Exceptional Student Services Teacher Job Description

 

Position Title: Exceptional Student Services Teacher

Department: Teaching Staff

Reports To: Principal

Salary Range: $38,723.44 to $64,042.62, annually

Position Type: Exempt

Schedule: 10-Month Teacher School Calendar

 

BENEFIT INFORMATION:

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• PSAS pays 70% of your medical benefits, including your family benefits
• Twice your annual salary life insurance
• Long-term Disability coverage
• One planning period per day
• Extensive professional development opportunities, including 11 days per year, a new teacher induction program, and an emerging leader program
• 10 sick and two personal days per year
• Inclusion in the PERA Retirement Program

 

Primary Role and the School Culture:

The Pueblo School for Arts and Sciences (PSAS) has the mission to provide a robust education based on Paideia Principles. Paideia is an instructional framework that focuses on embedding social-emotional learning and critical thinking across all subjects. As PSAS, we strive to provide a well-rounded education that exceeds the Colorado State Standards. Our core beliefs are centered around fulfilling our mission and supporting teachers, students, and support staff. At PSAS, we value open communication, inclusiveness, honesty, respect, ethical and moral behavior, and a commitment to the belief that all students deserve an excellent free public education.

 

In order to support the culture and vision of PSAS, the ESS Teacher will work with teachers, staff, and administration to deliver specialized instruction and support for students with individualized education plans (IEP). The ESS teacher will work collaboratively with students, teachers, administration, and parents to integrate and diversify instruction based on student needs. The teacher will manage an ESS caseload and will be responsible for managing the timely completion of all IEP meetings and special education evaluations. Additionally, the teacher will provide both push-in and pull-out support to students as indicated by their IEP plan. The teacher will support each ESS student in meeting their goals through interventions, direct instruction, and assessments.

 

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

 

MINIMUM REQUIRED:

• 4-year degree from an accredited college or university

• Colorado Teaching Endorsement in Special Education or the ability to enroll and complete a Teacher in Residence or Teacher education program in a reasonable amount of time after hiring.

• Science of Reading training completion or the ability to complete the mandatory training within 3 months of hiring (as mandated by the READ Act)

 

PREFERRED:

• Previous experience teaching in the K-8 or K-12 environment.
• Previous experience teaching at a charter school.

• Demonstrated technology proficiencies in the use of Microsoft Office, Internet, Simple Webpage building, Electronic Gradebook, and Email.
• Demonstrated ability to work on a team and create instructional units.
• Verifiable experience dealing with conflict resolution.
• Verifiable experience working in a position that required organizational and planning skills.
• Demonstrated implementation and use of instructional strategies to promote student engagement.
• Knowledge and experience with IDEA 2004.
• Ability and willingness to lead a team of paraprofessionals and educational assistants in the classroom.
• Demonstrated flexibility in teaching and scheduling.
• Ability to implement and knowledge of standards-based curriculum.
• Experience using data to make instructional decisions.
• Knowledge/experience teaching diverse learners, especially students who may have a specific learning plan such as an IEP, ILP, ELL, 504, etc.
• CPI Trained and Certified.

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

 

Primary Skills and Responsibilities

1. Plan, coordinate, collaborate about, and execute an elementary program anchored in the Colorado State Standards, Paideia Principles, and other PSAS curricula.
2. Deep understanding of childhood development and age-appropriate academic, physical, and social development. 
3. Develop activities that support units of instruction, including field trips, guest speakers, student exhibitions, cross-grade level or cross-curricular instruction, and community service projects.
4. Instruct and support the development of student behavior that fosters a positive learning environment for all learners. 
5. Using demonstrated knowledge of both English and Math educational standards, design and implement interventions that differentiate instruction, create meaningful and engaging educational experiences, and create supportive learning environments.
6. Use an Early Literacy Assessment tool, interpret the data, and formulate the appropriate intervention based on the science of reading.
7. Manage and coordinate a team of paraprofessionals to support students in achieving their specific learning goals. 
8. Work collaboratively to plan meaningful instruction, interventions, and accommodations alongside classroom teachers. 
9. Advocate for students on special plans to ensure their accommodations and goals are met.
10. Knowledge of technologies available for use in an instructional setting, including hardware and software that support instruction.
11. Support the policies and procedures for students, parents, and staff.
12. Participate in a robust evaluation system that includes accountability for conveying a professional image, demonstrating initiative, supporting the mission and vision, demonstrating time management skills, demonstrating appropriate decision-making skills, being open to coaching and continuous feedback, and conflict resolution skills. 
13. Strong interpersonal and communication skills that lead to a collaborative team environment that includes staff, parents, students, and administration. 
14. Demonstrate organizational, problem-solving, and team-building skills. 
15.  Uphold the promises and commitments of the Paideia model by way of their active involvement in life-long learning through setting professional goals and demonstrating completion of those goals, and seeking professional development.
16. Collaborate with families, students, and staff to ensure optimal academic success, which may include phone calls, emails, and meetings with families, and communication with team members to discuss strategies for growth. 
17. Evaluate and record student academic performance using the pre-established grading tool in a timely manner, and input data that supports student plans into the data warehouse system. 

Essential Physical Responsibilities

1. Work at a desk, conference table, or in various meeting configurations.
2. Have the ability to circulate the classroom or instructional environment.
3. Hear and understand speech with/without aides at normal levels.
4. Be able to see with/without aides close up, at a distance, and have depth perception.
5. Communicate with others and be clearly understood in normal conversations.
6. Bend, twist, stoop, kneel, run, crawl, and reach in all directions.
7. Carry up to 25 pounds.

 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

Reasoning Ability

1. Defines problems, collects data, establishes facts, and draws valid conclusions.
2. Interprets an extensive variety of technical instructions.
3. Synthesizes complex or diverse information. 
4. Collects and researches data. 
5. Uses intuition and experience to complement data. 
6. Design workflows and procedures.

 

Instructional Environment

The primary instructional environment for this position is in the physical school building during every working day, as laid out in the teacher calendar. This position may be completed remotely if students are unable to be physically present in school due to school decisions, external mandates or orders, or other school closures.  Remote work is not otherwise considered a reasonable accommodation for serving students.

 

Other Duties and Requirements

1. Other duties as assigned by the director, principal, or designee. 
2. The ability to work occasional evenings to support all programs, including field trips, staff meetings, parent-teacher conferences, and other supporting events. 
3. The ability to monitor students before/after school or during lunch and recess. 

 

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:

• Participation in payroll automatic deposit.
• PSAS is a public employer that operates under the Colorado General Assembly under Title 24, Article 51 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, and all employees are members of the Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association (PERA).  For more information, visit the PERA website at www.copera.org.
• All employment at PSAS is under the PERA retirement plan. By accepting employment at PSAS, you agree to participate in automatic payroll deposit and abide by all policies and procedures put forth by the administration of PSAS.  

 

THE PUEBLO SCHOOL FOR ARTS AND SCIENCES IS AN 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER.