An Invitation to Apply for the Position of
2024-25 Special Education Coordinator
Girls Prep Bronx Elementary (Grades Pre-K - 5)
Bronx, NY
Primary Function & Position Overview
At Public Prep, we believe all means all, and we have a deep commitment to serving students who need us most. The school-based Special Education Coordinator (LSC) leads our implementation of our all means all belief within the school. The LSC serves reports to the Principal with coaching from the Network Director of Student Supports, ensuring that our scholars receive a diverse range of instructional and socio-emotional supports to meet the highest of academic expectations. This person is responsible for, implementing and managing a robust, compliant, and effective vision and strategy for serving scholars with diverse learning backgrounds - and ensuring that staff members have the training and development necessary to ensure all scholars have a rigorous and differentiated learning experience.
Who You Are
Our ideal candidate for Special Education Coordinator has an unwavering belief that our scholars can achieve at an exceptionally high level. Beyond that, they are:
Deeply committed to serving our kids. You have elected to work with historically underserved scholars, and do this work because you believe that all scholars, regardless of background, are capable of excellence - and that it’s on us as adults to get our kids there. You can speak knowledgeably about our mission, and demonstrate a commitment to our educational model. You understand that the challenges faced by scholars in New York City are unique and specific, and you’re excited to work within the communities we serve.
… and a champion of the All Means All mindset. You believe passionately that all students - including students with disabilities and multilingual learners - can and will achieve the highest academic outcomes, and you never tolerate the lowering of the bar for specific subgroups of scholars. You get excited thinking about how to think differently about supporting students, and you have a proven toolkit achieving outcomes for a diverse range of scholars.
A masterful executor. You appreciate the big picture, but you know it's all in the details. Your organizational systems ensure you get things done. You prioritize your time and fervently plan to maximize the time each day you spend moving adult practice. You do the things you say you’ll do, and you communicate when you won’t. You delegate when needed, set deadlines, and hold others accountable to get across important finish lines.
A Student Support Guru. You understand the complexities of implementing and managing a student supports program, and you are deeply knowledgeable about IEP, ILPs, and compliance in the state of New York.
… and a Stickler for Details. You have a fine attention to detail, and you are capable of ensuring that the Student Supports program is in 100% compliance with state and federal guidelines. You are excited to take the time to review IEP files, and you can implement systems to streamline and support the compliance side of Student Supports.
An A+ Communicator. You’ve got a knack for speaking and writing clearly, succinctly and persuasively. You think about time, place, and format to share a message that will resonate to accomplish your goals, and you know how to tailor your communication to different audiences.
A gritty problem-solver. You keep it cool when facing challenges, approach problems with viable solutions, and know when you need to roll up your sleeves to support your team.
A growth mindset. You love learning as much as you love teaching and can’t wait to continue to grow as a leader and advocate for students.
Compliance Management (~45%)
- Goals for Compliance Management
- The LSC will manage the school’s caseload of special populations, and ensure that the school is in full compliance with IEPs, 504s, and MLL needs: 100% by 2024-2025
- The LSC will work with the DSS and Operations Leaders to submit accurate billing invoices that maximize revenue for 100% of eligible students. Although vacancies might still be a factor out of our control, we will continue to work toward 100% : >95% of students eligible for 60% in 2024-2025
- Tasks for Compliance Management
- Collaborate closely with the Network Director of Student Support in serving as the primary liaison for the Committees for Special Education (CSE) for all students and families with IEPs
- Maintain Special Education student files and calendar appointments, 504s, IEPs, FBAs, BIPs, resources, progress monitoring reports, teacher and provider reports, related services and testing accommodations documents and the school’s Special Education database
- Engage in the full cycle of IEP management, including getting documentation, writing IEPs, conducting meetings, and engaging in all appropriate follow-up work
- Serve as point person for all aspects of Section 504 including conducting meetings for new and returning students and developing and implementing 504 plans
- Manage ongoing accurate maintenance of SpEd and MLL databases
- Serve as point person for initial referrals and new incoming students with IEPs and MLL needs
- Ensure appropriate accommodations during assessments and in-class instruction
- Work with Director of Operations and Network Operations Staff to create and prepare invoice for per pupil billing, New York state testing, NYSITELL, and NYSESLAT
- Communicate IEP-mandated busing needs to operations team
II Intervention Instruction & Support (~40%)
- Goals for Intervention Instruction
- Scholars receiving intervention make marked, tracked progress toward their IEP goals and ELA and Math differentials will be reduced to less than 5%
- All lessons are thoughtfully prepared and differentiated in advance to address students’ needs
- Tasks for Intervention Instruction
- Work closely with the Network Director of Student Support to provide high-quality intervention and materials (40% of time teaching)
- Collaborate with grade level teachers, the academic leadership team and related service providers to individualize instruction and to ensure students had access to grade level curriculum and made progress toward learning goals
- Provide indirect support through co-planning, accommodations, modifications and scaffolds to address students’ individual needs and learning styles
- Provide ongoing feedback and evaluation to students based on the development of individualized goals for performance that are specific, measurable, action-oriented, rooted in data and time-bound including, but not limited to, students’ formal IEP goals.
- Maintain formal and informal records of students’ progress toward Intervention and IEP goals
- Collaborate and communicate regularly with families
III. Serve as the Ultimate Advocate and Expert on Student Support (~15%)
- Goals for Student Support Advocacy
- 90% of participants agree or strongly agree that PD was impactful
- 100% of students receive their mandated services
- Tasks for Student Support Advocacy
- Be the ultimate champion at the school for student supports compliance and best practices, collaborating thoughtfully with members of the Leadership Team to ensure students with IEPs, 504s, MLLs, and those in the MTSS process are receiving their legally mandated services
- Be the ultimate champion for families including being the main touchpoint for questions, attending conferences to discuss potential evaluations and attending events for current and new families
- Collaborate closely with the Network Director of Student Support in supporting and coaching the Interventionists, MLL Interventionists, related service providers, and paraprofessionals
- Support SLT members to train all teachers to be effective special education teachers. Support teachers in using student IEPs consistently to guide instruction
- In collaboration with the SLT and the Network Director of Student Support, deliver a year-long series of professional development sessions on topics related to compliance, instruction, intervention and advocacy
Support for the Special Education Coordinator:
- The LSC will be directly managed by the School Principal and coached by the Network Director of Student Support.
- The LSC will be evaluated formally on a quarterly basis using the PPN Compliance Rubric (Appendix A) and will use the rubric and associated audit systems to identify progress on a biweekly basis.
- The LSC will receive weekly feedback, observations, and development around key skills needed to do the work effectively.
- The LSC will be part of summer training and all training provided to Student Supports leaders by the Director of Student Supports.
Additional Qualifications
- Additional Qualifications
- A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
- An M.A., Ed.M or Master’s degree in Special Education or related field preferred
- New York State Certification in Special Education; additional certification a plus
- A minimum of three (3) years of demonstrated success as a full-time special education teacher
- Experience managing or coordinating compliance workstreams in a New York public school
- Fluency in Spanish is a plus
