ESP SE Teacher - ARMS

Amherst Pelham Regional School District Middle School—Amherst, Massachusetts seeks a full‑time highly qualified special education teacher for our inclusive Middle School Essential Skills Program (ESP). This program delivers specialized programming and services to a neurodiverse group of students requiring intensive programming and oversight throughout the school day. Students served may have one or more disabilities in areas such as autism, cerebral palsy, cognitive impairment, and/or health impairments.

The position includes:

• Providing direct instruction to students in grades 6‑8 in core academic areas, adaptive living skills, social skills training, and self‑regulation strategies.
• Modifying and adapting curriculum and developing, implementing, and monitoring social and positive behavioral supports.
• Delivering instruction, lesson planning, implementation, and modification of materials aligned with standards and accommodations.
• Designing and implementing effective positive behavioral supports and plans.
• Collecting and analyzing data to develop appropriate interventions and monitoring systems.
• Managing IEP processes—including implementation, monitoring, and development—and coordinating with outside agencies and service providers.
• Collaborating with teachers, service providers, paraprofessionals, and caregivers as part of a professional learning community and multi‑disciplinary team.
• Maintaining communication with students, staff, program coordinators, caregivers, parents, and administrators.
• Executing physical interventions and maintaining student safety as required.

• Experience teaching students with autism, cognitive impairments, health impairments and other neurodiverse learning profiles.
• Commitment to inclusion that benefits students socially, emotionally and academically.
• Experience with completing MCAS alt assessments.
• Strong positive, interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships with students, staff, caregivers, and administrators.
• Proficiency in research‑based methodologies, including Applied Behavior Analysis and differential reinforcement.
• Strong case‑management skills, including regular home‑school communication with outside agencies and service providers.
• Strong ability to multitask, work in fast‑paced environments focused on student learning, data collection, and measurable outcomes.
• Highly effective executive function skills: organization, time management, ability to work independently to meet timelines.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong ability to oversee and work collaboratively with paraprofessional staff.
• Experience designing and supervising use of DESE‑approved physical restraint.
• Ability to design, collect and analyze data and develop interventions and monitoring systems.
• Experience completing all aspects of the IEP process.
• Experience with a diverse population of students within a multicultural school/community.
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) desirable but not required.

Candidates must hold a Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Licensure in Moderate Disabilities, Level PK‑8 or Severe Disabilities, All Levels.

The job requires regular use of hands to assist students, speaking, hearing, standing, walking, sitting, reaching, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, occasionally climbing or balancing, and lifting or moving up to 10 pounds regularly and up to 50 pounds occasionally. Specific vision abilities include close, distance, color, peripheral, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The employee may also be required to use physical interventions to maintain student safety.

Full‑time; $51,302 to $92,079 per year.