Special Education Manager

Job Description

POSITION: Bilingual Special Education Manager, Elementary

REPORTS TO: Assistant Principal or Principal

POSITION TYPE: 11-month

START DATE: 25-26 School Year

COMPENSATION: Starting at $65,264 annually

At YES Prep, work for a mission that impacts the life trajectory of students and their families. YES Prep creates pathways to extraordinary opportunity through best-in-class development, competitive compensation and benefits, and recognition for your impact. Grow as an authentic leader and be part of an equity driven, team-oriented culture.

Our campuses are advancing educational equity. Some quick stats about us:

• 19,500+ Students
• 2,300+ Team Members
• 15 Secondary Campuses
• 9 Elementary Campuses
• 92% Students Who Qualify for Free/Reduced-Price Lunch
• 96% Hispanic & African-American Students
• 90% Students Who Are Accepted to a 4-Year University
• 88% First-Generation College Students
• Ranked in the Top 100 High Schools in the Nation, U.S. News & World Report

We serve the students of Houston, Texas, the 4th largest city across the United States. There are over 20 public-school districts and other great public charter school options within Houston’s city limits serving our increasing population. We are a rapidly growing organization, committed to creating life-changing opportunities for over 23,000 students by 2025.

THE ROLE

When you join the YES Prep team, some of the exciting work and responsibilities will include:

• Setting special education goals/initiatives for the year that are aligned to the campus strategic priorities and ensuring that there is appropriate and timely data collection and review of progress on the goals/initiatives;
• Working with Principal, Assistant Principal, and Home Office Special Education team to develop action plans to ensure that students in Special Education with disabilities engage in rigorous, aligned, and active learning;
• Managing, evaluating, and developing at least one member of Special Education team or independently managing significant processes within the Special Education team;
• Demonstrating knowledge and implementation of content, compliance timelines and Special Education law;
• Demonstrating knowledge and implementation of general education curriculum and other special programs;
• Working with General Education staff to identify areas of academic need for students in Special Education and appropriate targeted instruction, including creation of accommodated, modified, and alternate materials;
• Attending Grade Level meetings to offer intervention assistance with both regular and Special Education students;
• Meeting regularly with campus administrators to discuss required paperwork from staff, upcoming due dates, areas of growth for Special Education staff, and any areas of need to the general education staff;
• Assisting in planning and delivering instructional training sessions and staff development workshops to all teachers at the campus and within the district;
• Supervising the implementation of district and state assessments for Special Education students;
• Ensuring the campus is in compliance with all Special Education paperwork, including maintaining accurate state audit folders;
• Working with other members of the campus administration team to identify any students suspected of having a disability & referring them for Special Education evaluation;
• Preparing and conducting ARD/IEP meetings according to state and federal guidelines;
• Planning and delivering engaging, rigorous instruction in inclusive settings based on student needs, teacher-created materials & provided curriculum;
• Maintaining a positive, safe, and organized learning environment;
• Informing Special Education students and families about students’ progress and making parental contact by phone and/or conducting home visits when necessary;
• Actively participating in all teams, including grade level, content team, and other teams as designated by the campus;
• Additional duties as assigned.

THE PERSON

We seek staff with diverse backgrounds, talents, interests, and ideas. Certain traits consistently shine through for our most successful employees: passion for the mission, drive for results, care for students, resilience, and humility. Other traits needed and desired for this role are:

MUST HAVES

• Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited institution
• At least 3 years of teaching experience in Special Education
• Fluent in Spanish
• Hold a standard Texas teaching certification in Special Education
• Hold a Texas Bilingual certification within the first school year of employment
• Belief in and commitment to the mission and core values of YES Prep Public Schools
• Openness to giving and receiving frequent feedback
• Demonstrated ability to work on a team
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks and initiatives at once
• Ability to maintain emotional control under stress

THE NICE TO HAVES

• At least 4 or more years of teaching experience in Special Education

THE MUST HAVE BELIEFS

• Belief in and commitment to the mission and core value of YES Prep Public Schools
• Desire to disrupt systemic status quos in education
• Willingness to go above and beyond to disrupt said status quos
• Passion to develop resiliency through a relentless pursuit of jaw-dropping results
• Conviction that high expectations + high accountability = high performance and high growth

EVERY OPPORTUNITY STARTS WITH A YES

Great schools begin with great people who believe every day is an opportunity to make a difference. At YES Prep, you have an opportunity to join a family of diverse educators who are leveling the playing field by providing opportunities for a high-quality, college-forward curriculum while also ensuring our students feel supported through their academic journey and empowered to lead choice-filled lives. YES Prep is more than a family of public charter schools, it’s the future of public education—it’s an opportunity to say, “Yes, you can

THE PERKS

• Compensation – This position is an exempt, salaried position; salary offers commensurate with experience.

• Health and Supplemental Insurance – A $0 monthly medical option that includes $600 towards a Health Savings Account, in addition to a variety of supplemental benefits including Dental, Vision, Disability, Life, etc. Employees must work 20+ hours a week to be eligible for a full spectrum of benefits, and 10 hours a week minimum for medical benefits.

• Retirement Plans – Participation in Teacher Retirement System of Texas and a 457b Retirement Plan.

• Paid Time Off – Employees working 20+ hours a week receive 12 days of Paid Time Off in addition to the system closures during the Academic Calendar.

• Paid Leave Programming – In the event you need to be out due to medical needs (including maternity and paternity leave), YES Prep offers paid leave, paid at 100%, based on eligibility and tenure.

• Professional Development - YES Prep values longevity and performance over time. We invest in developing leaders through high-quality programs, effective coaching, and ongoing professional development.

• Award Winning Culture – The strong cultures of our campuses and Home Office are just one of many reasons we were named Houston’s Best Place to work in 2018, 2019, and 2021. We won the 2012 Broad Prize for Excellence in Urban Education and were a 2016 finalist as well.

WE ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO EQUITY & DIVERSITY

YES Prep strives to recruit a diverse team of leaders. We believe there is a transformative academic and social benefit for students when their teachers and leaders reflect a diversity of backgrounds. Ninety-five percent (95%) of staff members agree that the organization provides a welcoming environment given their background and identity according to our latest system survey.

YES Prep is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood.