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Elementary Director of Student Support Services (Early Learning through Grade 5)

Position Type:
Central Office - Student Support Services

Date Posted:
3/26/2018

Location:
Educational Service Center

Date Available:
07/01/2018

Closing Date:
Until Filled

Hours per Day:
8.0 Hours Per Day

Days of the Week:
Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday

Days per Year:
260.0

First consideration for this position will be the week of April 9, 2018.

POSITION SUMMARY:
This department provides support to students, families and staff in Special Education, Section 504, and behavioral interventions and supports. The Director of Student Support Services (Early Learning through Grade 5) aids in planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating of all aspects of Special Education/Section 504 in accordance with District, State, and Federal mandates and guidelines. This position works closely with Title I/LAP, the Teaching For Learning Department, and the Department of Equity to provide direction and development of curriculum and instruction as related to Special Education and to ensure alignment of consistent, appropriate services and instruction to scholars in both academics and social emotional learning. This position aids in hiring, supervising and evaluating assigned staff, in developing budgets aligned with identified needs and the District's Strategic Plan, and in selecting research-based professional practices to enable the District to continually improve its effectiveness in meeting the educational needs of all students and in service of the District's Theory of Action.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. This list is meant to be representative, not exhaustive. Some incumbents may not perform all the duties listed while in other cases related duties may also be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  • Provide proactive leadership in identifying and supporting the needs of diverse learners within current and emerging district initiatives (e.g., choice, grade span expectations, MTSS, guaranteed and viable curriculum, and assessment)Oversee the creation and implementation of instructional/curricular options for diverse learners and evaluate their impact on student growth including 504 accommodationsIdentify, create, and implement culturally responsive, best practice strategies to challenge each scholar every day.Work cooperatively with general education staff, special education staff, and other administrators to ensure effective integration and alignment of service delivery with other curriculum and instruction programs Build capacity of all educators to support the needs of diverse learners through effective interdepartmental in-service and coaching opportunities.Coordinate with outside agencies providing Birth to 3 servicesSupport ChildFind activities (Birth to Grade 5)Coordinate the implementation of the District's Developmental Preschool ProgramOversee the planning and provision of Extended School Year Services (elementary) including the assigning of staff, development of programming, etc.Collaborate to support the development of professional learning opportunities for staff (both certificated and classified) based on identified needs.Manage and coordinate activities and projects of Special Education, and 504..Maintain a high level of knowledge regarding developing special education issues, changes in law and case law, and empirical research-based methods of educating scholars with disabilitiesEnsure implementation of an effective compliance system in Special Education, 504, , and other programs.Implement and refine an automated recordkeeping process for Special Education and 504 including evaluations, plans/programs, and related documentation.Support timely responses to state and local grants and reporting requirements.Build capacity of building teams around Special Education and 504 processes and around consistency and quality from the evaluation to the Individualized Education Program to the specially designed instruction provided.Facilitate group process leading to recommendations for integrating services across departments and buildings.Disaggregate, utilize, and analyze data on student achievement to examine program effectiveness and to guide improvement activitiesPlan, facilitate and implement process improvement activities across all programs.Plan, implement, and evaluate projects in critical areas as identified.Provide input regarding multiple budgets within a shared-resources model.Participate in the hiring and provide for the direct supervision of assigned staff such as school psychologists, occupational and physical therapists, speech language pathologists, audiologists, vision teachers, office support staff, etc.Provide assistance and support in the hiring and evaluation of special education teachers (PreK-5th grade).Participate in implementing a needs-based formula for staffing across programs that is grounded in data.Monitor school district special education staffing caseloads and allocations of para-educators and make recommendations to expand, to reduce, or to restructure staffing.Provide leadership in securing local, state and national grants to maximize resources.Research and write policy for special services programs as needed or required for the purpose of assuring compliance with State and Federal regulations and advise staff on policy/procedureCollaborate with Special Education administration to revise and to refine the District's Special Education Procedural Manual as needed to ensure alignment with District, State, and Federal mandates and guidelinesArticulate the District's mission, vision, and goals as they relate to the areas of special education and Section 504Use appropriate and effective techniques to encourage community and parent involvementSupport interagency planning between the District and non-public agency schools or private schools in partnership with the assigned program specialistModel non-discriminatory practices in all activities and provide guidance as needed to District initiatives, programs and servicesPerform all other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Education and Experience
Master's Degree in Special Education or related area
Washington State Administrative Certificate
Three years teaching and/or administrative experience

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
Experience in implementing best practices in program design and instructional strategies within general education environments

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Previous teaching and/or administrative experience at the elementary level
Previous experience as a district-level administrator
Experience with supervising and evaluating staff
Experience in curriculum development and program innovation for scholars receiving specially designed instruction, accommodations and/or modifications

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:
Valid Washington State Driver's License
Criminal background clearance
Work scheduled hours on a consistent basis

KNOWLEDGE OF:
Federal/state rules and regulations for special education and section 504 and systems needed in these areas
Current empirical research-based instructional methods/approaches and materials and current trends in special education
The philosophy and structures of Professional Learning Communities and collaborative teams
Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered Systems of Support as they relate to academics and to behavior
Systems thinking and adult learning theory
Educational application of current technology including assistive technology
Effective staff development principles and practices
Effective supervisory principles and practices
Working within urban settings and with parents and students of diverse cultures and backgrounds
How to analyze, disaggregate, and use data on student achievement and other school and system measures
Conflict management and problem resolution
Student behavior management and discipline
School board policies and procedures

ABILITY TO:
Facilitate groups towards consensus and closure
Support the needs of diverse learners within major district initiatives (e.g., grade span expectations, MTSS, assessment)
Demonstrate skills in project management and planning for systems change
Demonstrate strengths in the areas of conflict management, negotiation, team building and working with families
Demonstrate high energy level and commitment to student growth
Demonstrate commitment to process improvement and shared resource allocation models
Communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders including public and private agencies and District departments, community, and others of diverse backgrounds, experience, and personalities
Strong problem-solving skills, ability to analyze root causes and develop effective solutions as needed Exceptional project management skills and an ability to balance big picture priorities with details
Organize and perform job responsibilities efficiently and independently without close supervision and with the ability to pay strict attention to detail
Speak, read and follow written or verbal communications and demonstrate strong interpersonal skills
Practice effective safety and security within individual work routines
Develop and maintain positive customer relations with staff and service providers
Work collaboratively with District staff and promote teamwork with co-workers
Practice ethical and professional standards of conduct including the requirements of confidentiality
Relate effectively with parents, staff, students and the public in a multi-cultural, diverse socio-economic setting
Participate as part of a team
Perform job responsibilities with or without reasonable accommodations

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES RELATED TO CULTURAL COMPETENCE AND EQUITY:
Knowledge/awareness of own cultural identity and how this influences behavior, and desire to learn about the cultural identity of others.
Ability to establish and nurture an environment that promotes cultural competence and equitable treatment of staff, students, and patrons of the District.
Ability to understand and hold self and others accountable for promoting the Federal Way Public Schools' commitment to "Each Scholar: A Voice. A Dream. A Bright Future".
Ability to recognize that each person is a unique individual even as we celebrate their group cultural heritage.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands 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 duties of this job, the employee will regularly stand and walk, bend neck and back, use hands for repetitive grasping and pushing/pulling. The employee will continually sit for extended period of time and use a computer screen and keyboard. The employee may occasionally be require to squat, kneel, and use hands for find manipulation, climb stairs/ladder, lift and reach overhead, and lift/carry. The employee must constantly lift/carry up to 10 pounds and must frequently lift/carry up to 20 pounds. The employee will occasionally lift/carry 35 lbs. and push/pull a maximum of 100 lbs. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required to attend frequent meetings at various locations; exposed to frequent interruptions; required to concentrate on detail and be precise; may be required to work with difficult and sensitive situations and urgent timelines. While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in indoor conditions and regularly works near video display. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Nights and weekends may be required occasionally to meet job demands.

WORK SCHEDULE
This position typically works 8 hours per day, Monday through Friday, 260 days per year.
Annual vacation according to District policy for administrative staff

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP
Position reports to and is evaluated by the Executive Director of Student Support Services

REPRESENTATION
Non-Represented

LEVEL OF COMPENSATION
Director I - $130,111

CLASSIFICATION HISTORY
Update 3/2018

DISCLAIMER
The preceding list is not exhaustive and may be supplemented as necessary. The statements contained herein reflect general details as necessary to describe the principal functions of this job, the scope of responsibility and the level of knowledge and skills typically required, but should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work requirements, skills or duties so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside their normal responsibilities from time to time as needed.

All employment open positions are made available on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or veteran status.

Job descriptions are written as a representative list of the ADA essential duties performed by the entire classification. They cannot include, and are not intended to include, every possible activity and task performed by every specific employee.

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