Christopher House closes the opportunity gap ‘with a continuum of schools through personalized learning and immersive family supports starting at birth. We operate accredited early learning, elementary, and out of school time programs grounded in research-based curricula and high-quality instruction.

OUR VALUES

Commitment to Excellence Achievement & Perseverance Respect & Compassion Equity

OUR BELIEFS

Children and Families thrive when:

· Education begins at birth and continues throughout life, with parents as their children’s first teacher;

· Home environments nurture literacy, achievement, and children’s success;

· Parents have high standards and set high expectations for themselves, their children, and children’s schools;

· Professionally trained teachers know their students as individuals;

· Evaluations and program improvements are data driven;

· Parents and staff work together to continuously evaluate and improve programming;

· Education includes the development of creativity and perseverance and is multi-disciplinary in order to foster each child’s unique strengths and interests;

· Developing independent, creative, life-long researchers, education includes curriculum designed to help scholars develop socially and emotionally as well as cognitively;

· Diversity is celebrated and explored so that learners develop broad perspectives on life and learning;

· Parents and caregivers support their children financially and emotionally

Position Objective: Assess the needs and provide for the education and development of students with special needs. Work closely with the other school administrators to promote school culture and ensure the needs of all learners in the classroom are met. This is a 12 month position.

Supervises: Special Education Classroom Assistants (SECAs), Paraprofessionals, Clinicians (OT, PT, SLP, etc.), and additional supervisory responsibilities as the school reaches capacity

Responsibilities:

Case Management

· Schedule and facilitate all IEP and 504 meetings, ensuring compliance.

· Provide regular updates to the Instructional Leaders on student and staff demographics, program development, and compliance with special education laws.

· Coordinate with Chicago Public Schools to support the timely assessment of students with suspected special needs.

· Attend CPS meetings and mandated professional development.

· Collaborate with classroom teachers to support inclusive learning environments and ensure students’ learning needs are being met in the classroom.

· Ensure a system of accurate files and record keeping for current and former students served in special education

· Ensure that all IEPs and Special Education procedures are compliant with federal law

· Manage Special Education documents/files (referrals, IEPs, FBAA/BIPs)

· Schedule and manage 504 plans and meetings.

· Oversee the Extended School Year eligibility and programming

· Manage the homebound program when relevant.

· Collaborate and communicate with parents and caregivers regarding children’s learning needs and how they can support their children’s academic, emotional and behavioral development.

· Monitor and ensure compliance with all SPED regulations

Staff Supervision, Evaluation, and Training

· Plan, implement, and facilitate professional development for school staff assigned the responsibility of delivering and overseeing Special Education services

· Provide observation and feedback cycles to paraprofessionals and DL teachers

· Provide observation and feedback cycles to classroom teachers who are working with paraprofessionals and/or inclusion teachers

· Evaluate paraprofessionals’ performance based on an internal rubric

· Provide Special Education training for staff

· Manage and support the professional development of the Special Education Assistant and additional special education staff as the special education program expands to meet the needs of the school population.

Administrative

· Respond to concerns of parents, school leaders, and agency leaders

· Monitor student achievement testing in collaboration with applicable staff that students with disabilities; ensure that schools employ appropriate testing modifications for all standardized tests administered

· Facilitate school-based problem-solving meetings, as needed

· Facilitate or participate in all matters of dispute resolution with Local Education Agencies, ISBE, and the Office of Civil Rights of students with disabilities; manage mediation and due process procedures

· Complete necessary assessments, reports and records in an accurate and timely manner.

· Support administration in fulfilling and documenting all legal obligations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, including student assessment, observation, monitoring, service delivery, and parent communication related to students with IEPS, 504s and those in the referral process.

· Assist in approving the hiring of school-based SPED teachers

Professional Responsibilities

· Attend trainings and participate in relevant committees as needed for the position.

· Expand professional knowledge through Christopher House in-agency training and development programs, through professional conferences and education, and by membership in appropriate professional groups.

· Develop a strong home-school relationship with the families to ensure effective communication to best meet the needs of students.

· Teach/provide instructional minutes to diverse learners when needed for compliance purposes

Qualifications:

· A minimum of three years of teaching experience in an urban setting

· Previous case management experience

· Experience with IMPACT/SSM as well as FastBridge and BAS assessments strongly preferred

· Experience managing staff (assistants and clinicians)

· Bilingual skills in Spanish and/or experience working with English Language Learners is highly desirable

Education:

· Bachelor’s degree is required. A master’s Degree is preferred

· LBS1 Certification required

· Professional Educator License required

· Bilingual or ELL certification desired

Christopher House is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran's status, or, any other protected characteristic.