2026-2027 SPED TEACHER - ELEMENTARY @ Santa Fe South El Camino Elementary

Special Education Teacher - Elementary

Santa Fe South El Camino Elementary | Santa Fe South Schools

Oklahoma City, OK | 190-Day Contract

About Santa Fe South & El Camino Elementary

Santa Fe South Charter Schools (SFS) is a free, public charter school district serving the south side of Oklahoma City. Grounded in a deep commitment to students and community, SFS exists to ensure that every student experiences a learning environment that is supportive, challenging, and academically rigorous.

In the 2026–2027 school year, Santa Fe South proudly continues the growth of El Camino Elementary, our sixth elementary campus. After opening its doors in its inaugural year with Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st grade, El Camino expanded to include 2nd grade. The school will continue to grow annually, adding one grade per year until it reaches 5th grade.

El Camino Elementary is a mission-driven Santa Fe South campus committed to academic excellence, strong instructional systems, and a culture of growth and development for students and teachers alike. Opened in the 2025–2026 school year, El Camino was intentionally designed to ensure all students receive high-quality instruction and are held to high academic expectations. Now in a phase of continued growth and expansion, El Camino is building on its early momentum by strengthening schoolwide systems, deepening collaboration among staff, and investing in roles that directly impact student achievement. The campus is defined by a collective commitment to excellence, where educators take shared responsibility for student outcomes, use data to drive decisions, and continuously refine practice in service of student learning.

Position Overview

The Elementary Special Education Teacher provides individualized, specially designed instruction to students whose academic, behavioral, adaptive, and developmental needs require more intensive support than a traditional resource model, but who do not require a fully self-contained instructional setting.

This position combines direct academic instruction, intentional adaptive behavior development, and meaningful participation in general education settings. Students may spend substantial portions of their school day receiving targeted instruction and individualized support in a specialized classroom while participating in general education classrooms, specials, and other school activities as appropriate to their individual needs and IEPs.

A central focus of this role is developing the academic, behavioral, social, and functional independence skills that enable students to participate more successfully in general education environments. Through explicit instruction, positive behavior supports, individualized interventions, and consistent progress monitoring, the teacher will help students build independence, strengthen self-regulation, and generalize learned skills across school settings.

The ideal candidate is a skilled, flexible educator who believes students with disabilities are capable of significant growth and who can balance intensive academic and adaptive instruction with meaningful opportunities for independence, inclusion, and success.

Key Responsibilities

Specialized Instruction & Student Achievement

• Plan and deliver high-quality, specially designed instruction aligned with Oklahoma Academic Standards, district curriculum, and individual student IEP goals.
• Provide explicit, systematic instruction in foundational academic skills, including literacy, mathematics, and other identified areas of need.
• Adapt instructional materials, pacing, teaching strategies, and assessments to address students' individual learning profiles.
• Design and implement a flexible instructional schedule that balances specialized classroom instruction with meaningful general education participation, consistent with each student's IEP.
• Use evidence-based instructional practices, differentiated instruction, and appropriate accommodations and modifications to support student achievement.
• Maintain high academic expectations while providing the individualized scaffolding and support necessary for students to experience success.
• Use ongoing assessment and progress-monitoring data to evaluate student growth, identify learning gaps, and adjust instruction accordingly.

Adaptive Behavior & Independence Development

• Provide explicit, systematic instruction in adaptive behavior skills that support student independence, self-regulation, communication, social interactions, and successful participation in general education settings.
• Identify and address individual student needs related to classroom routines, transitions, task initiation, sustained attention, independent work completion, emotional regulation, and other functional skills.
• Develop and implement individualized instructional strategies, positive behavior supports, and interventions that strengthen students' ability to navigate classroom expectations and learning environments.
• Teach, model, practice, and reinforce appropriate classroom behaviors, social problem-solving, coping strategies, and self-management skills.
• Create structured opportunities for students to practice and generalize adaptive skills across specialized and general education environments.
• Use consistent progress monitoring and behavioral data to evaluate student growth, adjust interventions, and identify opportunities for increased independence.
• Collaborate with general education teachers, paraprofessionals, and related service providers to ensure consistency in behavioral expectations, instructional supports, and reinforcement of adaptive skills.
• Intentionally develop students' independence by gradually reducing adult prompting and assistance as appropriate while maintaining necessary accommodations and IEP supports.
• Partner with IEP teams to identify opportunities for increased participation in general education classrooms as students demonstrate growth in academic, behavioral, and adaptive skills.

Individualized Education Programs & Compliance

• Develop, implement, and monitor individualized education programs (IEPs) in accordance with federal and state special education requirements.
• Serve as case manager for assigned students, maintaining accurate and timely documentation of IEP goals, services, accommodations, progress monitoring, and required reporting.
• Coordinate and participate in IEP meetings, annual reviews, reevaluations, and other required special education processes.
• Ensure students receive the specially designed instruction, related services, accommodations, and supports outlined in their IEPs.
• Collaborate with campus leadership and the district special education team to ensure compliance with IDEA, Oklahoma State Department of Education requirements, and district procedures.
• Maintain accurate student records while protecting the confidentiality of student and family information.

Inclusive Practices & Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with general education teachers to support students' successful participation in grade-level instruction and classroom activities.
• Coordinate accommodations, instructional modifications, and appropriate supports across specialized and general education settings.
• Work with general education teachers to monitor student performance, address barriers to learning, and identify opportunities for increased independence and participation.
• Partner with related service providers, interventionists, school psychologists, and other support personnel to coordinate comprehensive student services.
• Communicate regularly with families regarding student progress, instructional goals, adaptive skill development, and opportunities to reinforce learning at home.
• Participate actively in collaborative planning, professional learning communities, instructional coaching, and schoolwide initiatives.

Classroom Environment & Student Development

• Create a safe, structured, supportive, and engaging classroom environment that responds to students' academic, social, emotional, behavioral, and developmental needs.
• Establish predictable routines, clear expectations, and positive behavior supports that promote student success.
• Implement individualized behavioral interventions and behavior intervention plans when required by student IEPs.
• Build positive, trusting relationships with students and use proactive strategies to support engagement, emotional regulation, and appropriate behavior.
• Foster a classroom culture in which students feel valued, capable, challenged, and connected to their school community.

Instructional Leadership & Professional Responsibilities

• Collaborate with campus administration and the special education department to continuously refine and strengthen the hybrid instructional model.
• Provide instructional guidance and direction to assigned paraprofessionals, including support with student accommodations, instructional activities, adaptive skill development, behavior interventions, and daily routines.
• Participate in professional development, instructional coaching, and ongoing reflection to improve instructional effectiveness.
• Maintain effective communication with campus leadership, colleagues, students, and families.
• Demonstrate flexibility, sound professional judgment, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
• Contribute positively to a collaborative school culture focused on high expectations, student achievement, and shared accountability.

What We're Looking For

• A mission-driven educator who believes all students, including students with significant learning needs, can achieve meaningful academic, behavioral, and personal growth.
• Strong knowledge of special education instructional practices, individualized instruction, adaptive behavior development, and effective progress monitoring.
• Ability to deliver direct, intensive academic instruction while intentionally developing the skills students need for greater independence and participation in general education.
• Strong understanding of positive behavior supports, self-regulation strategies, and evidence-based approaches to teaching adaptive and functional skills.
• Ability to differentiate instruction across a range of academic, behavioral, and developmental needs.
• Strong classroom management skills and the ability to create structured, supportive learning environments.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail in managing IEPs, student data, and compliance requirements.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with families, general education teachers, paraprofessionals, and related service providers.
• A growth mindset and willingness to receive feedback, adapt instructional practices, and contribute to the development of an evolving instructional model.
• Alignment with Santa Fe South's values of high expectations, strong relationships, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• Valid Oklahoma teaching certificate in Special Education or eligibility for an appropriate Oklahoma certification pathway.
• Knowledge of special education laws, IEP development, instructional accommodations, and evidence-based instructional practices.
• Ability to meet all district employment and background check requirements.

Preferred

• Experience teaching elementary students with disabilities in resource, self-contained, or other specialized instructional settings.
• Experience delivering intensive interventions in reading, mathematics, or foundational academic skills.
• Experience providing explicit instruction in adaptive behavior, social-emotional skills, self-regulation, and functional independence.
• Experience collaborating with general education teachers to support students across multiple instructional settings.
• Experience implementing positive behavior supports, individualized behavior intervention plans, and data-driven behavioral interventions.
• Familiarity with data-driven instruction, progress monitoring, and structured literacy practices.