Cortez - Licensed ESS Teacher - District Wide

Cortez - Licensed ESS Teacher - District Wide

Teach in Southwest Colorado Montezuma-Cortez SD RE-1 - Administration - Cortez, Colorado.

This job is also posted in Teach in SW Colorado.

• Job : 5515011
• Final date to receive applications: Posted until filled
• Posted: Jan 26, 2026 7:00 AM (UTC)
• Starting Date: Aug 1, 2026

MONTEZUMA CORTEZ SCHOOL DISTRICT RE-1

EVERY STUDENT. EVERY DAY

Position:
Licensed Exceptional Student Services Teacher (ESS) - District Wide

24/25 School Year

Our Vision

The district is committed to creating an environment of collaboration and accountability that ensures our students:

• Achieve personal goals and academic growth.
• Are invested in success for their future.
• Attain high levels of literacy and 21 st century skills.
• Are engaged in active citizenship.
• Learn in a safe and healthy school environment.

We are looking for passionate teachers who are interested in joining a dynamic team of educators dedicated to closing the achievement gap in a high-need, diverse community of learners. We are privileged to serve students from the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Navajo Tribe, which contribute greatly to the cultural richness of our community and schools.

Position Summary: The student population associated with this position requires/may require toileting, medical facilitation, feeding, etc. The students may spend all or part of the day in the center-based classroom with some classroom inclusion. Teacher must develop a class environment that is favorable to learning and personal growth for high needs students by establishing effective rapport with pupils, motivating pupils to develop skills, attitudes and knowledge needed to provide a good foundation for elementary grade education, in accordance with each pupil’s ability, and to establish good relationships with parents and with other staff members.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Progress monitors IEP goals and generates new goals as needed.
• Facilitates and leads IEP meetings.
• Manage the IEP staffing calendar in cooperation with SJBOCES staff coordinator, special service providers, general education teachers, and parents to ensure that all annuals, triennials, and amendments occur within the timeline required by law. This includes collaborating with the school secretarial staff to ensure that substitutes are available on staffing days so that general education teachers may attend meetings as required by law.
• Develops and implements individual learning and personal care plans for each student.
• Generates and updates the IEP to follow state and federal regulations.
• Collaborates with Support Service professionals to incorporate speech, Physical Therapy, mobility specialists, vision specialists and Occupational Therapy services as needed.
• Guides paraprofessionals within the classroom on which services should be provided and the location of those services.
• Instructs pupils in citizenship and basic subject matter specified in state law and administration regulations and procedures of the school district.
• Develops lesson plans and instructional material and provides individualized and small group instruction to adapt the curriculum to the needs of each pupil for self and ESS paraprofessionals.
• Communicates regularly with parents outside normal classroom day by means of notes, phone calls, conferences, etc.
• Establishes and maintains standards of pupil behavior to achieve an effective learning atmosphere.
• Evaluates pupils’ academic and social growth, keeps appropriate records, and prepares progress reports.
• Identifies pupil needs and makes appropriate referrals and develops strategies for individual education plans.
• Is available to students and parents for education-related purposes outside the instruction day.
• Provides individualized and small group instruction to adapt the curriculum to the needs of the student.
• Creates an environment for learning through functional and attractive displays of interest centers and exhibits of student’s work.
• Communicates learning/behavior strategies to necessary parties including teachers and paraprofessionals.
• Facilitate weekly team meetings with paraprofessionals and service providers to plan for ongoing…