Special Education ELA Teacher - High School

JOB SUMMARY: Milestones Day School and Transitions Program is currently seeking a certified Special Education Teacher to work with high school students teaching English Language Arts courses. Milestones is a private day school that offers a unique and intensive year-round academic and therapeutic programming in a state of the art building. Our students are highly supported by a full clinical staff working on multidisciplinary teams that consists of Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists, Board Certified Behavior Analysts, Principals, Mentor Teachers, Reading and Math Specialists, and Directors. We have a low student to staff ratio and our population consists primarily of students with diagnoses on the Autism Spectrum, Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Anxiety Disorders. The ideal candidate for this role will have strong knowledge of teaching academics in multiple modalities, proficiency with assistive technology (e.g., Smart Boards, iPads, graphic organizers, agenda books, etc.) and talent with differentiated instruction as well as a strong fondness of our population. Primary job responsibilities include: 1. Writing weekly lesson plans for assigned high school English classes, incorporating Massachusetts Curriculum Framework and Common Core. Coursework may include Literature, Creative Writing, as well as English Language Arts for specific grades. 2. Developing and creating new ELA curriculum as needed. 3. Teaching content classes, working with students to prepare for MCAS assessments, cross-collaborating with additional English and Reading faculty, co-teaching with colleagues, planning special projects, and supporting students’ IEP goals. 4. Helping students with non-academic activities such as facilitating social interactions, supporting students’ sensory needs, classroom/behavior management etc. General Teaching: - Provide students with opportunities to participate, observe, question, and investigate - Providing a positive and healthy environment in which students can therapeutically feel safe to take risks and grow - Identify the learning needs of each student; observing/evaluating student learning and providing feedback to students regarding their performance - Provide all lessons in multiple modalities (i.e. visual, oral, kinesthetic, project based, etc.) - Evaluate lesson plans through self-reflection and supervision - Establish and post clear objectives for all lessons, discuss the objective with students and after each lesson determine mastery - Assure students’ accommodations are being implemented in all classes - Work collaboratively on a multi-disciplinary team - Assure that all therapeutic strategies are being utilized throughout academic instruction (e.g., sensory breaks, behavior plans, processing forms, etc.) - Keep classroom organized & post student work in and outside of the classroom - Creating weekly lesson plans that align with Common Core/Frameworks - Work collaboratively with other educators in core academic subjects’ special events (e.g., Literacy Day, Math Day, History Day, and Science Fair); teachers are in charge of putting these events together each year - Facilitate social interactions with peers assuring that students are not left out of interactions during structured and non-structures time Administration - Write quarterly progress reports for education section only - Grade students on a quarterly basis based upon their academic performance - Provide lesson plans for teacher’s aide in case of teachers’ absence - Maintain professional license and attend professional development opportunities. If the candidate has initial license, the candidate should be moving toward professional licensure with Milestones existing staff supervising - Participate in yearly required training Requirements: - Master’s Degree in Education or Special Education preferred; Bachelor's degree is required - Must be actively licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Moderate Disabilities 5-12 or Severe Disabilities- All or English 8-12 - Experience teaching English Language Arts or degree in English Language Arts - Must be a team player and know how to differentiate and create engaging lessons - Experience working with students diagnosed on the autism spectrum - 2 years experience teaching special education - Knowledge and experience/interest with students who have autism spectrum disorders and various mental health challenges (e.g., anxiety, OCD, bipolar disorder, etc. - Desire to keep abreast of current information of various diagnoses and treatment methods through professional development - Strong interpersonal and communication skills - Strong organizational skills & experience with being a team player - Strong empathy and understanding of both students who have disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities - Excellent critical thinking, written, and verbal skills - Ability to maintain emotional resilience to cope with human suffering, emergencies, and other stresses MILESTONES PROVIDES EXCELLENT BENEFITS, INCLUDING: - Competitive salary - 6 weeks of paid Vacation, 8 Sick days, and 2 Personal days in addition to scheduled holidays. Earn 1 additional Vacation day after 1 year of service and up to 2 additional days for every year of service thereafter. - Workforce Grant Bonus opportunities - Medical Insurance including Fitness Center Reimbursement and Annual Physical Exam Bonus - Dental Insurance & Vision Plan - Onsite Workout Facility - 401K Plan, Long-Term Disability, and Life insurance - Paid Parental Leave and Pre-tax Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account - Community Service Opportunities - Half-day Summer Fridays - We supply all materials (no out-of-pocket expenses!) - Employer sponsored conference and workshop attendance for professional development - Supportive and collaborative co-workers Mission Milestones, Inc. cultivates the potential of every student and young adult by recognizing their strengths, unique needs, and learning differences. Our goal is to ensure that each individual reaches their highest level of success by connecting them to new learning opportunities that help achieve greater independence, foster self-confidence, and create meaningful relationships at school and beyond. Join our team today! Please submit your resume and cover letter via SchoolSpring to be considered for this position.

Salary : $75,000 - $85,000