Under the supervision of the Coordinator of Special Education, maintains compliance to federal and state regulations and Medford Public Schools policies for students with disabilities and acts as a resource for special education instruction and programming. The following outline of the role and responsibilities is intended to provide a broad overview, but is subject to change according to the needs of the school district, as required by the Superintendent of Schools.
Responsibilities:
Implement policies, procedures, plans and directives promulgated by the Medford School Committee and required by state and federal laws and regulations.
Assist the Special Education Team with interpretation of federal and Commonwealth of Massachusetts laws related to special education eligibility determinations and implementation of the least restrictive environment requirement.
Coordinate referral process for special education evaluations, including acquiring consent, scheduling meetings, preparing meeting notices and attendance sheets.
Oversee Special Education evaluation process, IEP development, monitoring compliance- IEP implementation, progress reports, and record keeping for DESE reporting.
Monitoring of school-based compliance with Massachusetts DESE regulations.
In the role as chairperson of the IEP Team, review documents and evaluation data, facilitate Team meeting discussion and oversee the development and implementation of IEP's.
Perform in the role of district representative who is the Chairperson for Team meetings, who is qualified to supervise or provide special education; is knowledgeable about the general curriculum; is knowledgeable about the availability of resources of the district and is authorized to commit the resources of the district during Team meetings.
Serves as an expert regarding instructional adaptations, educational assessment and curriculum for school based staff.
Is actively involved in professional development (i.e. courses, workshops, and in-service training) in order to be current in new methods and approaches in special education as well as to expand knowledge of the general education curriculum for students receiving services.
Facilitate parent observations of special education programs.
Assists parents, staff and others in understanding the special education process and services available.
Meet regularly with the Special Education Leadership Team regarding issues and concerns around the allocation of services inside the school, or outside the home or school district.
Supports the Special Education Coordinator and principal with a variety of special education functions, including staff support, program evaluation, state mandated testing sessions, preparation of Alternate MCAS portfolios, and resource management.
Implement or assist with regulatory requirements related to discipline of special education students.
Coordinate transition planning PK to elementary, elementary to middle school, middle to high, HS to post HS - design and implement procedures to address regulations, facilitate development of student and parent programs.
Coordination with state agencies (DCF, DMR, DMH, CSA (Elliot Group).
Perform other duties and responsibilities consistent with this role/position as assigned by the Director of Pupil Services, Special Education Coordinator or Principal.
Degree: Masters
Experience: 3 years minimum
Additional requirements:
The qualified candidate must hold a degree in Special Education or other related field from an accredited college or university with evidence of courses or experience in the area of administration or supervision, special education, psychology or guidance.
Experience with direct service and assessment of special education students, knowledge of current and best practices in special education, and working knowledge of special education laws and regulations is essential.
Salary is in accordance with the Medford Teachers Association Contract: