Special Education Director

Special Education Director

Teach Iowa Meskwaki Settlement School - Tama, Iowa. Open in Google Maps.

This job is also posted in Teach Iowa, Iowa's Marketplace for education jobs.

Title: Director of Special Education and 504 Plans

Classification: Administrative

Immediate Supervisor: Superintendent of Schools

Job Summary: Under the Direction of the Superintendent of Schools, the Director of Special Education is responsible for implementing and maintaining age 3-21 Special Education programs and services in conformance with district, state, and federal objectives and laws; planning, designing, and implementing all phases of service provided by the Special Education staff; serving as a resource to patrons, school personnel, and the Board;

and maintaining adequate staffing to ensure objectives of programs and services are achieved within budget.

Education: Master’s degree in Special Education, Education Administration, or related field.

Experience: Minimum of five years experience working directly with students; education administration experience;
Iowa Administrative and Evaluator Certification.

• Knowledge of organizational systems, the role of public education in the United States, racial equity, social justice, culturally relevant instruction/practices, and special education laws and practices.
• Strong law understanding.
• Ability to collaborate with families and community members of diverse cultural and educational backgrounds.
• Ability to manage personnel and programs.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Problem solving skills.
• Knowledge of curriculum and research-based programming.
• Knowledge of Iowa and federal education laws/regulations and district policies.
• Ability to make independent judgments.
• Ability to keep and maintain accurate records and to meet deadlines.

• Provides leadership and vision to ensure continuous organizational development and improvement.
• Keeps abreast of community services and resources; develops partnerships with parents, businesses/organizations, and other agencies to build awareness, develop support, and share resources.
• Collaborates effectively with District staff, families, special education teachers, and the community for the purpose of planning, developing, implementing, maintaining, and evaluating educational services and/or programs.
• Implements conflict resolution skills in a variety of situations with staff, families, and the community.
• Sets staffing levels for school special education programs for fiscal efficiency.
• Directs personnel to deliver services that conform to established guidelines.
• Develops proposals, new programs, budgets, and grants to meet the District’s Strategic Plan and goals.
• Evaluates District and school Special Education programs, monitors implementation, and ensures compliance with regulations.
• Facilitates meetings and processes to implement and maintain Special Education programs and services that achieve desired objectives.
• Manages fiscal resources from District funds and special education grants, prepares budgets, directs spending, and monitors maintenance of effort.
• Prepares documentation and reports data to support regulations and federal/state compliance.
• Communicates information on programs, services, and regulations to school personnel, parents, the Board, and other district staff.
• Recruits, hires, supervises, and evaluates District-level special education staff.
• Manages special education complaints to provide required services.
• Coordinates with outside agencies to provide services to students and staff.
• Directs the Medicaid Administrative Claiming process and billing of Medicaid-eligible special education services.
• Supervises the training of special education instructional assistants.
• Writes drafts of District Board policy for special education as needed.
• Maintains a high level of knowledge regarding special education issues, changes in laws, case law, and educational methods for students with disabilities.
• Ensures all practices are legal and ethical, enabling each child to achieve at a high level and be prepared for post‑secondary success.
• Prepares documentation and reports data for the Bureau of Indian Education regarding grants and compliance.
• Serves as district representative for IEP meetings as needed.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

We are an equal opportunity employer dedicated to fostering a diverse workforce.