education-related communication. You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as supporting educators understand the implementation of reform elements plan or implementing community-wide events.
Training: After a three-week orientation on topics such as health and safety, you will move to a semi-urban or urban community where you will collaborate with the staff at a school, an education center, or a nonprofit. You will work with the partner and your community to assess the special education needs and develop a work plan in line with their established goals.
Peace Corps/Georgia will equip you with Georgian language resources and you may work with a tutor who can help you build basic language skills to connect with the community.