Special Education Learning Community Director; Secondary

What We Expect:

• Professionalism and Reliability:
  Every role at IPS is vital to the district’s success. We expect staff to demonstrate professionalism, dependability, and a commitment to providing excellent service to students, educators, and families.
• Collaboration and Communication: IPS values teamwork. Working collaboratively with your colleagues ensures a supportive environment for all. Clear communication and mutual respect are key to maintaining this culture.
• Flexibility and Problem‑Solving:
  As a large, dynamic district, IPS needs staff who are adaptable and proactive in solving problems to meet the ever‑changing needs of students and schools.

• Fair Compensation: IPS ensures competitive wages and regularly reviews pay structures to maintain equity.
• Extensive Benefits Package:
  Employees enjoy comprehensive health coverage, dental and vision plans, life insurance, disability insurance, and retirement plans. Additional financial benefits include flexible spending accounts and eligibility for federal loan forgiveness programs.

• Generous Leave Policies: IPS offers vacation, personal, and sick leave, along with paid holidays. Twelve‑month employees benefit from floating holidays, and unused personal leave rolls into the sick leave balance.
• Wellness Programs: IPS prioritizes staff well‑being with access to wellness initiatives, including health screenings and an employee assistance program for confidential support and counseling.

Performs a variety of supervisory, managerial, and administrative tasks to ensure high‑quality implementation of special education services and compliance for a K‑8, Secondary, or Transformation Zone Learning Community. This is a 12‑month administrator position.

• Provides direct supervision, in partnership with school leaders, to the daily work of special education compliance, instructional coaching, ensuring adherence to established special education law, policies, procedures, and standards.
• Serves as principal's first point of contact beyond building based special education staff for issues related to the day‑to‑day special education support in their school.
• Works with principals to resolve school‑based special education concerns and problems.
• Assists special education Learning Community staff and school principals in setting and attaining goals for student achievement.
• Assists in the coordination and articulation of the district's special education programs and services across and between grade levels in their Learning Community with a particular focus on students in the inclusion and resource settings.
• Conducts routine on‑site visits of assigned schools in the system; provides specific feedback, support, and suggestions to principals to strengthen teaching and learning for students with special needs.
• Supports principals in special education human resource management, including recruiting, retaining, and developing special education staff.
• Provides technical assistance to principals in working with marginal special education staff.
• Assists principals with special education decision‑making and problem‑solving.
• Resolves difficult special education situations quickly and effectively between schools and parents that are not resolved at the school level.
• Assists principals in the development of appropriate professional development programs for special education staff.
• With Human Resource support, coordinates the staffing of special education positions and ensures support for inducting and retaining personnel.
• Serves as chairperson for manifest determination conferences as needed.
• Perform duties assigned by the Special Education Officer.

Critical core competencies for successful performance in this role are:

• Highly‑developed communications skills (written/verbal) and interpersonal savvy.
• Results/action‑orientation; project management skills.
• Organizational agility; developed negotiation skills.
• Unquestionable personal code of ethics, integrity, diversity and trust.
• Able to successfully navigate within varying degrees…