SCKSEC; Cooperative Wide Coaching Specialist

Overview

The SCKSEC (Cooperative Wide) Coaching Specialist serves as an instructional champion for the special education cooperative, supporting students with special needs and staff by providing direct instructional support to assigned schools. This is a 10-month, Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) position with the potential for additional paid days. The role focuses on student achievement with more individualized support for special education teachers and students with disabilities.

Specialists spend the majority of time in their assigned schools partnering with the principal to drive instructional strategy and provide instructional and behavioral support to increase student achievement, with remaining time for staff support, department meetings, collaboration with special education administration/staff, and ensuring buildings remain compliant with special education rules, regulations, and procedures.

In this model, the Specialist specifically:

• Spends the majority of time in collaborative work with special education teachers, school leaders, and other experts to improve learning outcomes for students with disabilities, including direct instructional coaching, professional development, analysis of progress data, identifying academic and behavioral instructional strategies, and assisting with implementation.
• Engages in collaborative work with general education personnel to improve achievement and growth for all students while carrying out primary responsibilities to improve learning and behavior for students with disabilities.
• Develops and supports teachers in writing strong IEPs and collecting effective data on behavior intervention, suspensions, and for manifestation determination reviews.
• Attends weekly/monthly collaboration team meetings and professional development.
• Works collaboratively with school psychologists, assistant directors, and other special education providers to coach and support special education staff.
• Regularly revisits special education program and service procedures to ensure continuity of services and foresight of potential issues.
• Communicates effectively and in a timely manner with parents and guardians of special needs students to address complaints, issues, and concerns.
• Performs duties assigned by the Special Education Director.

Critical core competencies for successful performance in this role are:

• Highly-developed communications skills (written/verbal) with good interpersonal relationships
• Unquestionable personal code of ethics, integrity, diversity and trust
• Able to successfully navigate within varying degrees of ambiguity in a fast-paced environment
• Strong strategic analysis skills

Qualifications

• Kansas professional license or eligibility Special Education certification
• Working knowledge of federal and state special education rules, regulations, and practices (IDEA)
• Broad knowledge of the theories, principles, practices and methodology of special education
• Working knowledge of Indiana and special education policies, procedures and programs
• Ability to be creative in developing alternatives to meet special education needs at each school
• A track record of developing and maintaining strong working relationships with and among a diverse group of individuals
• Excellent communication skills and strong analytical and writing capabilities
• Close attention to detail coupled with the ability to exercise good judgment
• Strong organizational, oral and written communication, and interpersonal skills
• Proactive nature; able to anticipate conflicts before they arise
• Ability to work well independently as well as collaboratively
• Ability to execute meetings, calls and emails with professionalism, courtesy and accuracy
• Personal qualities of maturity, humility, strong work ethic, sense of humor, and diligence
• Ability to effectively allocate and prioritize time to several tasks to ensure completion of all

The Special Education Elementary Specialist works directly with building-based staff to support special education needs in the building, provides resources and direct coaching to staff in need, and develops strong relationships with staff in each school. This…