Special Education Teacher (Grades 6-12)

LICENSE UPDATE

If you currently have  20 Months of Successful Paraprofessional Experience and a College Degree you may be eligible for a Long-Term Sub license for Special Education Teaching! New certification  guidelines may allow you to teach for the remainder of the school year. We encourage ALL interested educators to apply for this opening!

About Great Oaks Charter Schools

At Great Oaks, students will shape the world, not be defined by it. Therefore, we believe that children learn best through a combination of project-based, authentic learning experiences, and direct instruction to support skill development and accelerate learning. Instruction and culture are grounded in our design principles of Mastery, Leadership, and Community. As part of the model, Great Oaks Americorps Fellows provide students with additional opportunities to engage in critical content, which helps to close academic achievement gaps and level the playing field. We are seeking talented, tenacious people who share our belief that all students deserve a high-quality education. 

About Great Oaks Charter School – Bridgeport

Great Oaks (GO) Charter School - Bridgeport opened in the Fall of 2014 and has a focus on serving students who are English Language Learners. In the upcoming 2020-2021 school year, Great Oaks – Bridgeport will serve grades 6th through 12th.

Position Summary 

Great teachers are at the heart of what we do, and are the key to our students’ college success. The Special Education Teacher is responsible for ensuring that every student at Great Oaks is supported in their academic development. He/she will be responsible for maintaining records for students with special needs, participating in IEP implementation and evaluation, co-teaching, scheduling services, and will be responsible for ensuring that students with special needs receive the proper accommodations within the classroom and during tutorial sessions. He/she will also work closely with classroom teachers to develop assessments that are aligned to the Common Core standards, analyze student results, and work with teachers to make data-driven curricular decisions. All teachers will also take on additional responsibilities around the school such as advisory, lunch duty, enrichment classes, and after school activities. Our most successful teachers are those who operate with a team mindset – we are all in this work together and it will take each and every one of us to achieve college success for our students. Throughout the year, the Special Education Teacher will:

Ensure that the school is meeting the needs of all students by:

• Facilitating necessary testing for placement
• Reviewing the needs of incoming students, and monitoring student performance data
• Maintaining consistent communications with families regarding student progress
• Facilitating the evaluation/reevaluation process
• Leading tutorial groups, co-teaching sessions, intervention programs, and professional development sessions
• Ensuring that all general education teachers and tutors know and understand the needs of their students with special needs and appropriate accommodations to use

Maintain a strong classroom culture by:

• Clearly and consistently communicating and upholding school rules, values, and expectations in and out of the classroom
• Setting an urgent, respectful, and positive tone in the classroom
• Displaying extraordinary time management to maximize student learning and sense of urgency
• Building relationships with students that communicate that succeeding in college is important, that the student can do it, and that we will not give up on a student

Plan a rigorous curriculum and deliver strong instruction by:

• Demonstrating solid knowledge and understanding of the content matter
• Using a multitude of instructional strategies that are academically rigorous and highly engaging
• Working with the Dean of Instruction to create a year-long, standards-aligned, academic plan
• Executing detailed, scripted lesson plans mapped to a year-long plan to address learning needs
• Taking responsibility for student progress; constantly working to respond to students’ needs

Contribute to the creation of a data-driven culture by:

• Tracking and analyzing student data both publicly and internally to identify learning needs
• Using student achievement data to set ambitious goals for the students
• Planning and implementing strategies to achieve targets related to student learning outcomes
• Collaborating with other teachers to develop and revise curriculum based on assessment data

Competencies and Qualifications

The successful candidate will have proven success in implementing high-quality instruction that led to the improvement of student achievement in an urban school. S/he will possess exceptional relationship-building skills and the ability to communicate clearly to multiple stakeholders. The successful candidate will also have: 


• “GRIT” – must have the ability to persevere and succeed at a challenging task
• Relationship-building; must show evidence of building and leveraging strong relationships
• Relentlessness – must be willing to do whatever it takes to constantly improve student achievement, including occasional evening and weekend commitments
• Communicate Effectively – must be able to clearly communicate with peers and supervisors
• At least two years of teaching experience in an urban school with a proven track record of improving student achievement
• Special Education Certification issued by the state of Connecticut
• A strong academic record with a bachelor’s degree from a competitive college or university required; advanced degree in subject area preferred
• Extremely strong classroom management abilities
• A strong belief that all students can succeed
• Exceptional ability to respond well to feedback and implement it immediately

Compensation

Minimum Starting Salary is $48,000.  A comprehensive benefits package is included. 

General Information

This position is for the 2020-2021 school year and the successful candidate will start in the beginning of August 2020. Selected candidates will be contacted to set up a video interview.