Special Education Preschool Teacher

Positions available for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year

Position Statement: The Special Education Teacher is a member of a multidisciplinary team that provides special education services to preschoolers with disabilities. The Special Education Teacher is responsible for the educational direction of the classroom, and directly supervises paraprofessional classroom staff.  This person plans and implements curriculum activities and provides special education services according to individualized education programs (IEPs) in accordance with New York State regulations. The Special Education Teacher must work effectively with multi-disciplinary staff, other building/agency departments, and families to most effectively deliver educational services to the children.

Responsibilities:

• Develop professional, positive, and productive relationships with children, families, agency staff, visitors, outside agencies, and the general public.
• Express a supportive and caring demeanor to relate sensitively to children, families, classroom staff, and multidisciplinary providers.
• Create a welcoming, clean and orderly classroom environment that is culturally responsive and fosters high expectations for children.
• Actively engage with children through conversation and play at all times of the day, in a way that is developmentally appropriate and on their level (e.g., on the floor).
• Implement positive classroom management strategies for effective functioning of the classroom and to promote positive student-teacher interactions.
• Develop and implement weekly written lesson plans reflecting activities for all developmental domains and children’s IEP goals.
• Monitor children’s development and learning with ongoing assessment strategies and data tracking, in collaboration with the multi-disciplinary team, and adjust teaching practices as needed based on the assessments and data monitoring.
• Use available resources to differentiate teaching and modify the environment to address the individual needs of children.
• Provide regular feedback, information, and support for parents, including at minimum yearly conferences to discuss developmental and pre-academic progress.
• Review IEPs for all children on the caseload, and provide written updates for regular progress reporting and for annual reviews.
• Attend assigned meetings and facilitate classroom team meetings on a regular schedule.
• Attend school district CPSE and CSE meetings.
• Supervise paraprofessionals in the classroom to ensure appropriate interactions with children, and coordinate the assignment of paraprofessionals to meet the programmatic and individual needs of the classroom. Provide supervisory feedback as needed and as directed by the Early Education Program Administrator.
• Participate in building committees to facilitate programmatic changes as needed.
• Attend training/conferences for continuing professional development.
• Other Duties as Assigned: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Department & Program Specific Responsibilities:

• Plan, implement and evaluate developmentally appropriate early education programming in conjunction with the teaching team to ensure compliance with the program curriculum, State Education, Elmcrest, and Syracuse City UPK.
• Follow all State Education regulations and OCFS Day Care regulations, as well as agency and program policies and procedures.

Qualifications:

• Elmcrest’s Core Values & Competencies:
  • Honesty: Act with integrity and behave in a manner consistent with our policies, Code of Conduct and any regulatory and ethical guidelines. Utilize practices and techniques professionals train to interact with children, families and co-workers appropriately.
  • Willingness to Learn: Open to new experiences and learning new skills and information that can improve professional development, progressive work environments and support the mission of Elmcrest.
  • Dedication to Purpose: Display the necessary passion and empathetic abilities to serve the Elmcrest mission. Committed to improve the lives of children and families.
  • Social Concern: Value human dignity and have respect for others. Actively seek out diverse approaches and points of view.
  • Self-Examination: Systemically observe, analyze and utilize self-reflection to improve actions or results. Listen to constructive feedback and concerns and maintain positive relationships in the workplace.
• Competencies:
  • Teaching experience with young children.
  • Ability to present with warmth, nurturing and kindness.
  • Willingness to be a team player and work in a collaborative co-teaching environment.
  • Knowledge of child development.
  • Experience with children with developmental delays such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, Sensory Integration concerns, speech/language delays, and motor delays.
  • Understanding of the special education needs of young children, including children with challenging behaviors.
  • Good attention to detail and organizational skills.
  • Supervisory experience helpful.
• Required Education and Experience:
  • Master’s degree in education or Bachelor’s degree in education/related field with a plan to obtain a Master’s degree in education.
• Additional Eligibility Qualifications:
  • New York State teaching certification in Special Education or Students With Disabilities (Birth-2 or All Grades), or an alternate certification with a plan to obtain Students With Disabilities certification.

Essential Job Qualifications:

• Ability to lift 50 pounds without assistance.
• Ability to sit, squat, crouch and stand for elongated periods of time.
• Ability to lift arms over head in upward reaching motion.
• Ability to walk up and downstairs up to several times per day.

Equal Opportunity Statement: Elmcrest Children’s Center prohibits discrimination of any kind based on race, color, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.

Accommodations: Elmcrest Children’s Center will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability so that they can perform the essential functions of a job unless doing so causes a direct threat to these individuals or others in the workplace and the threat cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation or if the accommodation creates an undue hardship to Elmcrest Children’s Center. Contact Human Resources with any questions or requests for accommodation.

At Will Employment: Your employment with Elmcrest Children’s Center is at will. This means your employment is for an indefinite period of time and it is subject to termination by you or Elmcrest Children’s Center, with or without cause, with or without notice, and at any time. Nothing in this job description or in any other policy of Elmcrest Children’s Center shall be interpreted to be in conflict with or to eliminate or modify in any way, the at-will employment status of Elmcrest Children’s Center employees.