Special Education Designee

DEPARTMENT: Special Education 

CONTRACT LENGTH: Full Time (200 Days)

REPORT TO: Director of Special Education and Assistant Director of Special Education

GRADE/LEVEL: K-8

POSITION SUMMARY
Under the supervision of the Director of Special Education and Principal, the Building Special Education Designee shall have knowledge of the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) Eligibility Criteria and Program Guidelines for Special Education; the ability to work successfully with students, parents, teachers and school personnel; and the ability to communicate student needs to parents and school personnel.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Reasonable Accommodations Statement:
To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Function Statement (s)

• To maintain accurate special education records and information; to include but not limited to –

a) scheduling and completing necessary due process paperwork for SPED conferences;
b) completing and submitting paperwork submission forms for due process paperwork;
c) conducting referrals and monitoring of placements, transfers, and drops;
d) copying and mailing or emailing special education due process information to families and teachers;
e) maintaining accurate special education records in the paperwork management system; and
f) contacting agencies to obtain previous school records or medical information for transfer students.

• To support school psychology specialists (SPSs) with observations of special education students across multiple settings
• To attend special education conferences scheduled in assigned building(s) or through online meeting platforms.
• To assist with developing the schedule for special education paraprofessionals assigned within each building.
• To meet with special education staff for: (a) collaboration, (b) procedure training, and (c) additional training as needed.
• To assist with dissemination of information from the Special Education Office to the special education staff in each building.
• To maintain indirect caseload and carry out responsibilities related to consulting teacher guidelines.
• Other duties as assigned by the Special Education Director or Assistant Special Education Director.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

• Accountability - Ability to accept responsibility and account for his/her actions
• Accuracy - Ability to perform work accurately and thoroughly.
• Adaptability - Ability to adapt to a change in the workplace
• Communication, Oral - Ability to communication effectively with others using the spoken word
• Communication, Written - Ability to communicate in writing clearly and concisely.
• Conflict Resolution - Ability to deal with others in an antagonistic situation.
• Creative - Ability to think in such a way as to produce a new concept or idea.
• Decision Making - Ability to make critical decisions while following district procedures.
• Detail Oriented - Ability to pay attention to the minute details of a project or task.
• Diversity Oriented - Ability to work effectively with people regardless of their age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion or job type
• Empathetic - Ability to appreciate and be sensitive to the feelings of others.
• Enthusiastic - Ability to bring energy to the performance of a task.
• Ethical - Ability to demonstrate conduct conforming to a set of values and accepted standards.
• Friendly - Ability to exhibit a cheerful demeanor toward others.
• Goal Oriented - Ability to focus on a goal and obtain a predetermined result
• Honesty/Integrity - Ability to be truthful and be seen as credible in the workplace
• Initiative - Ability to make decisions or take actions to solve a problem or reach a goal.
• Interpersonal - Ability to get along well with a variety of personalities and individuals
• Judgment - The ability to formulate a sound decision using the available information.
• Loyal - the trait of feeling a duty to the employer
• Organized - Possessing the trait of being organized or following a systematic method of performing a task
• Patience - Ability to act calmly under stress and strain, and of not being hasty or impetuous
• Presentation Skills - Ability to effectively present information publicly
• Regular Attendance - Exhibiting regular attendance in order to perform duties in a satisfactory manner.
• Reliability - The trait of being dependable and trustworthy
• Responsible - Ability to be held accountable or answerable for one’s conduct
• Self-Motivated - Ability to be internally inspired to perform a task to the best of ones’ ability using his or her own drive or initiative.
• Tactful - Ability to show consideration for and maintain good relations with others.
• Team Builder - Ability to convince a group of people to work toward a goal
• Working Under Pressure - Ability to complete assigned tasks under stressful situations.

 
SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Education Bachelor’s Degree (four year college or technical school) Required, Field of Study; Special Education; Master’s Degree Preferred, Field of Study, Special Education or related fied.

• Experience (3)three years of successful teaching, ladership or supervison experience with proven Special Education understanding and classroom performance expectations.

• Computer Skills Shall be able to demonstrate an acceptable level of proficiency with computers and programs associated with the position.

• Certifications & Licenses Must have a current Arkansas Teaching license(preferred). 

OTHER REQUIRMENTS

• Successful completion of pre-employment background checks
• Appropriate personal and professional conduct at all times around parents, students, and other staff members.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Most job responsibilities for this position are performed in an indoor school environment that is temperature controlled (heated and cooled) according to the season. Noise levels are mostly low to moderate.

It is the policy of the West Memphis School District not to discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, or disability in its educational programs, activities, or employment practices.