Maricopa Unified School District 20 Human Resources 44150 West MaricopaCasa Grande Highway Maricopa, Arizona 85138 520.568.5100 - main number 520.568.5151 - fax number
POSITION: Special Education Teacher
CLASSIFICATION: Exempt - 185 or 187 day contract
SALARY: Approved Certified Compensation Plan
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
REPORTS TO: School Principal
GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES
The Special Education Teacher provides services and support to students with special needs for the purposes of developing special education students success in academics, interpersonal skills, and activities of daily living by implementing district-approved curriculum, documenting teaching and student progress, activities, outcomes, addressing students specific needs, providing a safe and optimal learning environment, and providing feedback to students, parents, and administration regarding student progress, expectations, and goals.
The Special Education Teacher must exhibit a strong working knowledge of the legal requirements associated with providing special education and related services and exhibit evidence of excellent organizational and time management skills.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Designs the individualized education plan (IEP) for each assigned student, ensuring that the education program is consistent with the total educational philosophy of the district, Arizona Learning Standards, and state and federal law.
Designs learning experiences and utilizes adaptive devices and technology to provide access to general curricular content to individuals with disabilities.
Collaborates with colleagues and other departments in planning and constructing benchmark lessons, instructional interventions, and/or programs.
Serves as a case manager to assigned special needs students.
Provides direct services as needed to assigned special needs students.
Timely prepares, implements, and evaluates IEPs, including transition plans and behavior management plans for each assigned student based on individually assessed needs in accordance with district procedures.
Uses appropriate assessment instruments pertinent to academic, communication, and behavioral areas.
Plans, implements, and evaluates social skills lesson plans, community-based instruction, and behavior support plans as needed for each student.
Identifies, selects, and modifies instructional resources to meet the needs of the students with varying backgrounds, learning styles, and assessed special needs in accordance with the districts philosophy, goals, and objectives.
Provides specialized instructional techniques and media through individual and/or group sessions designed to meet the educational, social, and emotional needs of the students.
Identifies and collaborates with district community and agency services to meet the needs of special needs students.
Participates on the school-based intervention team, in-school staffing team, and in the screening processes as appropriate.
Participates on evaluation teams for students as appropriate.
Plans and implements self-care programs, including direct assistance to students, e.g., toileting, positioning, lifting, feeding, etc.
Monitors and oversees services provided by paraprofessionals and/or other support personnel assigned to the classroom and/or student.
Obtains and monitors present levels and baselines of assigned special needs students.
Ensures that for each student to whom the Special Education Teacher is the assigned case manager, the necessary evaluation records, IEPs, and other team-developed records are maintained in the students permanent special education folder.
Ensures that each student assigned to the Special Education Teacher has necessary IEPs, evaluation records, and other applicable special education records, e.g., behavior management plans, in the students special education folder.
Completes appropriate reports for local, state, federal, and educational agencies.
Refers those students who require further evaluation or follow-up services to the appropriate school personnel or community agencies.
All actions must be in concert with the mission statement, beliefs, objectives, and parameters found in the Strategic Plan of the Maricopa Unified School District.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIRED
Working knowledge of federal and state laws related to the education of students with special needs.
Working knowledge of the Arizona State Standards for the assigned grade level and/or subject area and possess the requisite ability to evaluate the alignment of those standards to instruction and the districts curriculum.
Working knowledge of the Arizona State-approved assessments for the assigned grade level and/or subject area.
Working knowledge of and ability to effectively use and integrate technology in the classroom setting.
Working knowledge of a broad range of literacy techniques and strategies for every aspect of communication and must be able to develop each students ability to read, write, speak, and listen to their potential within the demands of the discipline.
Demonstrated success in modeling effective reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills during direct and indirect instructional activities.
Demonstrated success utilizing current teaching techniques, effective strategies for differentiating instruction, and evidence-based classroom management strategies and techniques.
Effective data-based problem-solving and team collaboration skills used to drive and inform changes in classroom instruction.
Demonstrated success in collaborating effectively with teachers and students.
Demonstrated a high level of professionalism with the ability to maintain confidentiality and personal flexibility in all areas.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Able to perform the following physical requirements of the position with or without reasonable accommodation:
Critical sensory requirements include:
Able to walk, sit, stand, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, exert force up to 50 pounds, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects up to 125 pounds.
REQUIRED LICENSE
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
The Maricopa Unified School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, age, or sexual orientation in admission and access to its programs, services, activities, or in any aspect of their operations and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.
The Maricopa Unified School District also does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices.
The following employees have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies:
Title IX Coordinator
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources
Address: 44150 W. MaricopaCasa Grande Highway, Maricopa, AZ 85138
Telephone Number: 520-568-5100
Email:
tbeckettmusd20.org
Section 504 ADA Coordinator
Director of Exceptional Student Services
Address: 44150 W. MaricopaCasa Grande Highway, Maricopa, AZ 85138
Telephone Number: 520-568-5100
Job descriptions and documentation requirements can be accessed and printed from our website at www.musd20.org