Job Summary The Special Education Director provides educational leadership, supervision, and support to ensure the delivery of high-quality, individualized special education services within a therapeutic school setting. This position is responsible for overseeing special education programming, ensuring compliance with applicable state and federal requirements, supporting the development and implementation of Individual-ized Education Programs (IEPs), and supervising and mentoring instructional staff. As a member of the school's leadership team, the Special Education Director is expected to be an active, visible, and col-laborative leader who contributes to the daily operation of the school. This includes building positive re-lationships with staff, students, families, and sending school districts; supporting teachers across grade levels and experience levels; responding effectively to student and classroom needs; and fostering a safe, respectful, and supportive learning environment. The successful candidate demonstrates sound professional judgment, initiative, flexibility, accountability, and a genuine commitment to teamwork. The Director must be able to balance administrative responsibilities with active involvement in the school's educational and therapeutic environment.
Essential Duties •Participate in the application and enrollment process for incoming students. •Coordinates and collaborates with sending districts’ Special Education Office regarding the management of student records, drafting IEPs and evaluations. •Ensure all special education deadlines are met including the supervision and reporting of IEP Progress Reports and Report Cards. •Chairs or co-chairs all Team meetings with sending school district personnel. •Coordinates the efforts to perform multi-factored evaluations as part of the IEP process; assists with interpreting and understanding of IEP goals and objectives for each student. •Formulates policies and procedures for new, revised programs or activities, such as screening, placement, and training of students. •Ensure all documentation is prepared for annual review meetings and re-evaluations. •Conducts or coordinates special education assessments. •In conjunction with all directors’ institutes and hold bi-monthly Parent Advisory Groups. •Support teaching staff to ensure understanding of our students’ IEP goals and objectives. •Manages the school’s curriculum and ensures it meets DESE frameworks and school instructional models. •Evaluates programs to make sure that objectives for students are met. •Organize new school year orientation, ensure required training for staff is conducted, and ensure professional development opportunities are provided. •Interprets laws, rules, and regulations to students, parents, and staff. •Prepare reports for federal, state, and local regulatory agencies as needed. •Observe and evaluate the implementation of classroom instruction. •Ensure professional development opportunities are available and presented to staff. •Supervise staff and foster positive, collaborative working relationships. •Ensure performance reviews for all staff. •Recruit, interview, and select staff that have the right technical and personal abilities •Coach and mentor staff as appropriate to improve performance. •Participate in meetings and training as needed. •Perform other duties as assigned. Qualifications/Requirements •Master’s degree in education, Special Education or related field. •Valid MA Special Education or related certification. •Minimum 1 year of administrative experience. •Knowledge of special education policies and regulations of DESE and US Department of Educa-tion (including the Individuals with Disabilities Act and No Child Left Behind). •Familiar with MA DESE model curriculum and academic content standards. •Expert knowledge of instructional methods and materials for special education students. •Demonstrated knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects. •Interpersonal Skills: Works well with others from diverse backgrounds. Focuses on solving con-flict; maintaining confidentiality; relationship building; and teamwork. •Language Skills: Ability to communicate fluently verbally and in writing. Ability to effectively pre-sent information and respond effectively to questions in one-on-one, small, and large group situ-ations to students, staff, parents, agencies, and sending district representatives. Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, IEPs, operating and procedure manuals, and government regulations. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. •Other Skills and Abilities: Able to quickly respond and adapt to challenging, fast-paced, dynamic environments; strong planning and organizational skills. •Active Listening- Give full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. •Critical Thinking- Use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alterna-tive solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems; use of scientific methodology, quantita-tive measurement principles and methodologies to generate statistical information and deter-mine validity and reliability of programs, training and information. •Learning Strategies- Select and use training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things. •Monitoring- Monitor/Assess performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. •Negotiation- Bring others together and try to reconcile differences. •Persuasion- Persuade others to change their minds or behavior. •Social Perceptiveness- Awareness of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Qualifications and Professional Expectations. •Demonstrated knowledge of special education law, IEP development and implementation, and DESE requirements. •Experience supervising, coaching, or mentoring teachers and other educational staff. •Experience working with students with significant behavioral, emotional, developmental, or learning needs. •Strong classroom management, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills. •Ability to provide constructive feedback and address performance concerns directly and profes-sionally. •Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to independently manage multiple deadlines. •Demonstrated flexibility, sound judgment, reliability, and collaborative leadership. •Complete training in approved crisis-prevention and response models (e.g. Safety Care, etc.). •Appropriate Massachusetts special education administrator licensure and qualifications pre-ferred but not required for this position.
Requirements
The Special Education Director is expected to contribute actively to the overall functioning of the school, demonstrating a willingness to assist colleagues, respond to emerging needs, and share responsibility for maintaining a safe, supportive, and effective educational environment. The position requires a team-oriented approach in which supporting students and colleagues takes priority over rigid adherence to departmental boundaries.