Special Education Teacher

Position: Special Education Teacher Location: North Pike School District - Project Search Instructor Salary: North Pike Teacher Pay Scale Reports to: Paige Pigott, Special Services Director Deadline: December 1, 2023 Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor Degree and MS Educator License- 221 Mild/Moderate or MS Educator License- 224 Mild/Moderate 7th - 8th or MS Educator License- 222 Severe Disability (K-12) Applications can be found on the district website, www.
npsd.
k12.
ms.
us.
A completed application must be submitted with a current resume to the North Pike School District Human Resources.
Internal applications may contact the High School Principal or Special Services Director directly for consideration.
Contact Paige Pigott, Special Services Director Phone: 601-276-6927 Email: ppigott@npsd.
k12.
ms.
us Applications to be submitted through the online application portal.
If you need assistance, please contact the Special Services Director listed above.
North Pike School District is an equal-opportunity employer.
General Summary of Position: Under the direction of the administrator and in accordance with established policies and procedures, the Project SEARCH Instructor will help develop and coordinate the Project SEARCH program and provide instruction for students enrolled.
The Project SEARCH instructor delivers the employability skills curriculum and works with each intern’s team to reach the goal of competitive employment.
Main Duties and Responsibilities: 1.
Recruit appropriate students with disabilities for Project SEARCH program.
2.
Attend IEP meetings for possible student recruits.
3.
Connect students to appropriate community services such as State Rehabilitation Services or local Developmental Disabilities agencies through referral and eligibility processes.
4.
Identify internship sites within the host business to identify internships that build a repertoire of marketable skills that lead to competitive, integrated employment.
5.
Ensure that internships include measurable skills gain that are assessed according to productivity, quality, and safety benchmarks.
6.
Facilitate regular Employment Planning Meetings with interns, families, and agency personnel to determine career interests, specific job preferences, skills, and abilities to design an individualized approach to job development.
7.
Identify and problem solve solutions for challenges that interfere with completion of Project SEARCH and gaining and maintaining employment.
8.
Use universal design concepts to design and implement accommodations and adaptations needed at the internship sites.
Roles and Responsibilities 9.
Use VocFit and other assessment tools to evaluate intern progress, communicate with the team, and identify additional skill/task development.
10.
Assess intern progress frequently, communicate that progress regularly to the intern’s team and make instructional and training adjustments and provide interventions for interns who are not making progress.
11.
Develop resumes/portfolios for each intern that document measurable skills gain, internship experiences, any certifications gained, recommendations, etc.
12.
Provide Project SEARCH employability skills curriculum in the classroom and reinforce in the internships to develop skills, knowledge and work habits leading to successful employment.
13.
Continuously update the Member Portal to maintain records of staff changes, interns’ internship experiences and employment outcomes including jobs gained, wages, hours worked per week, benefits taken, etc.
14.
Actively participate in Project SEARCH Steering Committee and onsite team meetings.
15.
Coordinate and schedule onsite skills trainers to meet the support needs of the interns.
16.
Work with the business liaison, onsite team, and job developer (external) to secure competitive, integrated employment at the host business or in the community.
17.
Coordinate travel training (when appropriate) through public transportation or other available transit methods.
18.
Other duties as assigned.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Recommended: 1.
Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree.
Valid state teaching certificate with special education license.
(Many states require a Special Education Certificate with experience and/or training in transition-related coursework.
) 2.
A minimum of two years successful, recent, and relevant experience as a classroom instructor for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities at the secondary level.
3.
Demonstrated ability to employ a variety of instructional strategies that connect the curriculum to the learner.
4.
Knowledgeable of current best practices in the field of transition and supported employment.
5.
Experienced in differentiating lessons and settings to meet the needs of interns and their varied learning styles.
6.
Effective interpersonal communication skills that promote relationship-building with interns, families, host business staff, Project SEARCH team members, and other community agencies.
7.
Organizational ability, self-directedness, and initiative when given a variety of responsibilities and assigned tasks.
8.
Ability to make decisions and problem-solve within a team of service providers.
Working Conditions: Pleasant environmental conditions.
The nature of the interns being taught requires sound judgment to maintain a safe educational environment.
This program will be housed off-site at a host business and may require travel.
The preceding data is intended to convey information about the job and its responsibilities, and is not an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities, and working conditions associated with it.