What are the responsibilities and job description for the Specialized Programs Coordinator, Breathe (Behavioral and Social-Emotional Support) position at Portland Public Schools, Maine?
- Oversees a Breathe program model that is consistent across schools, and allows for students to receive appropriate services while maximizing access to general education and the school community
- Manages a successful collaboration model between the program teams, school leadership, and program staff
- Conducts school and program visits, observations, and meetings with school leadership and program staff on a regular basis
- Collaborates with school leadership in the observation and evaluation of program staff
- Serves as the LEA representative for related IEP meetings, as needed, in collaboration with school leadership
- Establishes robust communication practices that provide transparency and support to program staff and student families
- Leads case review meetings to consider student referrals to Breathe, as well as student movement out of the program
- Aligns program staff practices with district approach to creating and implementing quality IEPs and related plans (such as Behavior Intervention Plans)
- Monitors program compliance with all relevant special education law, including IEP documentation and timelines
- Liaises between school staff, families, and external community resources, as needed, to ensure wraparound support for all students
- Ensures that program staff receive meaningful professional learning opportunities that are aligned to adult learning theory and meet the needs of their students
- Collaborates with schools, Network teams, and other departments to integrate professional learning opportunities for all school staff (not just those working directly in the programs) in ways that create coherence for teachers and maximize student access to general education
- Models for staff, in the classroom, effective academic and behavioral interventions
- As part of the larger professional learning plan for the specialized programs, delivers training directly as needed
- Monitor Breathe program staffing and other resources across the district, and recommend any shifts to department leadership as needed based on enrollment or other changes
- Supervise the Breathe program budgets and assess whether purchase requests should be submitted for final approval to department leadership
- Equity orientation: Exhibits self-awareness around implicit bias, privilege, and issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Holds self and others accountable for supporting the district's goal of becoming an anti-racist organization, and willing to engage in self-inquiry and personal growth around these issues. Has high expectations for ALL students, especially students with exceptionalities.
- Mission aligned: Demonstrates alignment with the Portland Promise goals and values.l
- Special education expertise: Understands the continuum of supports and services available for all students, low-incidence disabilities, and needs for students in district specialized programs and students in out of district placements. Has thorough knowledge of Maine State Department of Education and Portland Public Schools policies, regulations, and procedures, Maine Unified Special Education Regulations, as well as federal and state legislation relating to the provision of student support services. Has knowledge of current trends and issues related to interagency services.
- Communicator: Is able to distill the most important information to convey to others in order to advance goals, and can determine the best methods for communicating based on message and audience. Can break things down for others to easily internalize. Has a general orientation towards transparency and proactive, explicit communication. Is highly responsive.
- Relationship builder: Has the ability to build strong, trusting relationships with a diverse group of people, including teachers, administrators, parents, and external partners.
- Collaborator: Is a highly effective collaborator. Orients towards spotting people’s ideas, strengths, and bright spots, and bringing those to the surface for others to learn from. Makes others feel engaged and that they have ownership of the work.
- Developer: Is a coach. Has great instincts around how to coach and develop others, including administrators, teachers, and support staff. Has experience developing people to change their practice. Is comfortable and adept at giving feedback and designing high impact training.
- Is an awesome teammate: Brings new strengths and perspectives to the Student Support Services and Academic teams. Seeks out opportunities to learn from colleagues and to support teammates. Takes ownership of own work and the team’s success.
- State of Maine certification 282 Teacher of Students with Disabilities required, endorsement 286 preferred
- Master's degree in special education, educational leadership, or other related field from an accredited college or university
- Three years of successful teaching or related experience in teaching students with exceptionalities, particularly students with significant disabilities (including teaching under the Maine 286 credential); expertise in serving students with significant social-emotional and behavioral needs highly preferred
- Two years of administrator or other significant leadership experience
- Other combinations of applicable education, training, and experience that provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities will be considered
- Light physical effort required; significant stamina required to handle long days
- Attendance at some evening meetings required
- Ability to manage stressful situations
- Extensive district-wide travel required
- Maine State fingerprint (CHRC) authorization (more info)
- Maine State Teacher Certificate:
- [Required] Endorsement 282 (Teacher of Students with Disabilities) (more info)
- [Preferred] Endorsement 286 (Teacher of Students with Severe Disabilities) (more info)
- Year-round position
- Full Time, 1.0 FTE
- Permanent
- Reports to Director of Specialized Programs
- Not eligible for overtime
- Non-represented
JobID: 5057
Position Type:
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES/STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES COORDINATOR
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES/STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES COORDINATOR
Date Posted:
4/18/2025
4/18/2025
Location:
Central Office
Central Office
Date Available:
07/01/2025
07/01/2025
Closing Date:
05/15/2025
05/15/2025
POSITION OVERVIEW: Specialized Programs Coordinator, Breathe (Behavioral and Social-Emotional Support) - Central Office
Portland Public Schools serves a diverse student population of approximately 6,500 students across 17 schools, and operates several different specialized programs for our students with the most significant special needs. The Specialized Programs Coordinator, Breathe will be one of two coordinators reporting to the Director for Specialized Programs, and will directly support all of our school-based Breathe programs. These programs are for students who require substantial behavioral and social-emotional support, and while they can typically access some general education classes, are served in a self-contained setting for at least some of the day due to their significant behavioral need. A successful candidate will have a demonstrated passion for working with this population, and a deep commitment to positive school outcomes for all students.
The department has recently been focused on assessing our specialized programs and determining potential changes to the program designs, and we are seeking coordinators who can lead the implementation of this work as part of the central Specialized Programs team. The person in this role must be able to manage highly detailed work and collaborate effectively with staff and leaders across the district. It requires impeccable organizational and communication skills, and strong knowledge of best practices to improve outcomes for students with significant needs.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
Program Implementation
Staff Training and Support
Resource Management
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE:
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
CREDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: N/A
EMPLOYMENT DETAILS:
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Portland Public Schools is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws.
