Special Education Teacher

Summary:  Teaches early childhood, elementary school, middle school, or high school students with physical or intellectual disabilities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Plans curriculum and prepares lessons and other instructional materials to meet individual needs of students, considering state and school requirements, and physical, emotional, and educational levels of development.

Instructs students, using special education strategies and techniques, to improve sensory-motor and perceptual-motor development, perception, memory, language, cognition, and social and emotional development.

Uses lessons that incorporate best practices, accommodations, and equipment that best meet individual needs of students, including the use of age-appropriate and functional curriculums as needed.

Creates learning materials and bulletin boards that foster motivation and learning.

Works with students to increase motivation, provide consistent reinforcement to learning, continuous assessment of level of functioning, and continuous feedback to students for all learning activities.

Confers with parents, administrators, testing specialists, therapists, social worker, and others to develop individual educational program for each student.

Incorporates and carries out student's behavior programs.

Directs and maintains well-organized classroom routines and schedules.

Completes required paperwork including evaluations, weekly/monthly data sheets (per program requirements), reports, quarterly evaluations, attendance, lesson plans, classroom schedules.

Administers and scores standardized testing to evaluate and/or assess assigned students’ needs.

Develops appropriate education objectives and goals for individualized program, treatment, or education plans (IPP, ITP or IEP) depending on age of individual served and specific program requirements.

Plans and directs classroom duties of teaching assistants (TAs)/paraprofessionals.  Holds TAs/paraprofessionals accountable for job performance.  Communicates ongoing concerns with program director or designee.  Provides feedback for annual evaluation of TAs/ paraprofessionals.

Coordinates, plans, and completes required paperwork for fieldtrips where allowed, including reserving and driving vans (for school year K-12 program).

Coordinates and plans special activities such as classroom celebrations, guest speakers, and special events. 

Assists with planning for and carrying out summer programming.

Assists with feeding and changing of students and other personal care needs.

Keeps monthly progress data to show student's progress towards goals and objectives.  Turns in data on a regular basis as defined by program director.

Communicates with guardians and other staff about student's progress through quarterly reports.

Attends team meetings and other meetings held to discuss student needs.

Conducts monthly observations for public school children where applicable.

Arrives before students and is prepared for the instructional day.

Maintains good attendance. If unable to report to work due to illness or emergency, notifies the supervisor or designee as soon as possible.

Dresses appropriately and professionally for the responsibilities of a teacher/leader.

Completes annual training hours as required by Easterseals Arkansas as well as all regulatory or licensing agencies including, but not limited to Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Disability Services (DDS), Child Care Licensing, Office of Long Term Care (OLTC), and Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

Compliance/HIPAA:

While performing the duties of this job, employee will comply with all federal, state and local laws and regulations pertaining to Easterseals Arkansas.

Employee has access to all client protected health information of the individuals directly served by this person, except psychotherapy notes.  Employee will not attempt to access any other protected health information unless otherwise approved by Supervisor or Privacy Officer.

Supervisory Responsibilities:                                             

Supervises one to three teaching assistants in the classroom.  Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Supervisory responsibilities will vary by program, but may include interviewing, hiring and training employees; planning, assigning and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience:                                            

Master’s from four-year College or university with major in Special Education.  Arkansas teaching license required. License/Certification in Special Education preferred. Individuals completing an alternate licensure plan will be considered.  Three or more years’ experience as a classroom teacher preferred.

Competencies:

• Excellent interpersonal, leadership, management, and supervisory skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Knowledge of best practices and curriculum for early childhood education and development and the inclusion and role of therapy and other related fields in the programming and service delivery for each child.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret professional journals, technical procedures, statutes, or governmental regulations.
• Ability to present to groups and answer questions – both in person and via video conference.
• Strong computer skills to use electronic health management platform, email, calendar, word, excel, video conferencing, and presentation software.
• Strong orientation to deadlines and detail.
• Demonstrated ability to work with and support children with a diverse range of abilities
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and collaboratively with employees and families at diverse levels.
• Ability to develop both the members of a team as well as the team itself.
• Demonstrated commitment to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusiveness.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

Arkansas Teaching Certificate/License

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and taste or smell. The employee is occasionally required to sit and climb or balance. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds with assistance. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts and outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Easterseals Arkansas has designated this position as a “non-safety sensitive” position under the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment.,