Special Education Online Teacher
Academy of Las Animas Online
POSITION SUMMARY:
Special education teachers oversee the education and IEPs of students with physical, emotional, mental, and learning disabilities. In addition to writing clear, efficient, and detailed IEP plans with goals, they design and deliver lessons geared towards the individual needs and capabilities of the students under their supervision. They train paraprofessional staff to provide instructional support to assist students with achieving IEP goals. They play a vital role in equipping students to achieve their academic goals. Special education teachers demonstrate leadership in the school and participate in opportunities to be a part of leadership teams, including Department Leadership Team meetings, MTSS, RTI, and school level accountability committees.
DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS:
● SERVE: Be accountable for our students, our families, our colleagues, and our community
● INSPIRE: Positively impact students by creating and maintaining a unified culture to help students graduate and become productive members of our community and society.
● NURTURE: Be honest and transparent in building relationships with our students, families, community, and our colleagues.
● DEVELOP: Support students with educational and social emotional needs in order to promote a growth and learning mindset in all aspects of a whole education.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
● Special Education Online Teacher:
○ Provide leadership, coaching, and problem-solving at the school and community level to improve the educational experience of our students.
○ Supervise, evaluate, and train any assigned paraprofessionals.
○ Work remotely with the exception of pre-identified days and times throughout the school year (some PD, trainings, and state testing proctoring are required for in-person days)
○ Maintain all federal compliance requirements as they pertain to Individual Education Plans (IEP).
○ Collaborate with other classroom teachers, school psychologists, learning disabilities specialists, speech/hearing specialists, and support staff to provide an integrated plan for developing the capacities of their students.
○ Set learning goals for each student, assess their progress, and record their evaluations.
○ Update parents on the progress of their students and enlist parental support with behavior control and home activities designed to supplement their classroom lessons.
○ Accurately assess students' progress and adjust lessons to their needs.
○ Communicate with parents, other teachers, and administrators, in addition to the children under their supervision.
○ Be able to conceive of different ways of reaching students and guiding them to progress.
○ Understand school-wide systems such as the Student Information System and other educational-based technologies, including ENRICH.
○ Manage online student behavior in relation to their individual case loads at a Tier I level.
○ Work alongside the MTSS Coordinator and Student Services department to identify struggling students in the school through our MTSS process.
○ Collect, review, and interpret data for decision making with all stakeholders.
○ Write, update, and follow/implement individual educational plans.
○ Attend meetings as required.
○ Monitor student attendance. Send out regular communication (school messaging service, email, and phone calls) regularly for positive support and notice of needs.
○ Participate in the evaluation process through COPMS and District policies.
○ All other duties as assigned.
EDUCATION and LICENSING Requirements:
● Bachelor’s Degree
● Colorado Teaching License
EXPERIENCE:
● 3 years or more of experience in education, with at least one year as a special education teacher, is preferred.
● Participation in online education, either as a student or as a professional delivering online education, is preferred.
EXPERIENCE:
● 3 years or more of experience in education, with at least one year as a special education teacher, is preferred.
● Participation in online education, either as a student or as a professional delivering online education, is preferred.