Education Specialist/Special Education Teacher (22-23)

Company: Alpha Public Schools
Location: San Jose
Posted on: May 16, 2022

Job Description:

Do you believe that all students can achieve academic success? Are you passionate about working with students and supporting them as they reach new heights in learning? Teachers at Alpha have the opportunity to create and safeguard opportunities for students in under-resourced communities while collaborating with a joyful team of educators committed to sending our scholars to college.
As an Education Specialist you will join a team that upholds high expectations, fosters social development, and facilitates the intellectual growth of our scholars. Our Special Education team will approach instruction with patience, creativity, and a growth mindset, while using activities and instructional methods that will motivate our scholars.
We are seeking passionate individuals who embody Alpha's mission, vision and core beliefs- teachers who believe that all students can learn, that our scholars belong in college, and that student growth is a reflection of the teacher's practice. We are looking for educators who are reflective in their practice and are willing to engage in conversations around educational equity and inclusivity. At Alpha, you will uphold rigorous expectations for all students, while leading from a place of empathy and understanding. Alpha is fiercely entrepreneurial and we are focused on supporting our scholars as they grow into self-reliant leaders who will achieve success in their school, college, and career. We're committed to finding educators who value and amplify the diverse experiences of our scholars and their families, and who care deeply about addressing the inequities that exist in education.
What you'll do
Lead an academically rigorous classroom through activities such as:

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• Provide specialized academic instruction to identified students with disabilities who meet the eligibility criteria established by federal and state law
  
• Provide push in, pull out, and/or consultative specialized academic instruction for students with exceptional needs
  
• Serve as a special education teacher, which includes creating lesson plans based on provided unit plans, planning assessments, grading and maintaining a gradebook, and supporting a small classroom of learners
  
• Collaborate with general education teachers to ensure consistent implementation of IEPs across all school environments
  
• Establish and maintain standards of student behavior for a productive learning environment during class sessions
  
• Assess and analyze students' performance and progress to ensure they are mastering developmental skills regularly, and responding to data to support all scholars to achieve academic success
  
• Develop and monitor behavioral systems and interventions to support scholars' behavioral growth
  
  Case Management
  
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  • Provide legally defensible implementation of services, supports, accommodations, and modifications as provided by students' IEPs
    
  • Demonstrate knowledge of and compliance with special education laws, as well as school policies and procedures
    
  • Participate in all professional development meetings/retreats and opportunities to further enhance your expertise as a teacher and leadership skills as an Alpha employee
    
  • Collect data on and monitor individual student performance, adjusting instruction and supports as necessary to ensure progress toward IEP goals
    
  • Utilize assessment results, both formal and informal, to develop legally defensible and data-driven IEPs
    
    Build relationships
    
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    • Support school community in managing larger-scale Tier 2 behavior interventions
      
    • Create a safe, fun and academically challenging classroom culture
      
    • Hold all students to high expectations both academic and behavior
      
    • Develop positive relationships with students, families, and colleagues
      
      Grow Professionally
      
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      • Engage in professional development opportunities provided by Alpha
        
      • Receive and implement feedback from experienced educational coaches
        
      • Seek opportunities to collaborate with and learn from colleagues
        
      • Be committed to growing your teaching through independent study and research
        
        You possess...
        
        • 
          
        • A Bachelor's degree
          
        • A valid (or eligible for) California Teaching or Education Specialist Credential (Special Education - Mild to Moderate with Autism Authorization)
          
        • A strong commitment not only to our students, but also to your own continuous professional development. You possess the ability to receive and implement feedback quickly.
          
          You stand out by being...
          
          • 
            
          • Committed: You are committed to working with students in traditionally underserved communities. Approximately 80% of Alpha's students are from under-resourced communities and will be the first in their families to go to college. The majority of our students identify as Latinx and/or Vietnamese.
            
          • Collaborative: You are team-oriented and are able to implement school-wide systems effectively and consistently.
            
          • Organized: You are self-motivated and reliable, with the ability to plan and execute tasks.
            
          • Experienced: You have taught in an under-resourced community, and/or you have a background of shared experience with our scholars.
            
          • Bilingual: Conversational Spanish or Vietnamese a plus
            
            Join our team
            To apply for this position, please submit a resume and cover letter online.
            Alpha Public Schools is a network of four high-performing public charter schools founded by a group of East San Jos mothers dedicated to helping transform their community. We have a strong growth mindset - as individuals, as an organization, and on behalf of our students and families. We want to be better tomorrow than we are today.
            As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability. We are strongly committed to hiring a diverse and multicultural staff and encourage applications from traditionally under-represented backgrounds.
            Salary is competitive and compensation includes a comprehensive benefits package.
            Questions? Contact us at jobs@alphapublicschools.org

Keywords: Alpha Public Schools, San Jose , Education Specialist/Special Education Teacher (22-23), Education / Teaching , San Jose, California