Intervention Specialist Teacher (SY25-26)

Reports to: Senior Director Succeed Boston at the Counseling and Intervention Center

Background and Overview:

BPS Succeed Boston @ the Counseling & Intervention Center (Succeed) provides Tier 2, voluntary prevention and education workshops to students in grades K-12 and Tier 3 (Code of Conduct infractions) services to students in grades 3-12.  The trauma informed model includes individual and group counseling, SEL skills development, substance use education and treatment, use of restorative practices, and academics. The curricula includes bullying and violence prevention, anger management and conflict resolution education that increases students' ability to assess risk, consider potential consequences, and improve decision-making. In addition to direct student work, Succeed Boston leads the district’s Restorative Practices, Safe and Welcoming Schools team, Substance Use and Misuse and the Bullying Prevention and Intervention work, including professional development, operation of the Safe Space and Bullying Prevention hotline to assure adherence to and accountability for reporting protocols and policy development. 

The mission of Succeed Boston is to mitigate the academic and systemic barriers that place children at risk and provide support for children, parents/guardians/caregivers, and the family as a whole. The Tier 2 and 3 student facing work includes push-in support, voluntary educational workshops and in person support for students who have been suspended.

Succeed’s holistic approach to students is restorative and trauma informed and aligned with the Superintendent’s priorities and addresses educational inequities by providing individual and group counseling, SEL skill development that builds students ability to assess risk, consider consequences, and repair harm. Self-reported data, at the beginning and end of programming, shows that 92% of students who attend Succeed Boston report feeling positive about the intervention; are more engaged at school and have increased prosocial and responsible decision making skills. 

Position Summary and General Responsibilities:

Reporting to the Senior Director of Succeed Boston at the Counseling and intervention Center, the Intervention Specialist Teacher uses differentiated instructional strategies, e.g. modeling, facilitating students’ exploration of content, and providing individualized coaching, to meet the needs of all learners. The Intervention Specialist Teacher demonstrates effective classroom management and integrates current, relevant and accurate content knowledge into academic and social and emotional skill building lessons. The Intervention Specialist Teacher also performs intake with parents to support learning and development in school and at home.   The Intervention Specialist Teacher will provide crisis intervention and behavior management support, as well as provide recommendations for follow up intervention through daily reports.  

The Intervention Specialist works directly with a team of counselors and supports all students who have committed infractions which violate the Boston Public School’s Code of Conduct. The Center uses a multi-disciplinary team approach to teach students appropriate decision-making and social emotional skills to assist in making future decisions that will impact them in a positive way; and to identify and address non-educational and emotional problems that impact student’s success in school.  The team will provide referring schools with recommendations for follow-up intervention and prevention to address school- related issues and concerns.  

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Classroom Management and Curriculum Delivery

• Provide crisis intervention and behavior management
• Conduct intake meetings with families in English and Spanish when necessary
• Integrate current, relevant and accurate content knowledge in lessons
• Differentiate instructional strategies e.g. modeling, facilitating students’ exploration of content, and providing individualized coaching to meet the needs of all learners
• Demonstrate effective classroom management
• Ensure students have central roles in holding self and others accountable for behavioral expectations, including roles in resolving conflict and eliminating bullying and harassment
• Develop lessons that explicitly require students to build their understanding of the big ideas and essential concepts of new material, drawing on prior knowledge and background experiences and applying their understanding in new learning situations
• Model, teach and provide opportunities for students to recognize, understand, and develop ways to respond to differences in culture, race, language, class, gender and sexual orientation
• Recognize students’ strengths and explicitly teach students how to identify their own strengths and use them to build new knowledge
• Assist English Language Learners and students with different learning styles learn the content
• Provide daily opportunities for students to speak, think, read, write, problem-solve, discuss ideas, and process their thinking individually and with one another
• Explain material in a clear and focused manner
• Treat students with fairness, respect and consistency
• Maintain accurate and up to date class notes
• Contribute to the creation of an environment in which students function with a sense of purpose and understand what is expected of them
• Ensure that students’ cultures, languages and experiences are represented in classroom materials, instructional activities and assignments

Team Supports

• Participating in regularly scheduled team meetings for each students program
• Providing the referring schools with recommendations for follow up intervention through daily reports
• Working as a team member to ensure delivery of high quality intervention across environments

Other

• Engage in activities that contribute to one’s performance in the teaching/learning situation (e.g., participates in professional organizations, responds to in-service and professional growth opportunities in terms of personal and student improvement)
• Maintain privacy of all student specific information
• Provide services to achieve both the short and long-term objectives of the program
• Maintain regular attendance in conformity with the rules and regulations of BPS
• Maintain punctuality in all matters pertaining to the professional role
• Work collaboratively and fluidly with the Restorative Practices / Safe and Welcoing Schools (RP / SAWS) team and consults with and acts as a resource by developing or identifying tools and providing technical assistance or instructional coaching 
• Other duties as assigned by the Senior Director

BPS Teaching Standards

Proficiently demonstrates BPS Teaching Standards:

1. Accountability for Student Achievement (II-A-1 Quality of Effort and Work, II-D-2 High Expectations, I B-2 Adjustments to Practice)

• Sets ambitious learning goals for all students, uses instructional and clinical practices that reflect high expectations for students and student work; engages all students in learning.
• Consistently defines high expectations for student learning goals and behavior.
• Assesses student learning regularly using a variety of assessments to measure growth, and understanding.
• Effectively analyzes data from assessments, draws conclusions, and shares them appropriately.

2. Communicating Professional Knowledge (I-A-1 Professional Knowledge, I-A-2 Child Adolescent Development, I-A-3 Plan Development)

• Exhibits strong knowledge of child development and how students learn and behave, and designs effective and rigorous plans for support with measurable outcomes.
• Demonstrates knowledge of students’ developmental levels by providing differentiated learning experiences and support that enable all students to progress toward intended outcomes.

3. Equitable & Effective Instruction (II-A-3 Meeting Diverse Needs, II-A-2. Student Engagement, II-B-1. Safe Learning Environment, II-B-2 Collaborative Learning Environment, I-D-3 Access to Knowledge)

• Builds a productive learning environment where every student participates and is valued as part of the class community.
• Uses instructional and clinical practices that are likely to challenge, motivate and engage all students and facilitate active participation.
• Consistently adapts instruction, services, plans and assessments to make curriculum/ supports accessible to all students.

4. Cultural Proficiency (II-C-1. Respects Differences, II-C-2. Maintains Respectful Environment)

• Actively creates and maintains an environment in which students’ diverse backgrounds, identities, strengths, and challenges are respected.

5. Parent/Family Engagement   (III-A-1. Parent/Family Engagement, III-B-2. Collaboration)

• Engages with families and builds collaborative, respectful relationships with them in service of student learning.
• Consistently provides parents with clear expectations for student learning behavior and/or wellness and shares strategies to promote learning and development at school and home.

6. Professional Reflection & Collaborationm (IV-A-1. Reflective Practice, IV-C-1. Professional Collaboration, IV-C-2. Consultation)

• Regularly reflects on practice, seeks and responds to feedback, and demonstrates self-awareness and commitment to continuous learning and development.
• Consistently collaborates with colleagues through shared planning and/or informal conversation to analyze student performance and development, and to plan appropriate interventions at the classroom or school level.
• Regularly provides advice and expertise to general education teachers and the school community to support the creation of appropriate and effective academic, behavioral, and social/emotional learning experiences for students.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education, Education 5-12
• DESE certified in Special Education, Moderate disabilities 5-12
• SEI endorsement
• Experience and understanding of Cooperative Discipline
• Experience in the development of Behavior Support Plans (FBA)
• Bullying Intervention Specialist
• Demonstrated ability to adapt curriculum to ensure access for all learning styles
• Knowledge and demonstrated practice of progressive discipline
• Demonstrated understanding of and use of Restorative Practices to build communty
• Understanding of the Boston Public Schools Code of Conduct
• Familiarity with Welcoming Schools Curriculum
• Three years successful experience in an urban school system
• Successful classroom experience working with students with behavioral and/or emotional impairments
• Experience working collaboratively with school administrators, direct service providers, families, students, and outside partners
• Understanding of mental health, behavioral issues and impact of trauma
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of relationship of equity, access and opportunity
• Demonstrated growth toward cultural competence
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience turning over reports in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrated problem solving, communication and organizational skills
• Demonstrated ability to provide programmatic information via group presentations
• Effective written and oral communication skills with students, families, teachers and administrators
• Written and verbal fluency in English and an additional language, preferably Spanish

Preferred Qualifications:

• Masters Degree in Special Education
• MA Licensure in grades 5-12, preferably Math or English
• Written and verbal fluency in an additional language, preferably Spanish

Terms: BTU, Group 1.  Salary depends on education and experience.

Please refer to www.bostonpublicschools.org/ohc (under "Employee Benefits and Policies") for more information on salary and compensation.  Salaries are listed by Unions and Grade/Step.

The Boston Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, does not discriminate in its programs, facilities, or employment or educational opportunities on the basis of race, color, age, criminal record (inquiries only), disability, homelessness, sex/gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetics or military status, and does not tolerate any form of retaliation, or bias-based intimidation, threat or harassment that demeans individuals’ dignity or interferes with their ability to learn or work.