Full-time positions for:
General Description The Special Education Team Chair serves as the instructional, compliance, and dispute-resolution leader for special education processes within their assigned schools. This role supports administrators, teachers, related service providers, and families by coordinating evaluation teams, facilitating meetings, and ensuring high-quality, student-centered decision-making. The Team Chair ensures that all IEP timelines, evaluations, and service delivery are strictly compliant with IDEA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Massachusetts Special Education Regulations (603 CMR 28.00).
Referral & Evaluation Coordination: Manage the referral, screening, and evaluation tracking processes for IEPs. This includes obtaining signed parental consents, referral management, and scheduling of the meeting.
Systems & Documentation: Maintain accurate, timely documentation within the district's IEP management system (e.g., PowerSchool).
Responsible for preparing and managing specific IEP documents: Invitations, Manifestation Determination Meetings, Consents, N1s, Bullying documentation, and Transportation forms.
Enter data for the service delivery grid, and the Extended School Year (ESY) grid if needed.
Enter summary reports compiled from providers'' evaluation summaries, and conduct file reviews and summary writing.
Quality Control: Ensure all IEPs, and evaluation reports meet district (RPS) and state (DESE) quality standards prior to dissemination. Conduct a comprehensive final review of the documentation-including goals, objectives, service delivery grids, and N1s before submission to the Central Office.
Administrative Workflow: The Assistant Principal (AP) oversees the entire special education paperwork process
Compliance Tracking: Maintain compliance trackers, track compliance meetings, and monitor compensatory services. Prepare required DESE and district compliance reports.
Meeting Preparation: Collect all necessary documents prior to meetings, including testing results, teachers'' updates, and behavioral data.
Dispute Resolution & Legal Representation: Serve as a proactive line of defense against legal vulnerabilities. Act as the designated district representative and participant in special education dispute resolutions, mediations, Resolution Meetings, and Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA) hearings, tracking compliance on all resulting agreements.
Family Liaison: Communicate effectively and compassionately with families regarding evaluation results, services, and procedural rights. Maintain a family-centered approach to build trust and collaborative problem-solving.
Procedural Safeguards: Monitor and uphold all state and federal regulations, including procedural safeguards and Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) requirements.
Tiered Monitoring: Participate in building-based child study and student support team meetings to provide guidance on interventions prior to formal referral.
Direct Observation: Conduct student observations in class for all relevant students to better understand student's strengths and challenges..
Staff Development: Contribute to professional development initiatives for staff regarding special education procedures, compliance, and accommodation best practices.
Program Monitoring: Support the Director of Special Education in monitoring specialized program fidelity (e.g., PK, RISE, ILC, GROW, TLC, Transition Program). Identify trends in referrals and service delivery to propose solutions and implement inclusive district initiatives.
Scheduling Coordination: Support Sub-Separate District Content Planning Time (DCPT) as necessary, as approved and aligned with the Central Special Ed Office.
Operations: Coordinate MCAS accommodations in collaboration with the building MCAS coordinator. Initiate, update, and monitor special transportation requests for students with disabilities.
High School Specific Duties: Handle the filing of Chapter 688 referrals and student performance summaries.