Special Education Coach

When students enter HCZ Promise Academy Charter Schools, we make a promise to help each and every one get to and through college. Everything we give our students—from world-class instruction and exceptional extracurricular activities to social emotional support and healthy meals—is aimed at fulfilling that promise.  

We are seeking a Special Education Coach. The ideal candidate will bring a passion for the mission of HCZ Promise Academy, an understanding and respect for the culture of all residents of Harlem, and a desire for working in a school setting that fosters a love for children. 

The Special Education Coach requires the organization and administration of special education and related services to students with disabilities. The SPED Coach will ensure that educational services are provided in accordance with local and state regulations. The SPED Coach will be evaluated and observed by the Director of Special Education and English as a New Language (ENL).

The essential functions for the Special Education Coach are as follows:

•  Provide support in the delivery of services based on the scholars’ needs and strengths.
•  Provide all families with ongoing communication about their children's needs and the support available to them. 
•  Ensure that all special education services are delivered with fidelity to meet the compliance requirements as a minimum threshold.
•  Responsible for delivering high quality professional development opportunities for teachers and related service providers.
•  All special education teachers and all providers will be held accountable for their responsibilities.
•  All principals and school teams will receive ongoing communication about relevant policies and protocols that require their input or action. 

Responsibilities:

•  Support and align with the District Leadership in their vision for special education at Promise Academy.
•  Oversee academic and behavior Response to Intervention (RTI)  processes with school teams.
•  Manages enrollment processes for most critical scholars.
•  Monitors accountability for all roles, systems, and processes related to special education.
•  Monitors communication with families to promote or enhance outreach to engage families.
•  Trains and supports General Education and Special Education Teachers with developing and writing robust Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for each student including appropriate narratives and goals for the following school year.
•  Manage the progress report process, including ensuring all progress reports are completed on time.
•  Oversee completion of IEPs including making sure all IEPs are completed in SESIS prior to IEP meetings.
•  Communicates with the Committee of Special Education, teachers, and parents to schedule and facilitate IEP meetings, making sure all staff and families are informed about IEP meetings, outcomes, and related next steps.
•  Coordinates and supports teachers, in planning groups and individually, on using a multi-sensory approach to designing and delivering appropriate lesson plans and preparing accessible and differentiated materials to teach students both individually and in small groups.
•  Trains and supports Special Education Teachers on utilizing appropriate data collection methods to write and develop lesson plans, annual assessments and quarterly progress reports for each student.
•  Facilitate special education team meetings and team communication ensuring that all team members are clear on expectations and receive consistent levels of support.
•  Observe and provide feedback to learning specialists with a focus on their individual professional development.
•  Conduct targeted professional development/workshops to address and respond to teachers’ needs.
•  Organize and facilitate parent meetings to provide regular updates and support with evaluations and processes.
•  Plan events to celebrate scholars' progress and growth.
•  Create opportunities to recognize the work of special education teachers and related service providers. 
•  Collaborate with special education related staff including, but not limited to, related service providers (on staff and contracted), counselors, social workers, school psychologist, etc.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

•  Ability to support an inclusive learning environment for all students.
•  Familiarity with Common Core standards and evidence-based approaches for differentiation in the classroom.
•  Knowledge of best practices in Response to Interventions to meet students’ social and emotional needs.
•  Knowledge of adult learning styles and best practices for coaching and providing feedback.
•  Ability to develop respectful professional relationships, build trust with teachers.
•  Cultural competency and ability to navigate and promote sensitivity with issues of race, disability  and equity.
•   Ability to coordinate and collaborate with diverse groups of professionals across multiple departments and organizations.
•   Experience coordinating and delivering professional development for a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
•   Skilled multi-tasker and excellent time manager; ability to effectively achieve multiple goals and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
•  Strong analytical, time management, organizational and interpersonal skills
•   Passion and urgency for the critical role of special education for improving the lives of students and families.
•   Proficiency in MS Office Suite (e.g., Outlook, Word, Excel and Powerpoint) and Google Drive.

Type of Education Required:

•  Master’s Degree required in Education or a related field
•  NYS Professional certification in Special Education required
•  Type of experience and number of years:
•  Experience (2-5 years minimum) working in or with an urban education system managing special education services
•  Special education teaching experience (3-5 years minimum)
•  Experience providing coaching and technical assistance to peer and non-peer audiences

To achieve these exceptional outcomes, we hire the best and brightest educators and administrators and offer one of the most competitive benefits packages in the industry. We believe they earn it and deserve it. 

Our exceptional benefits include:

• Highly competitive base salaries
• Up to $30,000  Student Loan Forgiveness
• Paid time off 
• Employee referral bonus 
• Career advancement
• No-cost health insurance
• Life Insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability
• Additional voluntary benefits
• Wellness discounts
• Commuter benefits
• Financial wellness perks
• Additional Benefits (Discounts on flights, hotels, theme parks, concert tickets, and more).

The salary range for this position is $123,000-$133,000 per year. To be considered, interested applicants can also submit a cover letter and resume to [email protected]. No telephone inquiries or recruiters, please. Replies will only be sent to qualified applicants. Harlem Children’s Zone is an EOE.