SPECIAL EDUCATION HEAD TEACHER — BEHAVIOR FOCUS | BCBA SUPERVISION HOURS PROVIDED
The Shirley Aninias School | New York, NY | Full-Time, 12-Month | 7:30 AM–3:30 PM | $75,000–$90,000
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Shirley Aninias School (SAS) is seeking a dedicated and compassionate NYS Certified Special Education Head Teacher who has experience implementing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) methodology and is actively enrolled in a Master's program in ABA with the ability to begin accruing fieldwork hours. As a classroom leader, you'll design and deliver individualized instruction for neurodiverse students ages 4–13, lead and mentor your classroom team, and accrue supervised fieldwork hours toward your BCBA under our on-staff Board Certified Behavior Analyst. A rare chance to lead a classroom and grow into a behavior analyst at the same time.
WHY THIS ROLE (YOUR BCBA PATHWAY)
- On-site BCBA supervision toward your BACB supervised fieldwork hours (restricted and unrestricted), per current BACB requirements
- Hands-on experience with behavior plans, skill-acquisition programs, and data analysis
- Direct mentorship from a BCBA and a full multidisciplinary team
- A clear growth path within SAS as you complete your certification
RESPONSIBILITIES
Classroom Leadership
- Lead, guide, and mentor your classroom team, modeling best practices in instruction and behavior support
- Supervise and support Assistant Teachers and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs)
- Set a professional, inclusive tone and enforce school policies consistently
Instruction
- Design and deliver individualized and small-group instruction on goal acquisition, social skills, and communication, aligned to each student's IEP
- Develop and submit timely, differentiated lesson plans
ABA & Behavior Support
- Implement behavior plans per students' BIPs and collect data as directed by the supervising BCBA
- Implement Discrete Trial Training (DTT) and Natural Environment Teaching (NET) for skill acquisition
- Administer ABA assessments, including the VB-MAPP and ABLLS-R
- Use Behavior Skills Training (BST) to train Assistant Teachers and RBTs in ABA methodology
- Manage maladaptive behavior using protocols such as DRA and DRO under direct BCBA supervision
Daily Routines
- Carry over daily routines, support ADL skills, and lead community outings to practice real-life skills
REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Childhood/Special Education
- NYS Teaching Certificate
- Actively enrolled in a Master's program in ABA (or a BCBA-verified course sequence) with the ability to begin accruing fieldwork hours
- Experience implementing ABA methodology with neurodiverse students and students with behavioral challenges
- Demonstrated ability to lead a classroom team and model best practices in instruction and behavior support
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively on a team
Preferred
- Familiarity with DTT, NET, BST, and ABA assessments (VB-MAPP, ABLLS-R)
- Comfort with SmartBoards, Chromebooks, and Google Workspace
- Interest in a long-term career as a behavior analyst
WHAT WE OFFER
$75,000–$90,000 commensurate with experience, plus supervised BCBA fieldwork hours, 401(k) with matching, health/dental/vision, paid time off, and ongoing professional development.
The Shirley Aninias School is an equal opportunity employer.
MISSION
Our mission is to partner with families and our community to capitalize on the strengths of our neurodiverse students. We do this through an individualized teaching model to ensure academic, language, behavioral, and social-emotional success.
We celebrate variations of how they think, learn, and process information. Every student’s learning style is respected to foster self-confidence, resilience and autonomy. We have created a school community experience that works effectively for all.
We celebrate our students for who they are by:
- Embracing their uniqueness, talents, and passions
- Bridging the gap of all neurotypes
- Teaching self-advocacy skills and encouraging autonomy
- Committing to their success in a welcoming community that embraces diversity and inclusion
Philosophy
The Shirley Aninias School is a developmentally oriented program committed to our unique learners. Our Whole Child Approach prioritizes the full scope of a child’s developmental needs (cognitive, social-emotional, behavioral, fine, gross motor, and health development) to ensure that every child reaches their full potential.
We emphasize social, language, and behaviorally rich learning experiences in and out of school for each child. We value relationship-centered learning environments in the areas of academics, social, emotional, speech-language, for deeper learning that provides an integrated student support to ensure progress.