SPECIAL EDUCATION COORDINATOR POSITION DESCRIPTION

Transcription

1 ORGANIZATION POSITION LOCATION REPORTS TO ENVISION SCHOOLS COLORADO SPECIAL EDUCATION COORDINATOR DENVER, CO VICE PRINCIPAL BACKGROUND SPECIAL EDUCATION COORDINATOR POSITION DESCRIPTION Envision Schools Colorado (ESC) is a new nonprofit charter management organization (CMO), the first in Colorado, which will ultimately operate a network of six schools in the Denver metro area. Our CMO is based on the successful model and track record of Envision Schools, a CMO based in San Francisco that operates four high schools in the Bay Area. The first two ESC schools will be located in the Denver Public Schools (DPS) district. The mission of Envision Schools Colorado is to transform the lives of all our students, especially those who will be the first in their family to attend college, by preparing them for success in college and in life. Our schools will be true communities marked by intentional diversity, rigorous academic discipline, and excellence at every level. Compassion and high expectations will inspire and empower our students to succeed. Each Envision school is academically rigorous and integrates art and technology across the curriculum to instill the critical thinking, life experience, and creative skills necessary for students to be successful in college and beyond. Our first school, Envision Leadership Prep, will open in August 2009 in the Park Hill neighborhood of northeast Denver. The second ESC school ( Envision Prep #2 ) will also be located in an area of Denver that has been traditionally underserved. Locations for the remaining four schools remain to be determined but will be in metro Denver districts. Each school opens with ~100 sixth graders and ~100 ninth graders and will increase by two grades each year until the fourth year, when only sixth graders will be admitted. At capacity, each school will serve ~700 students in grades 6 through 12. As a CMO, we are committed to allowing principals and teachers to focus on instruction and learning and to removing many of the administrative burdens often placed on school leadership at single site charter schools. To this end, we will maintain a central support team who will provide comprehensive services to the network of six schools, including professional development, assessment and use of data to improve instruction, curriculum development, charter acquisition, and back office services such as payroll, benefits administration, fundraising assistance, facilities acquisition, human resources, and technology set up and maintenance.

2 OPPORTUNITY We are building a dynamic team of people to lead the CMO and the schools managed by the CMO. Envision Schools Colorado is seeking a smart, experienced and passionate Special Education Coordinator who wants to work in a student centered environment of respect and trust with high expectations for all members of the community. Our Special Education Coordinator is instrumental in cultivating and sustaining student success by ensuring that a positive, strong professional culture supports both student and adult learning. RESPONSIBILITIES Oversee and coordinate the school's special education initiatives, including relationships with school district counterparts; managing and maintaining IEP records; communicating with parents, students and teachers; and keeping the school compliant with federal, state, and district guidelines and regulations Collaborate with the Principal and Vice Principal to identify and assess students with special needs Maintain a strong commitment to the academic success for all our students, particularly those with IEPs and special education needs Monitor IEP implementation in accordance with the federal, state, and local directives Facilitate and lead meetings, including Response to Intervention (RTI), related to student performance, evaluation, and programs, including assisting teachers with providing effective student intervention based on IEP recommendations and in parent outreach and progress reports Update teachers and administration on special education service strategies, systems, and general requirements QUALIFICATIONS The ideal candidate will: Embrace the mission of Envision Schools Colorado Be comfortable with constant change and rapid growth in an entrepreneurial start up environment Be able to generate enthusiasm and support among a broad base of stakeholders and partners for the mission of the organization Be willing to wear a variety of hats and roll up his/her sleeves Be committed to collaborating and supporting your team members Ideally be bilingual in English / Spanish

3 Have a minimum of 3 to 5 years of direct special education experience in the form of teaching, coordination, and/or case management Ability to give and receive constructive feedback to facilitate student growth and academic achievement for students with special needs Have strong record keeping, data gathering, and data assessment skills Have knowledge of special education laws, policies, regulations, and best practices Demonstrate knowledge of specialized and differentiated methods of instruction for a wide variety of students and their needs Demonstrate competence in employing evaluative strategies to assess the effective delivery of special education services and support Hold a Bachelor's degree with relevant special education academic experience and credentials SALARY & BENEFITS This is a full time position. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Our competitive benefits package includes vacation and sick leave, health benefits, and retirement. HIRING PROCESS Envision Schools Colorado will accept applications until the position is filled and invite select candidates for interviews. Hiring is contingent upon successful completion of employment verification and hiring process. Please submit the following by to [email protected] Cover Letter In your letter, please address the following questions 1. What specifically makes Envision Schools Colorado a good fit for you? 2. Describe how your previous experience, including examples, relates to this position. 3. Describe your ideal work environment and culture. Resume Envision Schools Colorado is strongly committed to hiring a diverse, multicultural staff and encourages applications from African American, Latino and other traditionally under represented backgrounds.

4 OUR VALUES At Envision Schools Colorado, we strive to make our schools a exciting places to work, teach, learn, and innovate by actively fostering an environment where all staff are part of a professional learning community. Our values are: Social Justice, Applied High school dropouts are four times as likely to be unemployed as college graduates, and if they are employed, they ll earn 88% less than college graduates. A solid high school education can be the great equalizer. Superior Educational Model Rigor. We employ a rigorous, project based college prep curriculum that sets high expectations for everyone, and we give our students the skills and motivation they need to meet them. Relationships. Our schools are small, personalized learning environments. Class size is limited and teams of teachers and peers provide students with academic and social guidance. Relevance. Education must have meaning every day. Our faculty creates curriculum around current events, personal backgrounds, historical realities, while emphasizing competency in 21st century skills. Results. Our students consistently outscore their peers on standardized tests. Most important, they leave Envision with the desire and skills to succeed in college and beyond. The Wisdom of Diversity To prepare our students for a diverse world, we create diverse student populations, from every different social, economic and intellectual stratum. In fact, Envision targets underserved urban youth, particularly those who are first in their families to attend college. And we teach them all to succeed, together. Excellence by Design It is our intention that our schools operate on high standards. That goes for everyone here, from organizational management to administrators to teachers and students. In that way, we all become models for the success we re teaching. Work Hard. Succeed. Repeat By showing the way high schools should and can work, we will help catalyze state and national education reform. We will document our practices and create tools so others can replicate our educational model and school system.

5 OUR EDUCATIONAL MODEL Key components of the Envision Schools Colorado education plan include the following: Students and teachers are part of small learning communities ( houses ) that work collaboratively to build respect, trust, and openness to learning together Students utilize skillfully developed, tested and implemented project based learning models All students take a college prep curriculum and receive instruction in world languages, humanities, math, science, and digital media Students are required to demonstrate their understanding and depth of knowledge via public exhibitions and other means All students have a personalized learning plan based on their interests, goals, academic and personal strengths, and areas for growth Data from multiple assessments are used by teachers, students, and parents to inform teacher practice and student learning All students will meet CCHE college admission criteria, as well as present a College Graduation Portfolio that documents their mastery of Envision Schools' Academic and Leadership Skills. All graduates will apply to and be accepted to at least one four year post secondary institution Students work with mentors, guest artists and experts from the field and participate in internships Arts and technology are used to investigate, analyze, communicate, create, and innovate across curricular areas. Every student will have access to a computer (2 1 ratio of computers to students)