Special Education Teacher - IDEA Walzem Academy (Immediate Opening)

$48,000 - $48,000/Yr

IDEA Public Schools - San Antonio, TX

Full-time - Entry Level

San Antonio, TX

Educational Services

About the position

IDEA Special Education teachers are responsible for the achievement and support of special education. They develop individualized plans and work with students who have a wide range of learning, cognitive, emotional, and physical disabilities. The role involves providing in-class support for various subjects, such as reading, writing, and math, to students with outlined service minutes support. Additionally, they teach content mastery for students with outlined accommodations and service minutes support. The IDEA Special Education teacher serves as a crucial bridge between home and school for our highest need students and their families. The responsibilities of the Special Education teacher include adapting lessons to meet the needs of students, developing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for a caseload of students, implementing IEPs, assessing students' performance, and tracking their progress. They are also responsible for updating IEPs throughout the school year to reflect students' progress and goals, assessing students' skills to determine their needs, and developing teaching plans. The teacher will teach Critical Student Intervention (CSI) small groups consisting of students that are academically at risk in reading and/or math, including students in general education, 504, response-to-intervention, Special Education, and English Language Learners. Moreover, the Special Education teacher will collect and analyze student data to make effective decisions to maximize achievement, discuss students' progress with parents, teachers, counselors, and administrators, and prepare students for transitions from grade to grade and after graduation. They will implement state learning standards and IDEA curricula and assessments to meet ambitious academic expectations, submit weekly lesson plans for feedback, and communicate students' progress with students and families on a weekly basis. The role also requires effective facilitation and personal use of technology as a communication and educational tool to improve student achievement and manage work-related tasks. The teacher will help shape and develop a school-wide culture that fosters a productive and enthusiastic learning environment for each student, establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with students and families, and host necessary tutoring sessions to meet all students' needs.

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.
• 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.
• 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.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited four-year educational institution.
• Experience in a Special Education classroom setting strongly preferred.
• Valid Texas state certification in Special Education required.
• 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.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with diverse student populations.
• Bilingual skills in English and Spanish.

Benefits

• Paid Family Leave: Eligible staff may receive up to 8 weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child.
• 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.
• 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.
• Dental and vision plans.
• Disability and life insurance.
• Parenting benefits.
• Flexible spending account options.
• Generous vacation time.
• Referral bonuses.
• Professional development opportunities.
• 403(b) plan.
• Potential relocation allowance.