Teacher - Special Education-Functional​/ABL

Teacher
- Special Education-Functional / ABL

Holyoke Public Schools SYSTEM WIDE
- Holyoke, Massachusetts Open in Google Maps

Job
Final date to receive applications:
Jul 31, 2026 11:59 PM (Eastern Standard Time)
Posted:
Jul 02, 2026 4:00 AM (UTC)

Starting Date:
Immediately

Holyoke Public Schools is a PreK-12 public school district serving nearly 4,800 students, of whom 80 percent are Latino/Latina, in 11 schools. We employ nearly 1,300 people who together educate and support a richly diverse community of learners. We are committed to recruiting and retaining top-quality educators who believe all children can and will learn and who strive daily to make school a joyful place of discovery, support, and belonging.

Holyoke Public Schools’ strategic plan, “Moving Forward Together,” builds on the strengths of our past while serving as a call to action to accelerate student learning by thinking differently about how we teach, how we work together, and how we support students’ well‑being.

Many successes contributed to Holyoke’s return to local governance after 10 years in state receivership. These include:

• The highest graduation rate on record of 77.1 percent, an increase of more than 15 points over 10 years
• Meaningful, applied learning opportunities for high school students, including theme‑based academies, career vocational technical education programming, work‑based learning, and advanced coursework
• A comprehensive approach to early literacy that includes strong core instruction and one‑on‑one tutoring, contributing to more students reading at grade level
• A thriving dual language English/Spanish program, where nearly 900 students are on their path to becoming bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural
• More than one‑third of Holyoke teachers identify as people of color, a 19‑point increase over 10 years. Many partnership programs support staff to earn licensure or additional certification.

Please visit the Holyoke Public Schools website to learn more about us, our recent accomplishments, and our commitment to equity.

• Formulate, write and implement Individual Education Plans
• Organize and implement an instructional program that meets the developmental level and unique learning style of diverse learners
• Create a positive educational environment for all students using a multi‑tiered system of supports
• Manage the classroom to maintain a safe, secure and effective learning environment by providing a high degree of structure, clear expectations and consistency. Implement expectations and consequences as appropriate for each student as outlined in behavior management plan
• Maintain a firm, fair and consistent approach to the instruction of students and promote student involvement by reinforcing positive behaviors
• Ensure the rights of all students are observed and protected through the use of appropriate and respectful communication, proper de‑escalation techniques, and correct physical restraint methods when necessary
• Objectively evaluate academic and/or behavioral outcomes through a system of data collection and analysis that drives decision making
• Use professional quality communication skills to convey information to the student’s team
• Meet all district, state and federal requirements for the program to which you are assigned, including IEP and Progress Report deadlines
• Demonstrate an understanding of functional skills and implement a system of positive behavioral interventions
• Administer a variety of assessment tools, write detailed reports, summarize the results and provide recommendations
• Use formative and summative assessment and document student progress and achievement; assess and analyze student strengths; design and implement appropriate instruction to facilitate learning and growth
• Collaborate with other educators, related service providers and parents to maximize student outcomes
• Remain current with accepted and appropriate instructional theory, practice and research. Including engaging in regular and strategic professional development to stay current in best practices for diverse learners

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institution
• Licensure in…