Academic Specialist Special Education

Job Summary

Plans, oversees, and leads projects from ideation through to completion at the direction of the content/program supervisor in support of the AACPS Strategic Plan throughout the year. The role encompasses all aspects of assessment, curriculum, data analysis, instruction, professional learning for all stakeholders, and implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future along with other local, state, and federal initiatives. The position facilitates interactions with internal and external stakeholders, sets and maintains deadlines, and ensures successful completion of content/program projects.

It also provides support to school‑based lead teachers and school leadership relevant to the content/program.

Title
:
Specialist:
Academic (10 Month)

Title Code
: C01622

Specialist Level
: 10 Month

• Ability to work flexible schedules
• Evenings/Nights
• Extended hours
• Outside of normal business hours
• Summer hours
• Weekends

• Acts as a strategic and collaborative member of the program/content office to communicate AACPS’s mission, vision, goals, and expectations for assessment, curriculum, and instruction to school staff and community.
• Plans, oversees, and leads program/content projects from ideation through to completion at the direction of the content/program supervisor.
• Supports system leadership in the review, adoption, writing, and implementation of research‑based, standard‑aligned programming that contains best practices for school‑level implementation and mastery planning.
• Works with school administration and teacher leaders to ensure structures for the facilitation of planning to enhance teacher capacity.
• Participates in local, state, and federal monitoring initiatives, analyzing multiple measures of student achievement and performance data to evaluate program, curricular, and assessment effectiveness, and adjusts system resources to support on‑track academic success of students.
• Provides professional learning for all stakeholders at the school, system, and community level to understand and model research‑based instructional best practices using the lens of equity.
• Implements system initiatives aligned to The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and other local, state, and federal requirements, ensuring fidelity across all schools. Provides system oversight while monitoring school‑level implementation and documentation of services as appropriate.
• Facilitates collaboration with internal offices and external stakeholders, including local and state agencies, aligned with content/program initiatives to ensure voice, equity, and results on system initiatives.
• Facilitates and plans system initiatives that occur for students and staff outside of the school day (e.g., evenings, weekends, summer), ensuring logistics and instruction align with system goals. Coordinates services through outsourcing with vendors and non‑profit organizations.
• Remains current with and models best practices in the content/program area while working with local, state, and national organizations to advance the field.
• Performs other related duties as assigned within the same classification or lower.

• Master’s Degree in a related field of education from a regionally accredited college or university; or an equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

• Four (4) years successful classroom teaching experience.
• One (1) year of experience as a school‑based teacher leader (preferred).
• One (1) year of experience providing professional development to adult learners (preferred).

• Knowledge of school organization, curriculum, teaching techniques; current trends, research, and instructional materials in the field of specialization.
• Demonstrates leadership qualities as a member of an instructional staff.
• Ability to work effectively with grade levels, pre‑K through 12, and collaborate with other disciplines to develop comprehensive programs for students.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in written form, with professional…