Duties
Purpose
The Director of Special Education provides strategic leadership and administrative oversight for all special education programming from early childhood through 8th grade. The Director is responsible for developing and clearly articulating the vision for special education programs and services to all District 21 stakeholders. This role focuses on developing equitable, inclusive, and culturally responsive programming that addresses the intersection of disability and language acquisition in our highly diverse school district.
Essential job functions
- Ensures all district special education programs and Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) strictly adhere to all state and federal guidelines.
- Leads and evaluates Special Education Coordinators and IEP Specialists to ensure consistency in service delivery, compliance, and instructional support across PreK-8 school sites.
- Develops and implements research-based instructional strategies for a diverse special education population.
- Works in collaboration with other district directors to develop a coherent PreK-8 curriculum for students with IEPs that incorporates culturally responsive pedagogy.
- Provides Deputy Superintendent and Executive Director of HR with recommendations for staffing allocations based on student numbers and needs.
- Oversees the management of data bases and data collection to ensure student information is up to date and accurate.
- Creates and submits reports for state requirements and district planning /updates.
- Conducts crucial conversations with individuals, teams and staff based on student performance data for the purpose of enhancing student learning and results.
- Collaborates with the Director of Language services to bridge special education services with English Language Learner (ELL) supports to ensure equitable access for dual-identified students.
- Collaborates with the Director of Student Services to bridge special education services with behavioral supports to ensure equitable access for students who are struggling to meet behavioral expectations in both general education as well as specialized programs .
- Manages the departmental budget, including writing federal IDEA grants and Medicaid reimbursement processes.
- Supports building administrators with ensuring children with disabilities and IEP subgroups are meeting ISBE summative designation expectations and district benchmarks.
- Assists in recruiting, selecting, and placing certified special education personnel, interns and non-certified support staff.
- Coordinates with NSSEO Special Education Cooperative regarding services and programs.
- Supervises the planning, budgeting and implementation of extended school year programs.
- Works in collaboration with other district directors to determine professional development needs for teachers and staff.
- Oversees the transition and the articulation of IEP services as students move through preschool, elementary and middle school grades.
- Establishes and monitors a culture of high expectations and achievement for every student.
- Ensures relevant parent education and training is provided to families including communication that is accessible to non-English speaking households.
- Develop and oversee the execution of strategic plans that advance inclusive education and instructional equity for students with disabilities district wide.
- Monitor special education compliance data and support school leaders in leading teams that meet legal and policy requirements under IDEA, ADA, and organizational policy.
- Lead data-driven accountability cycles to improve the quality of instruction, IEPs, service delivery, and student outcomes.
- Other duties as assigned by the Deputy Superintendent.
Salary/Benefits
Salary ranges from $130,000 - $150,000, plus benefits.
How to Apply
Please complete an online application at www.ccsd21.org for consideration.
Link to District/Third Party Online Application Web Page
https://www.applitrack.com/d21/onlineapp/default.aspx