Special Education Teacher - Self-Contained; K-2

Under the direction of the Building Principal and Director of Special Education, the Special Education Teacher develops and provides specialized instruction to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities; evaluates and assesses student progress against instructional objectives; follows State mandated due process procedures and functions as IEP case manager to assigned students.

Essential functions of the job may include but are not limited to the following:

• Provides research-based specialized instruction to address the instructional goals and objectives contained within each student's IEP.
• Assesses student progress and determines the need for additional reinforcement or adjustments to instructional techniques.
• Employs various teaching techniques, methods and principles of learning to enable students to meet their IEP goals.
• Develops and implements annual Individualized Educational Program (IEP) plans for students to include: present levels of educational performance, special education needs, instructional goals and objectives, and the special education and related services required to meet those goals.
• Schedules team meetings and works cooperatively with child study team members and others in developing instructional goals and strategies.
• Coordinates the delivery of special education services in each student's IEP.
• Creates a positive learning experience with emphasis in individualized instruction using appropriate sources including technology
• Serves as primary contact for the parent.
• Understand characteristics of individuals with disabilities across the age range, including levels of severity, multiple disabilities and their influence on development, behavior, and learning.
• Plans effective instructional strategies for adapting or modifying the general curriculum to meet the needs of individual students.
• Utilizes specialized materials, equipment, and/or assistive technology to meet a student's individual students.

Other functions of the job include but are not limited to the following:

• Establishes and maintains a positive and structured classroom
• Employs and implements a classroom structure and consistency to encourage student responsibility, cooperation and mutual respect consistent with district policies and procedures.
• Collaborates and consults with educational professionals and community service providers (i.e., social services, public health, medical providers etc.) regarding the needs of students.
• Provides consultation to classroom teachers regarding classroom adaptations, instructional modifications, adaptive equipment, behavior modification plans and other similar instructional interventions to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
• Implements classroom and individual behavioral management plans and actively participates in functional behavioral assessments and behavioral intervention plans for students.

Qualifications

Current Illinois teaching license in required content area (LBS1)
ELL Endorsement preferred not required
Experience teaching in a self-contained classroom preferred
Experience serving students with low-incidence disabilites such as Autism and Intellectual Disabilities preferred
Experience serving students with significant needs related to communication preferred
Expereince serving students requiring behavior intervnetion plans (BIPS) preferred