Director of Special Education

Italian Home for Children’s Pallotta Educational Center is a K-8 therapeutic day school for children with special education, social, emotional, and behavioral needs. The Director of Special Education will have responsibility for the overall quality and operations of the academic progress of students. This position oversees Special Education Teachers. The Director also indirectly oversees Teacher Assistants and provides professional development for Special Education Teachers to be able to train and supervise the Teacher Assistants.

The Director will assist the Head of School in the execution of operations and develop and monitor superior academic curriculum. The Director will ensure IHC has a strong reputation for demonstrating high standards of education.

The Director will focus on the following areas: program leadership and management, setting high performance expectations, creating an industry’s best educational environment, and staff retention. The Director of Special Education will provide inspiration, instill loyalty, pride, and passion for working at IHC, and recognize hard work and creativity. The Director of Special Education reports to the Head of School and works in close collaboration with the Director of Clinical Programming to ensure the balance of academic and therapeutic support.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the duties and responsibilities that will be required of the position, but additional responsibilities may be required. Employees are expected to perform job related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Educational Leadership:

Develop quality improvement goals, engage staff in goals, and track academic outcomes

Collaborate with Director of Clinical Programming to further integrate the various specialties and disciplines of occupational therapy, nursing, psychiatry, speech and language, expressive arts, and clinicians into the classroom therapeutic environment

Mentor teachers around development of their own curriculum and lesson plans; develop yearly curriculum calendar for all grade levels

Set standards and high expectations for the school’s literacy program

Oversee compliance of individual student academic records, including academic assessments, literacy, and adherence to Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)
Oversee that all IEP’s remain current and relevant by attending all Quarterly Conferences, Progress Reviews, and Medication Reviews Remain current with knowledge of best practices, relevant research, policies, regulations, and other trends affecting Italian Home for Children educational programs

Engage in de-escalation training and ensure the safety of the children

Personnel Leadership & Management:

Develop, coach, and retain high-performing staff

Schedule and implement individual supervision and in-service training for staff; performance manage direct reports; follow guidelines of agency supervision model

Through example and leadership, establish a culture of mutual support and respect, personal responsibility, empowerment, and continued skill development

Receive and appropriately respond to staff feedback in a timely manner

Mentor special education lead teachers around supervision and performance management of teacher assistantsESSENTIAL

QUALIFICATIONS:

Master’s degree in Special Education or related field, License as a Special Educator, and a minimum of one year of administrative experience are all required

License as Administrator of Special Education strongly preferred

Two or more years as leader preferred

Background working with children with behavioral health histories strongly preferred

Experience working effectively with children and families in diverse communities

Mission-driven and self-directed individual with passion for agency’s mission

Flexible and adaptable with broad responsibilities and shifting priorities

Strong motivator of staff to be flexible and tolerant of change environment and growth of programs

Maintain strictest confidentiality regarding clients and employees; adhere to all HIPPA regulations

Proven ability to establish and steward external relationships

Excellent communication skills…