Director of Special Services

The White River Valley Supervisory Union (WRVSU) is posting the search for the position of Director of Special Services. The WRVSU serves the schools and communities of Bethel, Chelsea, Granville, Hancock, Rochester, Royalton, Sharon, Stockbridge, Strafford, and Tunbridge. The WRVSU Director of Special Services provides oversight and leadership for intensive and targeted academic and social/emotional services in coordination with the Chief Academic Officer of MTSS and Intensive Programming System Support Coordinator. This involves coordination of all Pre-K through 12 special education services and activities. Including central office functions and oversight of special education related grants and transportation. The Director of Special Services works in coordination with principals to assist all staff in the implementation of our comprehensive system of supports. The Director of Special Services identifies and works collaboratively to systematically implement research based practices in order to improve student outcomes. The Director of Special Services will ensure that staff complies with all applicable State and Federal regulations and laws, and further ensure that proper reporting, accountability procedures and all required activities are carried out. The Director of Special Services in collaboration with the building principals, will oversee the hiring and supervision of all building based staff that provide intensive intervention/supports. Professional Standards: The Director of Special Services will meet or exceed the following Professional Standards as adopted by the Vermont Standards Board for Professional Educators: Develop, advocate and enact a shared mission, vision and core values of high-quality education. Act ethically and professionally in personal conduct according to professional norms. Strive for equality of educational opportunity and culturally responsive practices. Develop and support intellectually rigorous and coherent systems of curriculum, instruction and assessment. Cultivate an inclusive, caring and supportive school community. Develop the professional capacity and practice of school personnel. Foster a professional community of teachers and other professional staff. Engage families and the community in meaningful, reciprocal and mutually beneficial ways. Act as agent of continuous improvement. Core/Primary Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned. Supervisory Union Director responsibilities: Provide supervision in conjunction with building principals of Pre-K to 12 Special Education Staff and coordination of special education services throughout the Supervisory Union. Provide overall coordination of the Supervisory Union Special Education budget, Service Plan and financial reports. Provide overall coordination of IDEA-B, other related grants and Medicaid. Supports the Chief Academic Officer with the development and implementation of the WRVSU comprehensive plan for professional development. Provide overall coordination of Supervisory Union wide special education transportation. Assess the effectiveness of programs and service delivery models to ensure coordination with universal instruction. Ensure that all applicable Federal and State laws and regulations are followed and student education records are properly maintained. Ensure instructional practice that is intellectually challenging, authentic to student experiences, recognizes student strengths and is differentiated/ personalized. Uses assessment data to inform strategic planning Creates and sustains positive, collaborative and productive relationships with families and the community for the benefit of students. Deliver actionable feedback about instruction and other professional practice through valid, research-anchored systems of supervision and evaluation. Develop teachers’ and staff members’ knowledge, skills and practice. Strategically manage staff resources, assigning and scheduling teachers and staff to roles and responsibilities that optimize their professional capacity to address each student’s learning needs. Attend monthly meetings of the Supervisory Union board and appropriate committees. Plan/attend meetings of administrative teams, special education staff and other MTSS teams. Any and all other duties as assigned by the Superintendent of Schools to meet the goals of the WRVSU Board of School Directors Qualifications: The Director of Special Services must hold or be qualified for Vermont endorsement 3-86 (Director of Special Education). Evaluation: The Director of Special Services will be evaluated annually by the Superintendent in consultation with the Chief Academic Officer The timeline for hire is as follows: 1) Job Posting Friday, February 7th 2) Job Posting closes Friday, February 28th 3) First Round Interviews occur on Friday, March 7th 4) Superintendent Interviews two finalists week of March 10th 5) Superintendent recommends a finalist to the WRVSU Board for interview/hire week of March 10th