Job Description:

Position Title: Special Education Teacher
Location: Horace Elementary
Department: Special Education
Reports To: Building-level Principal/Special Education
Term: Ongoing 188-day contract beginning with the 2024-2025 school year
Schedule: Mon-Fri Full-time

SUMMARY: The Special Education Teacher provides instruction for learners who are enrolled in special education programs while creating an engaging, nurturing, and safe learning environment that allows learners to develop their physical, social, and emotional wellbeing.
 
A Special Education Teacher provides intervention and supports in academics, future ready skills, knowledge, and dispositions to be compassionate, lifelong-learners, and contributing citizens in a rapidly changing world. A Special Education Teacher follows the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) procedures and completes compliant paperwork to support learners with disabilities in the educational settings.
 
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and requirement satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required for the role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
 
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: (Other duties may be assigned)
Collaboration:
Develops positive, working relationships with learners, colleagues, and the wider district community.
Fosters an environment that establishes respect and rapport between the educator and learners.
Collaborates with a team, including colleagues within the Special Education department, grade-level educators, and paraprofessionals.
Collaborates with district staff to support learner behaviors through functions such as Individualized Education Program (IEPs) and more.
Proactively seeks to resolve issues for colleagues and learners by engaging with leadership on problem-solving discussions.
Communication:
Uses exemplary communication skills to facilitate connection and sharing of thoughts and ideas through multiple formats and diverse audiences.
Clearly and effectively communicates, verbally and in writing, learner Individualized Education Programming (IEPs), assessments results, and eligibility by following state and district special education guidelines.
Clearly communicates the instructional purpose of each lesson and makes connections to prior learning and/or other content areas.
Connects and shares ideas through appropriate/applicable formats to express thoughts and ideas with integrity.
Compassion:
Understands the complexities of cultural and global issues and how they relate to employee and learners’ experiences.
Partners with others to resolve potential controversy and conflict through discussion.
Proactively seeks to understand the ideas, opinions, and skills of others.
Creativity:
Designs assessments that are aligned to the standards and learning targets while frequently providing opportunities for authentic and meaningful assessments.
Connects with team members and shares ideas in an effort to improve the overall employee and learner experience.
Plan programming for individual and small groups of learners that is based on learner data implemented to meet each student’s individual ability and need.
Utilizes a variety of specialized teaching techniques, interventions, and assessments in order to assess and intervene with individualized programming that ensure learner progress.
Critical Thinking:
Proactively utilizes planning and organizational skills to address changes and challenges efficiently and effectively.
Uses subject matter expertise and data to drive meaningful change for colleagues and learners.
Proactively implements personalized, structured learning for the individual learner.
Reasons, interprets, and analyzes information to generate new knowledge and understanding.
Demonstrates knowledge of content/intervention in all discipline areas; explicitly connecting key concepts.
Reflection:
Utilizes frequent opportunities for visible learner engagement, self-assessment, and self-reflection.
Actively participates in on-going professional development opportunities.
Actively participates in the professional learning community process.
Maintains communication with supervisor and director regarding feedback, growth opportunities, and areas of opportunity.
Resilience:
Maintains composure while dealing with stressful situations.
Proactively seeks out resolutions and takes initiative to resolve knowledge gaps.
Responsibility:
Teaches through the use of various multi-sensory techniques designed to stimulate students with specific learning problems.
Utilizes district guaranteed and viable curriculum including the scope & sequence of academic and social emotional learning targets along with the defined proficiency scales.
Utilizes district behavioral plans as a backbone to promote positive learner behavior.
Fosters a safe and equitable classroom environment.
Utilizes the district protocol for maintaining information on learner progress.
Evaluates learner progress on a regular basis and maintains complete and accurate records in the form of progress reports.
Attends and participates in faculty meetings.
Assists in upholding and enforcing school rules, administration regulations, state and federal regulations and board policy
 
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT: The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the essential duties and responsibilities of this role, the employee is regularly required to reach with hands and arms.
While performing the essential duties and responsibilities of this role, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, run, bend, talk, and hear.
The specific vision abilities required for this role include close and peripheral vision.
The employee may be required to lift up to ~30 pounds.
The employee must work with the public and various WFPS staff while simultaneously managing several competing demands.
The employee may work in an environment that has a quiet to loud noise level.
The employee may come in contact with bloodborne pathogens or other bodily fluids on rare occasions.
Education and/or Experience:
Bachelor’s Degree in Education.
North Dakota Teaching License with qualifications in one or more areas of Special Education.
Master’s Degree in Special Education is preferred.
Experience working in a Special Education classroom is preferred.
Experience developing and implementing IEPs and positive behavior support plans is preferred.
Experience with positive behavioral supports is preferred. 
Experience working with learners with complex behaviors is preferred.
 
Language Skills:
Ability to read, write, and comprehend simple instructions and short correspondences in the English language.
Ability to communicate effectively verbally, expressively, and reactively.
 
Other Skills and Abilities:
Exercise confidentiality, discretion, and good judgement.
Adhere to the assigned work schedule by maintaining regular and punctual attendance.
 
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
None.

Salary: Positions follows the Teacher Salary Schedule 2023-2025 - https://www.west-fargo.k12.nd.us/departments/human-resources/salary

To Apply: Please complete the application and provide a letter of interest, a resume, and three letters of recommendation. Please also include your transcripts and a copy of your licensure through ESPB, if available.