Job Description:

Location: TBD

Department: Special Education

Reports To: Building Principal and Special Education Director

Term: Renewing 188-day contract beginning with the 2026-27 school year. Following the school calendar. (Prorated depending on start date)

Schedule: Mon-Fri Full-time

SUMMARY: The Special Education Teacher � Specialized Program provides instruction for students enrolled in a continuum of special education programming while creating an engaging, nurturing, and safe learning environment. This role supports learners' academic, functional, and social-emotional development while promoting independence and inclusive opportunities. The teacher demonstrates a passion for individualized instruction, leading a team of support staff, and remains calm and solution-oriented in high-stress situations. 

The Special Education Teacher � Specialized Program provides interventions and supports in academics, future ready skills, knowledge, and dispositions to be compassionate, lifelong-learners, and contributing citizens in a rapidly changing world. The Special Education Teacher � Specialized Program follows the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) procedures and completes compliant paperwork to support learners with disabilities in the educational settings.

WHY WEST FARGO?
WFPS New Special Education Teacher Supports: Please view this link to review training and district resource alignment efforts to support new special education teachers transition to West Fargo Public Schools. In this Padlet, you will find the new special education teacher support framework, training scope and sequence, and a pathway to SPED licensure among other resources.

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:
Collaborates with multidisciplinary teams and wider district community stakeholders.
Participates in IEP meetings and plannings.
Participates in PLCs, meetings, and professional development opportunities.
Facilitates, inspires, and supports learner engagement, formative and authentic assessment, academic literacy, safe and compassionate learning environments, and technology integration through the coaching cycle framework to support learner learning.
Develops positive, effective working relationships with learners and staff.
Engages with other district staff in the professional learning community process.

Communication:
Provides effective leadership to paraprofessionals and behavior technicians.
Models strategies and ensures consistent implementation of plans.
Connects and shares ideas through appropriate/applicable formats to express thoughts and ideas with integrity.
Utilizes effective communication skills to facilitate connection and sharing of thoughts and ideas in multiple formats with diverse audiences.
Establishes and clearly articulates procedures and routines that promote efficiency and appropriate use of time.
Clearly communicates the instructional purpose of each lesson and makes connections to prior learning.
Engages learners in meaningful direct instruction, guided practice, and independent practice.
Utilizes questions, discussions, and dialogue that promote critical thinking about diverse perspectives, viewpoints, and experiences.

Compassion:
Establishes a positive, effective classroom ecology.
Promotes high expectations, routines, and positive behavior supports.
Maintains a safe environment and responds calmly to crisis situations.
Proactively seeks to understand the ideas, opinions, and skills of others.
Empowers learners to be critical thinkers, enthusiastic learners, skillful researchers, and ethical users of information.
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 respectful discussion.

Creativity:
Connects with team members and shares ideas in an effort to improve the overall learner and employee experience.
Utilizes creative, critical thinking skills when faced with challenges.
Designs assessments that are aligned to the standards and learning targets and provides frequent opportunities for authentic and meaningful assessments.
Establishes a culture that values high expectations, work ethic, and a growth mindset.

Critical Thinking:
Demonstrates knowledge of content and interventions across disciplines.
Creates, designs, and tracks individualized education plan goals.
Utilizes data for continuous improvement.
Plans individualized and small group instruction based on learner data.
Reasons, interprets, and analyzes information to generate new knowledge and understanding.
Demonstrates knowledge of content and pedagogy; explicitly connecting key concepts to develop learner skills.

Reflection:
Demonstrates understanding of the diverse social, emotional and developmental learning needs of learners.
Maintains communication with supervisor and director regarding general feedback, career advancement opportunities, and areas of growth opportunities.

Resilience:
Maintains composure while dealing with stressful situations.
Proactively seeks out resolutions and takes initiative to resolve knowledge gaps.

Responsibility:
Delivers specialized, multi-sensory instruction tailored to learner needs.
Implements individualized programming and monitors learner progress.
Utilizes formative assessments to guide instruction and promote engagement.
Implements positive behavior supports and intervention plans.
Teaches social-emotional and self-regulation skills.
Remains calm and effective in high-stress situations.
Utilizes district guaranteed and viable curriculum including the scope & sequence of academic and social emotional learning targets along with the defined proficiency scales.
Plans a program of study that meets the individual needs, interests, and abilities of the learners.
Utilizes district behavioral plans as a backbone to promote positive learner behavior.
Fosters a safe and equitable learning environment.
Utilizes the district protocol for maintaining information on learner progress.
Utilizes knowledge of applicable federal and state laws regarding education and learners.
Creates an environment that is conducive to learning and appropriate to the maturity and interests of the learners.
Guides the learning process toward the achievement of curriculum goals and, in harmony with the goals, establishes clear objectives for all lessons, units, projects and the like to communicate these objectives to learners.

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, 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 come in contact with bloodborne pathogens or other bodily fluids on rare occasions.
The employee will work in an environment that has a quiet to loud noise level.
 
Education and/or Experience:
North Dakota Teaching License with qualifications in one or more areas of Special Education.
Bachelor's Degree in Special Education.
Experience with complex behaviors.
Experience developing and implementing IEPs and positive behavior plans.
Experience supervising support staff.
Ability to develop positive relationships with learners, colleagues, and the wider district community.
Master's Degree in Special Education is preferred.
Prior teaching experience is preferred.
Prior experience working in a special education classroom preferred.
Prior experience working in a school setting 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 2025-2027 Teacher Salary Schedule

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.