PRIMARY FUNCTION :
The Chief of Special Education and Student Support Services will play a crucial role in ensuring RCSD realizes its mission of graduation, college and career readiness for all students in Rochester through supporting schools and principals by providing high quality and inclusive educational programs. The Chief of Special Education and Student Support Services will lead the development, implementation, project management timelines of the Rochester City School District Special Educational Strategic Plan, in alignment with the New York State Education Department blueprint for improved results for students with disabilities. The Chief of Special Education and Student Support Services works in alignment with the Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning and the Chief of Schools to ensure the delivery of high quality programs, services and improved results in student achievement.

The position represents one of the key levers for turning around low performing schools and supporting School Principals to close achievement gaps and ensure equity. The Chief of Special Education and Student Support Services will design and aggressively pursue high quality instruction. The Chief of Special Education and Student Support Services will report directly to the Superintendent and serve as a strategic partner of the Rochester City School District Central Office Executive Cabinet Team, providing support to schools as the primary unit of change. The Chief of Special Education and Student Support Services will act as a thought partner, problem solver, and change agent to internal and external stakeholders with an unwavering commitment to getting the job done.

Primary Duties
Strategy:

• Support School Chiefs, Principals and schools to implement the Special Education Strategic Plan and provide comprehensive improvement of school performance and transformation using an intensified, collaborative and accelerated approach to clear, specific and ambitious performance targets aligned to the Special Education Strategic Plan.

• Work with the School Chiefs and Network Teams to build instructional leadership capacity of Principals and School Leadership Teams with particular focus on pedagogy, data analysis, intervention, and professional development of school teams, providing multi-tiered systems of behavioral and academic support.

• Coordinate and maintain quality Special Education programs, feeder patterns and ensure research – based instructional teaching and learning strategies for students with disabilities are evident and supported.

Instructional Leadership:

• Ensure high quality guidance and student services for all student Pre K-12.
• Review and evaluate the writing, quality and implementation of all SCEP/SIG/SIF plans, DTSDE reviews and DCIP plans, meeting all requirements and deadlines.
• Lead the analysis of Special Education data with Executive Directors and Directors in support of Chief of Schools and Principals resulting in school improvements.
• Ensure parents and community members are fully engaged as community partners in the Special Education Process and the education of their children.

Supervision:

• Supervise Executive Directors and Directors performance, make tenure recommendations, and write evaluations and improvement plans ensuring full compliance with all requirements and deadlines.

• Ensure that the Chief, along with the Executive Directors and Directors work to support School Chiefs and School Principals, spending approximately 60% of his/her time in schools working directly with Network Leadership Teams to improve student performance and close opportunity and achievement gaps.

• Work with the Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning to plan professional development of all district administrators, ensuring an understanding of special education, student support systems and intervention strategies that benefit all students.

Management:

• Responsible to provide annual training for all School Chiefs, Principals, Assistant Principals, TCOSE’s and CSE Chairpersons and that the training is in alignment with the District ERICA priorities.

• Ensures Special Education and Student Support Service Centers provide excellent communication, customer service and well-coordinated support.

• Communications to Principals, School Teams, Teachers and support staff through the use of a twice-monthly newsletter, videos, and / or updated website.

• Works with the Human Resource Department to ensure full quality and compliance of teacher and support staff supervision, evaluations, and improvement process plans are in place, ensuring that all requirements and deadlines are strictly adhered to and followed.

• Responsible for design and delivery of a high quality dynamic digital Special Education handbook, weekly correspondence with checklists, and toolkits to ensure quality cascade of information.

• Provides high quality annual reports and quarterly status reports that clearly communicate performance toward all annual targets and dynamic intervention strategies to ensure that annual goals and targets are met.

• Other duties as assigned by Superintendent of Schools.

Key Competencies :

Individuals serving as a School Chief will demonstrate the following:

• Strategic vision and courage to ensure that all students achieve.
• Ability to work collaboratively to support turnaround school improvement and inclusive community school based schools.
• Strong demonstrated instructional leadership capabilities and dynamic adult teaching skills.
• Strong management, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to develop, execute, and monitor strategic plans annual goals and quarterly benchmarking for school turnaround and improvement.
• Ability to problem solve, analyze and achieve results for all learners.
• Experience and knowledge of IDEA and New York State Education Law and Regulations.
• Innovation oriented, team oriented, and data driven leader with high levels of energy and deep commitment to urban youth.

Education and/or Experience:

• Master’s Degree.
• Five (5)Years of appropriate teaching experience (Bilingual and /or Special Education experience preferred)
• NYS Teacher Certification.
• Minimum of (8) years of leadership experience as a school administrator (school building or central office leadership preferred) and demonstrated results.
• Documented evidence of turnaround leadership and/or proven success in leading district-wide efforts to transform chronically low achieving schools in urban setting preferred.
• NYS Certification for School Administration/Supervisor (SDL / SDA).