Teacher Special Educator, Cambridge Street Upper School

Position:           Teacher Special Educator

                        Office of Student Services/Cambridge Street Upper School

Cambridge is a vibrant, diverse city and a central hub and driver of the nation’s innovation economy. Home of the renowned educational institutions of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge is also the center of an impressive array of biotechnology, science, and information technology companies.

Educating about 7,000 students JK-12, the Cambridge Public Schools includes award-winning faculty, cutting edge technology, and innovative programs. While each of our public schools is unique, they are joined in a shared vision of rigorous, joyful, and culturally responsive learning plus personalized support for every student. Over 30% of CPS students speak a language other than English at home, and over 70 languages are spoken by our families. Among the most common are Spanish, Haitian Creole, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, and Portuguese. Our schools proudly embrace this diversity.

The Office of Student Services (OSS) is responsible for providing a variety of supports and services to students in Cambridge Public Schools (CPS). Our programs are dedicated to ensuring equitable access and success for students with disabilities and students who have advanced learning needs. The Office of Student Services is comprised of special education, 504 services and the office of advanced learning.

The Role:

The Special Educator is responsible for providing specially designed instruction to students with disabilities in both general education and separate settings. The Special Educator will work collaboratively with general education, special education, and related services staff to ensure that students with disabilities have positive educational outcomes.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following:

• Provide direct special education services to students with disabilities
• Provide explicit instruction and/or support in reading/literacy, math, written language, and social-emotional behavior
• Progress monitor student mastery of IEP goals and objectives using various assessments and data collection tools
• Develop Individualized Education Programs for students based on various types of data specific to the student's present levels of functioning and performance
• Provide instruction of students using systematic, structured, and multisensory approaches to learning
• Collaborate with general education, special education, related services, and staff
• Administer formal and informal assessments and analyze data to inform decisions regarding IEP goals/objective, learning approaches/content and support
• Accommodate and modify for student learning and support the general education teacher with the implementation of appropriate accommodations in the general education setting
• Any related duties as outlined by the Assistant Superintendent, Special Education Director and/or Coordinator of the Office of Student Services
• Ensure implementation of student’s Individualized Education Plan
• Ensure effective collaboration with families, community supports/services, related service staff, and general education teachers
• Ensure effective instruction and support for students with disabilities
• Other duties as assigned

Your Skill Set:

As the incoming Special Educator you will possess many, though perhaps not all, of the following characteristics and qualifications:

• Broad knowledge and experience of programs and services specific to students’ areas of eligibility (i.e. autism, academic, behavior, learning, etc.)
• Broad knowledge of state eligibility requirements
• Above average skills in collaboration
• Excellent skills in oral and written communication
• Demonstrated ability in collaborating and supporting parents and families
• Demonstrated ability to problem solve
• Demonstrated understanding of inclusive educational practices including various co-teaching approaches
• General knowledge of various formal and informal assessments to monitor student progress and skills
• General knowledge of state and federal special education guidelines and requirements
• Bachelors degree from an accredited college/university in Special Education required, masters preferred, concentration in learning disabilities preferred
• Massachusetts Certification of students with mild/moderate special needs required
• Experience teaching or student teaching in an urban school setting
• Specialized training/certification in a foundational reading program such as Orton-Gillingham or Wilson Reading 

How to Join Our Team:

Please upload a resume and thoughtful cover letter, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position and stating how you heard about this opportunity. 

At the Cambridge Public Schools, we are committed to cultivating an environment where diverse perspectives and backgrounds are embraced, acknowledging that a team reflecting diversity of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and veteran status allows us to serve our communities better. To that end, we welcome and encourage applicants to bring their authentic selves when considering employment opportunities within our school district.