Executive Director of Special Education (SY 24-25)

Cambridge, MA, United States

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Tuesday, March 12, 2024 12:00 AM

(Eastern Standard Time)

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Executive Director of Special Education (SY 24-25) Job Description

Position: Executive Director of Special Education

Office of Student Services, Special Education Division

Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a dynamic, diverse urban city with a strong commitment to investing in our public schools. Educating approximately 7,000 students preK-12, the Cambridge Public Schools consists of award-winning faculty, cutting-edge technology, and innovative programs. While each of our public schools is unique, they are joined by a shared vision of rigorous, joyful, and culturally responsive learning. Over 30% of CPS students speak a language other than English at home and over 70 languages are spoken by our families. Among the most common are Spanish, Haitian Creole, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, and Portuguese. Our schools proudly embrace this diversity. The Executive Director of Special Education is committed to fostering equity, inclusion and belonging and acts as a team member in leading the district in becoming an anti-racist school community through a shared vision, aligned goals and courageous conversations.

Overview:

The Office of Student Services Special Education Division provides instructional and compliance support to the Cambridge Public Schools. The District is looking for a dynamic and innovative person to work collaboratively with CPS staff, families, students, and communities as the Executive Director of Special Education. The Executive Director will collaborate with the Assistant Superintendent of the Office of Student Services, district level special education staff and school leaders to ensure that all students have equitable access to the support and services they require per their Individualized Education Program, to attain academic success. The Executive Director will implement strategies to expand inclusion and special education support services in all Cambridge Public Schools and will coordinate support to schools in order to innovate and transform learning for students with disabilities that ensures all our students have access to quality instruction and are attending high-quality schools that can meet the students’ specific learning needs. The Executive Director will ensure that highly qualified and certified staff are hired, retained, and provided with appropriate and pertinent professional development; identification and implementation of research-based interventions designed to address specific needs of the students we serve; support the development of the learning environments necessary to meet the needs of the students; and ensure that schools and staff adhere to all state and federal compliance regulation.

Responsibilities:

The Executive Director of Special Education is responsible for supervising all special education working groups including, but not limited to, the following: 1) Schools and Settings; 2) Early Childhood; 3) ABA Services; 4) Related Services 5.) Labor partnership. In addition, the Executive Director will be responsible for the following:

Deliver effective and equitable preK-12 classroom/instructional support and special education-related services for students with disabilities as determined through the IEP process;

Oversee the development and direction of policies, programs, and services for more than 1,000 students with disabilities to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations;

Leverage the strengths and skills of the individuals currently supporting our students and build capacity within these individuals to grow their skill sets to support our students and schools better

Provide and coordinate professional development to school leaders, teachers, and other staff in promising practices in the education of students with disabilities in alignment with CPS standards-based curriculum, district-wide initiatives, and grounded in adult learning methods;

Use data analysis to inform service and policy decisions

Work with the Office of Legal Counsel on litigation matters brought by the Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA), Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and other agencies in dispute with CPS regarding services for students

Manages fiscal resources from district funds and special education grants, prepares budgets, directs spending, and monitors for fiscal efficiency in providing required services

Responsible for proportional share and private school/homeschool/service plan responsibilities and related fiscal/compliance obligations

Develop community partnerships with agencies that will support and enhance our work with the students CPS serves;

Represent Special Eductionat various professional development opportunities, including local and national conferences;

Provide support for the students and the department through communication and problem-solving with parents, SEPAC, and staff members;

Participate in preparing and formulating proposals or positions and have an active voice in determining collective bargaining strategy for the school department

Lead executive vision around Summer ESY programming and supports

Serve as district manager of ESY and 11mth programming

Provide strategic support around Special Education priorities across the district

Directly supervise Special Education Unit A & B staff; serve on district collective bargaining team as requested

Collaborate and partner with OSS Divisions (MTSS, SEL, & ML.Ed) and CPS departments to support all learners

Create and support continuous cycles of improvement for special education programs and procedures

Directly supervise and support the Special Education Supervisors

Create and refine systems to support students, families, and staff

Engage in instructional leadership learning walks

Utilize data to support strategic planning and student success

Other tasks as requested by the Assistant Superintendent.

Required Qualifications :

Hold a Master’s Degree in the field of Special Education or a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration and Supervision with an endorsement in the field of Special Education or related field;

Hold or eligibility for a valid Special Education Administrator’s license in Massachusetts;

Demonstrate capability to work collaboratively with central office and school administrators, direct service providers, families, students, and outside partners;

Demonstrate a deep understanding of how to support students with mild to moderate and moderate and severe disabilities;

Demonstrate the ability to assess and address the academic and behavioral needs of students;

Possess a working knowledge of and ability to problem-solve issues involving the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Regulations, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act;

Possess a minimum of three years of experience as a Special Education administrator in a large urban district;

Possess 3-5 years of teaching experience in a special education classroom;

Be authorized to work in the United States (candidates must have such authorization by their first day of employment).

Preferred Qualifications:

Demonstrate experience with and a strong understanding of the Common Core State Standards;

Demonstrate an understanding of how to expand inclusive opportunities in an urban district;

Ability to effectively communicate how to design rigorous instruction that incorporates engagement methods and access for the diverse needs of CPS classrooms, such as Universal Design for Learning and differentiated instruction as well as interventions;

Demonstrate knowledge of transitional requirements for students with disabilities;

Demonstrate expertise in the area of Assistive Technology;

Have experience managing a budget and making sound fiscal decisions;

Have experience monitoring service delivery models and developing accountability systems.

Evidence of experience utilizing continuous improvement and implementation science to improve student outcomes

Cambridge Public Schools is committed to slowing and/or stopping the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, as a condition of employment with Cambridge Public Schools, all new hires will be required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 no later than their first day of work. Written requests for either a religious exemption from this requirement based on sincerely held religious beliefs, or for a medical exemption based upon clear documentation from a medical provider should be submitted to the attention of the Chief Talent Officer.

Terms of Employment : Full-time, 12 months per year.

How to Join Our Team:

Please upload a resume and thoughtful cover letter, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position and stating how you heard about this opportunity.

At the Cambridge Public Schools, we are committed to cultivating an environment where diverse perspectives and backgrounds are embraced, acknowledging that a team reflecting diversity of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and veteran status allows us to serve our communities better. To that end, we welcome and encourage applicants to bring their authentic selves when considering employment opportunities within our school district.

Cambridge Public Schools

135 Berkshire Street

Cambridge, MA 02141

617-349-6435

[email protected]

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