Education Specialist Substitute SY POOL

Education Specialist

The Cottonwood School offers dynamic homeschooling pathways for TK-12: a uniquely personalized, whole-learner approach that nurtures academic, social, and emotional achievement. The Cottonwood school is a tuition-free, public charter school serving transitional kindergarten through 12th-grade students in Alpine, Amador, El Dorado, Placer, and Sacramento Counties. We take an integrative approach that education is more than academic learning. We understand that a rich education includes social and emotional development as well as a strong academic foundation.

Under the direction of the Assistant Director of Special Education, the Education Specialist will provide instruction, assessment, and program planning for special education students with identified special educational needs. The fundamental purpose of this position is to adapt the content, methodology, and delivery of instruction to meet the needs of an eligible child and ensure the student's access to the general curriculum and rigorous educational standards adopted by the School and the State.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university
• Valid California 30-Day Substitute Permit
• Must live in California

Preferred

Qualification:

• Valid California Education Specialist Instruction Credential
  - Mild/Moderate or Moderate/Severe with English Learner (EL) Authorization
• Live in Northern California
• Bridge Authorization

Employment Requirements:

• AB 2534 Verification
• Background Clearance
• Tuberculosis Clearance
• I-9 Verification

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work collaboratively with all members of the IEP team to coordinate the development and implementation of students' IEPs using the Special Education Information System (SEIS) program.
• Perform initial, triennial, and informal assessments in order to identify student needs.
• Schedule and prepare all materials for IEP meetings.
• Consult and collaborate with parents, staff, and service providers to ensure appropriate delivery of special education services.
• Establish and effectively articulate goals for student learning.
• Maintain special education records to meet compliance guidelines.
• Provide students with specialized academic instruction for the purpose of meeting their unique needs.
• Adapt curriculum content and/or pedagogy to support students' understanding of subject matter.
• Utilize assessment results for the purpose of providing educational benefits to students.
• Instruct students to ensure successful progress toward student's IEP goals.
• Communicate with teachers, psychologists, specialists, and others for the purpose of monitoring student progress.
• Provide timely feedback to students, parents, and general education teachers based on data for the purpose of coordinating services to individual students.
• Provide consultation regarding students on 504 plans and those served by academic skills intervention programs.
• Use behavior management techniques to achieve a functional learning environment.
• Participates in appropriate professional development activities related to the educational programs of the School.
• Serve on school committees, participate in school and community activities, and represent the school as appropriate.
• Respond to non-urgent communication within 24 school hours and urgent communication within two school hours.
• Attend all required virtual and in-person meetings/events as assigned.
• Resolve escalated employee, parent, and student issues in alignment with core values and ensuring compliance with the school's Uniform Complaint Policy; the school's Technology Use Policy; and the provisions of California Penal Code Section 11166 (Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act).
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Knowledge of various learning modalities and educational philosophies
• Knowledge of effective strategies, curriculum, and instruction to support students
• Ability to evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum and educational programs
• Professional oral and written communication skills in English, including academic report writing
• Proficiency in operating standard office equipment including a variety of software applications including, but not limited to Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), Google (docs, sheets, forms, drives), and virtual meeting platforms (Zoom, Google Chat, etc.)
• Ability to organize, prioritize, work under time constraints, and be flexible in an environment of multiple tasks
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work with diverse stakeholders
• Must have a high degree of professionalism, integrity, and dependability
• Maintain accurate records
• Maintain consistent, punctual, and regular attendance

Work Environment:

The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. These physical standards are generic and tasks may vary depending on…