Director of Special Education & Student Support Services

Education: Junior-High School, Special Education

POSITION OVERVIEW: The Director of Student Support is responsible for ensuring that all special education students receive comprehensive, compassionate and equitable services in order to achieve breakthrough academic achievement and character development. Additionally, the Director of Student Support is responsible for maintaining all special education documentation, coordinating all evaluations, and maintaining state and federal compliance.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
 
 Collaborate with teachers to develop effective whole group practices, small group interventions, and individualized learning activities
 
 Assist teachers with tracking data to determine the effectiveness of interventions
 
 Lead professional development for grade level teams and the school
 
 Plan and teach small group instruction during literacy, math, and guided reading
 
 Develop, coordinate and track individual student plans for all special services for the school
 
 Provide direct student support through small group instruction and inclusion in the general education classroom
 
 Collaborate with teachers so that they provide instructional support that leads to dramatic academic gains for students; solicit and manage additional resources and support (OT/PT, etc.), where necessary
 
 Monitor and lead all IEP evaluation and processes; serve as lead communicator with teachers and principal
 
 Coordinate dissemination of information on student needs to principal and teachers
 
 Maintain all documentation and records for individual students; ensure confidentiality in reporting
 
 Monitor for compliance with state and federal laws, ensuring consistent, fail-safe and quality documentation; work with staff to provide holistic reporting of student performance data to principal; serve as lead contact for authorized visits
 
 Advise teachers and principal on modification processes for state and school-wide assessments
 
 Develop and revise a curriculum that is aligned with the standards of the school, Common Core, and the NY State Exam
 
 Develop academically rigorous lessons; create rubrics and assessments
 
 Assess individual student’s progress and learning needs; demonstrate a relentless focus on helping students achieve
 
 Offer/receive constructive feedback in order to create a professional atmosphere that is conducive to continuous development
 
 Help shape and develop a school-wide atmosphere that best suits the needs of our students, teachers, and families
 
 Communicate students’ progress toward realizing academic and character development goals with families on a weekly basis
 

Invictus Director of Student Support candidates will have the following:
 
 At least two years of experience working as an elementary special education teacher in an urban school preferred
 
 Strong experience in early literacy instruction, pedagogy, and assessments
 
 Experience working as part of a team to accomplish a significant goal on behalf of student achievement
 
 Evidence of seeking opportunities to innovate and problem solve; has positively impacted student achievement by doing so
 
 Experience with and strong knowledge of local and national special education laws and mandates
 
 Special Education certification (required)
 
 Bachelor’s degree (required)
 
All Invictus Prep teachers will demonstrate the following:
 
 Strong record of helping students achieve academic success, primarily with special needs minority and low-income students
 
 Strong desire to teach an academically intense curriculum and commit to an extended school day, week, and year
 
 A clear, authentic and transparent sense of your strengths and areas of growth as an educator
 
 Willingness to continue to develop and hone instructional techniques in order to create enriching learning atmospheres
 
 Ability to break down complex information into comprehensive parts, ask questions, synthesize and analyze
 
 Willingness to be flexible and to go above and beyond to meet the needs of Invictus students