Kapaa Elementary: Grade K-5 Special Education Teacher

Job Description

The Mild to Moderate Special Education Teacher is responsible for providing specialized instruction and behavioral support to students with diverse learning needs, including but not limited to Learning Disabilities (SLD), Other Health Impairments (OHI), Mild Intellectual Disabilities, and Emotional Disabilities. The teacher ensures that students have access to the General Education curriculum through accommodations, modifications, and specially designed instruction (SDI) as outlined in their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

Essential Duties and

Responsibilities include:

• Instructional Leadership:
  Plan and implement evidence‑based instruction in literacy, mathematics, and social‑emotional skills tailored to individual student needs.
• Curriculum Adaptation:
  Modify General Education grade‑level standards (Common Core State Standards) to meet student levels.
• Differentiated Delivery:
  Use a variety of instructional strategies, including small group intervention, co‑teaching models, and one‑on‑one support.
• IEP Management & Compliance:
  Oversee the development, implementation, and annual review of IEPs for a designated caseload of students.
• Data Collection:
  Maintain rigorous progress‑monitoring data to track student growth toward IEP goals and objectives.
• Collaboration:
  
  Schedule and facilitate IEP meetings with parents, administrators, and related service providers (Speech, OT, PT, etc.).
• Legal Adherence:
  Ensure all timelines and documentation comply with Chapter 60 (Hawaii’s Special Education Law) and federal IDEA regulations.
• Positive Behavior Support:
  Implement school‑wide and individualized behavior plans to promote a safe and productive learning environment.
• Advocacy:
  Foster a classroom culture of self‑advocacy, encouraging students to understand their learning profiles and utilize their accommodations.
• Whole‑Child Support:
  Work closely with School Counselors and Behavioral Health specialists to support the “whole child.”
• Staff Leadership:
  Lead and supervise Educational Assistants (EAs) and Paraprofessional Tutors (PPTs) within the classroom.
• Collaboration with General Education Teams:
  Maintain the “Least Restrictive Environment” (LRE) for all students.

Preferred Skills include experience with 95 % group literacy intervention or i‑Ready diagnostic data and strong communication skills for navigating complex family dynamics.

Valid Special Education Mild/Moderate license from the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board.

Special education mild/moderate classroom experience in a K‑12 school setting.

Plan and facilitate Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings; exercise independent and professional judgment in carrying out daily functions; maintain an effective work pace under pressure to meet deadlines; grasp new concepts quickly and apply them effectively; work effectively with others.

The Hawaii State Department of Education is committed to hiring highly qualified teachers in every classroom. With the exception of designated Career and Technology Education (CTE) positions, the minimum qualification to apply for a teacher, librarian, or counselor position is a Bachelor’s Degree. If hired without completing a Teacher’s Education Program, the candidate has a maximum of 3 years to obtain a valid Hawaii teaching license.

The candidate must enroll in a program to continue employment with the Department and must demonstrate active pursuit toward meeting Hawaii licensing requirements each year.

The Hawaii State Department of Education does not discriminate in its educational policies, programs, and activities on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, and disability in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991.

The Department does not discriminate in its employment policies, programs, and activities on the basis of sexual orientation, arrest and court record, and National Guard participation, as well as on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, and disability, in accordance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991, Equal Pay Act of 1963, and Chapter 378, Part I, Hawaii Revised Statutes.