Severe Cognitive Impairment Program Teacher room

Severe Cognitive Impairment Program Teacher

Reports To:

Director of Pathway Secondary Programs

Updated:
June 2026

Salary/Benefits:
Per LIPSA Master Agreement

Schedule:

12-month

Essential Functions

Note:

These duties and responsibilities are judged to be "essential functions" in terms of the Americans With Disabilities Act or ADA. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The statements below are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by a person in this position. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties that may be performed by such a person. Other duties may be assigned.

• Provide a continuum of adapted, integrated, and specialized instruction to meet the unique needs of students who function in the range of severe cognitive impairment (SCI).
• Ability to provide specially designed instruction across secondary grade levels.
• Training in START, CPI, and Trauma-Informed Practices or willingness to be trained
• Enthusiasm, flexibility, and ability to work cooperatively with students, parents, teachers and administrators
• Knowledge of Michigan K-12 and Extended Academic Standards (Essential Elements).
• Experience supporting students with complex communication needs, including familiarity with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) supports.
• Knowledge of and accuracy in completing IEPs, present level statements, measurable goals and objectives, and documentation of progress toward goals and objectives.
• Provide instruction directed at developing skills in the following instructional areas:
• Emergent and conventional literacy;
• Social skills; activities of daily living; leisure education/recreation skills; language and communication skills; pre-vocational and vocational skills; sensory stimuli; core academics; fine and gross motor.
• Collaborate and coordinate ancillary student services as indicated by the IEP.
• Plan and conduct parent-teacher conferences as scheduled.
• Supervise, assess and direct the work of teacher assistants to ensure a quality instructional program.
• Serve as case coordinator for students on caseload.
• Assure that medical needs of students are met according to agency policy and procedures, i.e., administering, medication, tube feeding, catheterization.

Additional Duties

• Performs other related tasks as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• May supervise students.

Education and/or Experience

• Possess a minimum of a Bachelor's degree; valid teaching certificate with approval in special education for the cognitively impaired.
• Must be Highly Qualified.

Certificates, Licenses and/or Registrations

• Michigan teaching certificate with an endorsement in Special Education.
• Teacher of Cognitively Impaired eligibility preferred.

Language Skills

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of staff, parent, and the general public.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to use advanced mathematics to solve problems related to use of technology.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Other

Skills and Abilities

Ability to apply knowledge of current research and theory to area of professional responsibility; ability to plan and implement adaptive technology based on needs and abilities of students to whom assigned. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, peers, parents and community; ability to speak clear and concisely in written or oral communication.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. The employee must occasionally push items of 50 lbs. such as equipment. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and depth perception.

Work Environment

The noise level in the work environment is usually loud and is a standard acceptable level for this environment. Is directly responsible for student safety and well-being.

The employee shall remain free of any alcohol or non-prescribed controlled substance in the…