Special Education/English Learner Teacher

Position: Special Education/English Learner Teacher

Supervisor:  Founding Special Education Coordinator

Start Date:  August 2025

Application Deadline:  Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through June 30, 2025.  However, the position may be closed prior to that date if a qualified candidate is hired.  Please note that we will begin reviewing applications starting on January 3, 2025.

The Opportunity:  We are seeking a Student Support (Special Education/English Learner) Teacher with experience in early childhood education to provide specialized instruction and support for our students at Global Citizens Public Charter School (Global Citizens PCS).  Global Citizens PCS is the first dual language immersion elementary school in Washington, DC, to offer language immersion in both Mandarin Chinese and Spanish pathways - exposing students to the top three languages spoken in the world.  Paired with a focus on social justice and whole child wellness, Global Citizens PCS equips children to become empathetic, globally competent, and socially-minded leaders who are prepared for a future we cannot yet imagine.  Global Citizens PCS opened in Ward 7 to provide children and their families living east of the Anacostia River with equitable access to dual language immersion programs.  This position offers an incredible opportunity to work alongside a founding team, within an entrepreneurial and collaborative environment focused on improving educational opportunities for all students, especially those who are most marginalized and undervalued.

Mission:  The mission of Global Citizens PCS is to inspire and prepare the next generation of global citizens.  We will do this by supporting students, ages 3-11, to reach their full academic and leadership potential in a nurturing learning environment.  We will immerse them in the Mandarin and Spanish languages, promote the value of diversity, and equip them with the knowledge, skills, and mindsets they need to contribute to a better world. 

Vision:  We envision academic excellence, language acquisition, and authentic inclusion of a diverse student population.  We will build a strong community of learners who are confident in their ability to communicate in the Chinese, Spanish, and English languages.  Our children will use language to liberate and advocate for themselves and those most marginalized.  All of our children will develop a sense of self and a sense of belonging, build empathy and emotional resilience, learn to understand and appreciate diverse perspectives, and challenge themselves to take action to improve the world.

Philosophy:  We believe that all cultures have richness and value, deserve respect and consideration, and do not belong to a hierarchy.  We are aware of white supremacy culture and the systemic oppression that exists – even in the current education system.  At Global Citizens PCS, we will critically examine our biases and then actively work on counteracting these biases and disrupting the dominant narrative.  We will continually examine our teaching and curricula to ensure we incorporate multiple perspectives from diverse cultural backgrounds and life experiences, including the experiences of our students, families, communities, and staff.  We will create an environment in which all students will yearn for intercultural connections and see their benefits.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are our core values and central to our learning, development, and growth:

• Diversity:  All children, of all backgrounds, learning abilities, and physical capacities, will thrive and contribute to a positive, inclusive, and supportive learning community.

• Equity:  All children are capable of reaching high levels of academic excellence and whole child wellness. Thus, all children will have the opportunity to gain fluency in more than one language/culture and learn from and with each other.  All children will be held to high expectations – ensuring equally high outcomes for all and removing the predictability of success or failure that currently correlates with social, cultural, or socio-economic factors.

• Inclusion:  We will live our core value of diversity by creating an environment of connection, belonging, empowerment, and respect – where the richness of different ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives are harnessed to create value.

The core values live in our Global Citizens PCS educational model through four key pillars:  Globally Competent Bilingualism, Academic Excellence, Social Justice, and Whole Child Wellness.

Founding Student Support (Special Education/English Learner) Teacher Job Description

The Student Support (Special Education/English Learner) Teacher is one of the primary instructional and people leaders that influence the lives of children at Global Citizens PCS.  Special Education/English Learner Teachers will work with general education teachers to foster a student-centered learning environment that respects the culture and identity of each and every child, so they can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.  In early childhood, our children will learn all content areas in the partner language for approximately 90% of the school day.  They will learn their early literacy and math skills in English for approximately 10% of the school day.  In elementary school (Kindergarten through 5th grade), we use a 50/50 model, where our children receive standards-based instruction (aligned to the Common Core State Standards) in reading, writing, math, and science in the target language for 50% of the time and in English for 50% of the time (each day). The lead language teacher will teach all content areas in the partner language and will serve as the instructional lead and model for the partner language (Mandarin Chinese or Spanish).  The lead English teacher will teach literacy and math skills to all children.  Together, each teacher will work in tandem to positively impact student development by creating a warm and inviting learning environment; building relationships with students and families; creatively designing and implementing effective lessons within a free and liberating classroom environment;  analyzing and interpreting data; collaborating professionally with colleagues; and, participating in the larger school-wide community.  Special Education Teachers, under the direct supervision of the Special Education Coordinator, will work collaboratively with all instructional leadership team members to fully understand and respond to the needs of students and families.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

School Mission and Vision

• Implement a shared school mission and vision to promote each student’s social, emotional, and academic development
• Actively participate in data-driven instruction and methods of continuous improvement to ensure we meet the needs of each student
• Reinforce the mission with students and families, inspiring them to act on the mission every single day
• Reflect on instructional practices and adjust behavior and systems accordingly: ask regularly for feedback; model humility and admit mistakes; seek out thought partners; and, engage in professional learning
• Collaborates with support teachers, lead teachers, and other staff to ensure proper and consistent implementation of our instructional program

Equitable and Inclusive School Culture

• Model ethical, equitable, and professional behavior and acts with integrity, fairness, cultural competence, and empathy with students and colleagues 
• Contribute to a professional school culture focused on developing relational trust with colleagues and building each other's capacity to promote each student’s social, emotional, and academic development; serves as a mentor teacher for support teachers
• Set personal and professional learning goals to promote wellness and enhance professional practice; attend summer institute and weekly professional development sessions
• Participate in professional development and coaching cycles led by Principal and other instructional leaders
• Encourages open, productive, collaborative, and trusting working relationships among administrators, teachers, and staff to promote an environment of continuous improvement
• Develop a supportive and positive learning environment  focused on uplifting student voice and using student data to drive student development, growth, and achievement

Compliance

• Implement and monitor accountability measures to ensure all intensive interventions, specialized instruction services, and related services are implemented with fidelity to ensure compliance
• Attend IEP, Section 504, or other related meetings necessary for student assessment and/or compliance with federal and/or state law
• Analyze the results of the Home Language Survey in order to determine which students to assess using the WIDA assessments; provide support to and monitor the progress of English Learners throughout the school year
• Administer the beginning-of-year (BOY) and end-of-year (EOY) WIDA assessments

Case Management

• Serve as case manager for students with a 504 accommodation plan
• Update IEP, 504s and BIPs as to the achievement of goals and objectives as the end of every quarter 
• Inform general education teachers of IEP, 504 and BIP goals as necessary; create IEP snapshots
• Issue quarterly progress reports on IEP, 504s, and BIPs goals for students & families
• Provide interventions and all ELL services to students on your case-load, including writing and implementing rigorous, standards-driven goals, managing legal documents and files related to ELL students, liaising with external service providers, ensuring all services are in compliance with mandates
• Monitor and support implementation of goals and objectives in content 

Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

• Case manage approximately 5-10 children with disabilities, including writing IEPs, consulting with general education teachers providing inclusion services and interventions
• Design and implement engaging instruction based on IEP goals and objectives for each student
• Address IEP and ILP goals by providing in-class support, small group instruction, and/or pull-out groups
• Collaborate with general education teachers and the Special Education Coordinator to assess every student’s mastery of the content and diagnose areas of student misunderstanding
• Serve as “owner” of all special education-related services, including writing and implementing rigorous, standards-driven IEPs, managing legal documents and files related to students’ IEPs and 504 plans, liaising with external service providers, ensuring all services are in compliance with mandates, and coordinating annual IEP review process
• Utilize culturally sustaining and anti-bias/anti-racist practices (along with data) to inform and guide daily instruction; incorporate student cultures, interests, and experiences into lessons and activities
• Set clear and measurable goals throughout the year for every student in all areas of study; regularly assess the progress of each child and provide differentiated, child-centered instruction to meet the needs of each child on a daily basis
• Actively participate in data-analysis cycles and protocols in order to evaluate and increase rigor, coherence, impact, and equity of curriculum, instruction, and assessment
• Collaboratively plan weekly with teaching teams to develop holistic lesson plans that foster self-directed learning
• Ensure that each student has equitable access to classroom materials, texts, learning resources and opportunities, academic and social-emotional supports, and other resources in the target language

Service Delivery

• Oversee the delivery of both instruction and related services as stipulated on IEPs
• Provide and/or support modifications and accommodations as needed in classrooms
• Co-facilitate the Student Support Team (SST) meetings (when needed) and participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings (MDT meetings) on a regular basis to address the needs of each student
• Maintain a portfolio of student work samples, anecdotal data, and classroom observations 
• Serve as the Disability Test Co-Coordinator for all standardized assessments (includes PARCC)
• Be accountable for students’ mastery of academic standards
• Co-facilitate professional learning and training to teachers, staff, and families

Equitable and Inclusive Student Support

• Improve and sustain a school environment that is inclusive, equitable, caring, and culturally competent (and meets the academic, social, emotional, and physical needs of each student)
• Maintain positive, fair, and unbiased student behavior policies that emphasize relationship reconciliation and behavioral change
• Work with Lead Teachers, Support Teachers, and the English Learner Teacher to plan for and support all students’ needs
• Use student performance and placement data, as well as school culture data, to promote greater inclusiveness, caring, equity, and closure of opportunity gaps
• Serve as a member of the Student Support Team (SST) and implement a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to meet the needs of all children, including special populations
• Attend IEP, Section 504, or other related meetings necessary for student assessment and/or compliance with federal and/or state law

Student and Family Engagement 

• Build rapport with students outside of the classroom (i.e., lunches with students, special events, etc.), so students understand that teachers care about them
• Ensure families receive all notifications and evaluation reports in advance of MDT meetings and SST meetings
• Promotes relationships among students, faculty, parents, and others that build trust and value individuality and inclusiveness
• Implement family and community engagement strategies aligned to our mission and vision: Maintain open, welcoming communication with stakeholders in service of students and to advance the school mission
• Engage parents, families, and the community - especially those who are marginalized or traditionally unable to actively participate - in meaningful, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial ways to promote each student’s social, emotional, and academic development
• Provides routine, two-way communication with families and community members about school activities and culture, student performance and development (including students’ progress towards their IEP goals), and school challenges and accomplishments
• Plan, implement, and lead student recruitment initiatives, especially during the planning year to ensure we meet our enrollment goal
• Evaluate and improve the effectiveness of the student recruitment, family engagement, community outreach, and communications plan
• Creates and sustains positive, collaborative, and productive relationships with families and community members for the benefits of students (and their families)

The ideal candidate is highly knowledgeable in the following: 

• Effective language acquisition strategies
• Research-based, tiered instructional strategies
• Early Childhood curriculum, instruction, & development
• Data analysis protocols
• Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy
• Anti-racist beliefs and practices
• Responsive Classroom/Restorative Justice/Conscious Discipline
• Readers and Writers Workshop & Play-Based Centers

Special Education Teacher/Co-Coordinator Requirements:

• At least three years of experience as a Special Education Teacher preferred
• Meet state educational requirements, preferably a valid state-issued license for Special Education in elementary education or meet eligibility, including undergraduate studies in Special Education
• A Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s degree in Education and passing scores on Praxis I & II
• Deep experience and knowledge of learning standards and student-centered curriculum
• An energetic, flexible, creative, innovative individual who can develop strengths-based, student-centered support plans that support learning for students of various abilities, including those with various identified exceptionalities
• Ability to excel as a member of a multidisciplinary team and an instructional team
• Ability to work in a multicultural, multilingual environment
• Ability to collaborate and teach through a lens of diversity, equity, justice, and inclusion
• Strong communication skills (both oral and written)

Compensation

Salary for this position is competitive and ranges from $60K to $80K.  Additionally, Global Citizens PCS offers a comprehensive benefits package.

We are Deeply Committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Global Citizens PCS is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. We strongly encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply.  It is our policy to ensure that all individuals with whom we are in contact with are not discriminated against on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, disability, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, military status, family responsibilities, pregnancy, parenthood, or any other personal or professional status.

How to Apply

If you are interested in applying for this position, please click “Apply for This Job” on the top right.  We’ll review applications as we receive them until the position is filled.  If you have any questions, please contact us at careers@globalcitizensschool.org.

Global Citizens PCS is committed to building a team that reflects the varied backgrounds and experiences of the students we seek to serve.  It is important to us that you use your application materials to clearly delineate ways in which your background and experience align with Global Citizens PCS’s core values and key pillars, including our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Salary : $60,000 - $80,000