Director Of Special Education

Starting Date: Immediately

The Learning Community, a vibrant public charter school that centers the voices of students, families, and teachers, seeks a collaborative, dedicated Director of Special Education passionate about providing high‑quality instruction and additional support needed for students with learning disabilities to thrive in our school. Part‑time administrative support is provided for this role, including clerical support and assistance in LEA meetings with a special educator case manager.

In addition to leading a strong and compliant special education program, this leader will play a key role beginning with students in K‑2 and shape our innovative Schoolhouse Project—a new, high‑support model designed to serve students with complex learning and emotional needs. The role involves building a team hub of expertise that supports the larger team and a dedicated instructional coach who will support client schools in implementing best practices.

We seek a leader energized by innovation, excited to build something new, and eager to design systems, practices, and partnerships that can transform outcomes for students.

• Oversight of the special education program: responsible for ensuring all services are compliant and deliver on promised outcomes, including consistent IEP service delivery, correct documentation, and family meetings with translation support as needed; oversees transportation and logistics for outplacement services when applicable.
• Ensuring appropriate scaffolds, interventions, and supports for students with IEPs, ranging from day‑to‑day classroom instruction to standardized assessments.
• Coaching and support for special education teachers and staff: observes service delivery, provides training, skill‑building support, feedback, professional development planning, and best‑practice dissemination; models collaboration between general and special education teachers.
• Evaluating students for services and maintaining accurate intervention systems and data; leads kindergarten intakes and evaluates other students as needed; ensures student progress notes are up‑to‑date.
• Ensuring state testing and accommodations are administered according to state mandates; coordinates with other directors for testing (RICAS, DLM, NGSA, NAEP) and provides necessary staff training.
• Coordinating and overseeing any ESY.

• RI certification for district level director of special education.
• U.S. citizen, resident, or valid work visa.
• Deep knowledge and experience managing a special education program with a clear vision for equity; mastery of legal requirements and best practices for compliance and delivery of services to K‑8 students with a wide range of disabilities.
• Strong lens on equity and inclusion; understanding of inequity in special education and general education settings and inclusive communication across race and other identity dimensions.
• Superb time‑management and organizational skills; ability to project‑manage others to advance work.
• Professionalism and strong follow‑through; consistently delivers high‑quality work on time.
• Effective communication, trust‑building, and influencing skills; masterful inclusive communicator.
• Strong abilities to educate and develop others; ability to coach and train families, leaders, teachers, and staff with engaging, actionable training.
• An innovative and entrepreneurial mindset; creativity, problem‑solving, willingness to rethink traditional approaches, and passion for designing systems, piloting ideas, learning from data, and collaborating.

Position is full‑time, based at the Learning Community Charter School in Central Falls, Rhode Island. Typical hours 7:30 am‑3:30 pm, except Wednesdays 7:30 am‑4:45 pm due to whole‑team meetings. Required attendance at Summer Institute in August prior to each school year.

Salary: $90,000–$110,000, commensurate with experience.

Benefits:

• Medical insurance: 82 % of annual premium paid by Learning Community for single or family plans.
• Retirement:
  Participation in the State of RI Teacher Pension Plan.
• Life insurance: $50 k plan free of charge while employed.
• Time off: 8 weeks vacation, 12 paid holidays, 10 paid sick days, 5 paid personal days per year.
• Optional vision/dental: 100 % employee paid.

• Postgraduate Certificate degree preferred.
• Citizenship, residency or work visa required.

Full‑time