Special Education Teacher

Role Mission: IDEA Special Education teachers are responsible for the achievement and support of critical students. Special Education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, cognitive, emotional, and physical disabilities. They teach various subjects, such as reading, writing, and math, to students with gaps of 2 or more years. The main goal is to close that gap by 2 years in just one school year. The IDEA Special Education teacher provides the crucial bridge between home and school for our highest need students and their families.

All IDEA teachers are responsible for ensuring that every IDEA student masters the academic, behavioral and social skills necessary to succeed in college, while also embodying IDEA’s values daily. IDEA teachers set ambitious goals for student achievement and diligently track student data to drive effective educational programming decisions. IDEA teachers seek feedback and continue to develop their teaching practice to better serve IDEA students.

What We Offer

Compensation:

• The starting teacher salary for 0 years of experience is $58,500. This role is eligible for various stipends based on certifications, credentials, and campus leadership ranging from $500-$4,000 each. We also offer opportunities and incentives through our Teacher Career Pathway with the potential to earn up to $10,000 in additional compensation. For more information about our compensation and total rewards, visit our compensation and benefits page.
• Additional hourly compensation is provided for after school tutoring or Saturday school as assigned.

Other Benefits:

We offer a comprehensive benefits plan, covering the majority of the employee premium for the base medical plan and subsidizing the majority of costs for a spouse/domestic partner and children. Some of the special benefits we offer at IDEA include:

• Paid Family Leave: Eligible staff may receive up to 8 weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child, based on their tenure with the organization and caregiver designation.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Staff members may apply for up to​ 50% of tuition paid toward a qualifying degree program, up to $5,250 maximum per year subject to manager discretion and budget availability.
• Employer-Paid Mental/Behavioral Health: 5 face-to-face counseling sessions within a year, unlimited 24/7 telephonic counseling, and other work-life services available at no cost.

Other benefits include dental and vision plans, disability, life insurance, parenting benefits, flexible spending account options, generous vacation time, referral bonuses, professional development, and a 403(b) plan. IDEA may offer a relocation allowance to defray the cost of moving for this role, if applicable.

What You Bring -- Competencies

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year educational institution
• Experience: Experience in a Special Education classroom setting strongly preferred
• Licenses or Certifications: Valid Texas state certification in Special Education required
• Please submit an application if you are currently pursuing certification or willing to enroll in a certification program. We offer an IDEA Special Education Certification Program (ISECP), an alternative certification program facilitated by South Texas Transition to Teaching (SOTEX).

Knowledge and Skills:

• Knowledge of core academic subject assigned
• Knowledge of curriculum and instruction
• Ability to instruct students and manage student behavior
• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to adjust and adapt to a multitude of situations in the school environment
• Ability to facilitate Admission, Review and Dismissal meetings
• Strong family engagement and communication
• Record of results for students who are academically at risk

What You’ll Do -- Accountabilities

Special Education Teacher Responsibilities:

• Adapt lessons to meet the needs of students.
• Develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for a caseload of students
• Implement IEPs, assess students’ performance, and track their progress
• Update IEPs throughout the school year to reflect students’ progress and goals
• Assess students’ skills to determine their needs and to develop teaching plans
• Teach Critical Student Intervention (CSI) small groups consisting of students that are academically at risk in reading and/or math to include students in general education, 504, response-to-intervention, Special Education and English Language Learners.
• Collect and analyze student data in order to make effective decisions to maximize achievement
• Discuss student’s progress with parents, teachers, counselors, and administrators
• Prepare and help students transition from grade to grade and after graduation
• Implement state learning standards and IDEA curricula and assessments to meet ambitious academic expectations
• Submit weekly lesson plans two weeks in advance for feedback
• Implement formal and informal assessments to track each individual student’s progress and learning needs, adjust lesson plans accordingly and update gradebook weekly
• Communicate students’ progress with student and family on a weekly basis
• Effective facilitation and personal use of technology as a communication and educational tool to improve student achievement and manage work related tasks.
• Implement a clear and consistent behavior management system that aligns to campus- wide initiatives while developing students’ character and sense of community in the classroom
• Help shape and develop a school wide culture that fosters a productive and enthusiastic learning environment for each student
• Establish and maintain a cooperative working relationship with students and families based on trust, understanding and respect for the communities in which they identify.
• Host necessary tutoring sessions to meet all students’ needs
• Participate in weekly manager check-ins, grade-level meetings, before and after-school duties, and school wide meetings and functions
• Engage in summer and year-long district, school and personal learning and development
• Minimum of 40+ hours spent at school per week
• Additional responsibilities may include: after-school tutoring or Saturday school and are based on the needs of our scholars

We look for Team and Family who embody the following values and characteristics:

• Believes and is committed to our mission and being an agent of change: that all students are capable of getting to and through college
• Has demonstrated effective outcomes and results, and wants to be held accountable for them
• Has a propensity for action, willing to make mistakes by doing in order to learn and improve quickly
• Works with urgency and purpose to drive student outcomes
• Thrives in an entrepreneurial, high-growth environment; is comfortable with ambiguity and change
• Seeks and responds well to feedback, which is shared often and freely across all levels of the organization
• Works through silos and forges strong cross-departmental relationships in order to achieve outcomes
• We believe in education as a profession and hold ourselves to high level of conduct, professionalism and behaviors as models for our colleagues and students

Supervisory Responsibilities (if applicable):

• Oversee the daily work and responsibilities of a Special Education Co-Teacher (para-professional) in the RISE classroom.

About IDEA Public Schools

At IDEA Public Schools, we believe each and every child can go to college. Since 2000, IDEA Public Schools has grown from a small school with 150 students to a multi-state network of tuition-free, Pre-K-12 public charter schools.

IDEA Public Schools boasts national rankings on The Washington Post and U.S. News & World Report’s top high schools lists. IDEA serves over 80,000 college-bound students in 143 schools across Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Ohio, and is on-track to maintain its legacy of sending 100% of its graduates to college.

When you choose to work at IDEA, you are part of our IDEA Team and Family. You will work alongside team members who set and reach ambitious goals every day, are excited to continue to grow with IDEA, and work relentlessly to make college for all a reality.