24-25 Elementary Special Education Program Specialist - Autism

At YES Prep, work for a mission that impacts the life trajectory of students and their families. YES Prep creates pathways to extraordinary opportunity through best-in-class development, competitive compensation and benefits, and recognition for your impact. Grow as an authentic leader and be part of an equity driven, team-oriented culture.

• 19,500 Students
• 2,100 Team Members
• 15 Secondary Campuses
• 9 Elementary Campuses
• 92% Students Who Qualify for Free/Reduced-Price Lunch
• 96% Hispanic & African-American Students
• 90% Students Who Are Accepted to a 4-Year University
• 88% First-Generation College Students
• Ranked in the Top 100 High Schools in the Nation, U.S. News & World Report

We serve the students of Houston, Texas, the 4th largest city across the United States. There are over 20 public-school districts and other great public charter school options within Houston’s city limits serving our increasing population. We are a rapidly growing organization, committed to creating life-changing opportunities for over 23,000 students by 2025.

with a diverse set of experiences, to make our mission a reality. As a YES Prep employee, you will achieve jaw-dropping results, create pathways to opportunity for our students, build transformative relationships, and eliminate educational inequities to advance social justice.

To put it simply, you will lead the vision and execution of the full continuum of services for students identified with autism, from inclusive practices to self-contained specialized programs.

• Developing the program alongside the Director of Elementary Special Education for Special Education autism supports in a way that ensures ALL students have support through high quality programming, staff development and data-driven decision making, leading to equitable access to an excellent education, with the goal of increasing college readiness in every grade level
• Designing an elementary Special Education autism program that defines the full continuum of services & codifies our instructional and support approach to academics and behavioral interventions to achieve excellent student outcomes at the system and campus level and maximize inclusive practices
• Collaborating intensively with secondary behavior program leaders to align supports and the student and family experience from Pre-K to 12th grade
• Aligning all aspects of curriculum, instructional resources, assessment, and teacher development for serving students in Special Education autism programs towards excellent student outcomes in underserved communities for students of color
• Managing elementary SOAR program for students who need self-contained Special Education sensory supports to prepare to transition to full inclusion
• Setting the vision for effective instruction in SOAR classrooms, and procure resources, manage program budgets, develop curriculum, and coach teachers & leaders to execute on the vision in daily instruction
• Monitoring and supporting the execution of grade-level curriculum in SOAR and create curricular materials where needed to support student achievement
• Collaborating with the Home Office Assessment team to ensure SOAR teachers execute district assessments, and assist teachers in collecting and analyzing student achievement data to drive instructional decisions
• Providing lesson planning support to SOAR teachers, including teaching model lessons
• Leading development of Home Office and campus staff by writing & leading sessions on system professional development days, in collaboration with other Home Office content leaders
• Collaborating with the School Psychology team to manage contracted service providers who support students with autism, including Registered Behavior
• Technicians and Board-Certified Behavior Analysts, in order to achieve rigorous student outcomes
• Collaborating intensely with the Elementary School Culture Team to develop, implement and monitor a district-wide plan to provide appropriate support services and ensure equitable outcomes in school discipline
• Providing in-the-moment coaching and support for students with escalated behavior needs as needed at all elementary YES Prep campuses
• Completing Functional Behavior Assessments that include observations, data collections, interviews, and assessment creation
• Assessing student behavioral needs to create interventions with research-based strategies to increase appropriate behaviors
• Advising campus leaders on specific adjustments to Behavior Intervention Plans, student safety plans & IEPs and train teachers & leaders to execute plans with fidelity
• Communicating regularly and effectively with campus leaders and collaborate to align feedback and support of staff, families and students
• Modeling effective teaching strategies for students identified with autism and coach teachers to replicate strategies
• Attending staffing and ARDs when appropriate to assist campus staff in the development of IEPs for students with behavior & sensory needs
• Working with campus staff and district administrators to provide parent training and parent involvement activities that support the acquisition of preferred behaviors for their child
• Coordinating Extended School Year services to students who have behavior needs
• Additional duties as assigned.

• Experience with self-contained autism programming
• Experience working with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)
• At least 3 years of exemplary Special Education teaching experience
• Outstanding record of student achievement results
• Texas Educator Special Education Certification or equivalent certification in another U.S. state or territory.
  • There are several acceptable ways to meet this requirement, but to snag this role you must do one of the following:
    • Hold a standard Texas Teaching Certification
    • Hold a valid Teacher Certification in another state/country
• Strong ability to navigate web-related applications and technology
• Ability to work outside of normal hours and on weekends

• Belief in and commitment to the mission and core value of YES Prep Public Schools
• Openness to giving and receiving frequent feedback
• Ability to maintain emotional control under stress
• Ability to work urgently in a fast-paced and results-oriented environment
• Creates and maintains positive working relationships on a team and/or in a highly collaborative environment
• A dedication to learn, grow, and develop as a professional

• Belief in and commitment to the mission and core values of YES Prep Public Schools
• Desire to disrupt systemic status quos in education
• Willingness to go above and beyond to disrupt said status quos
• Passion to develop resiliency through a relentless pursuit of jaw-dropping results
• Conviction that high expectations high accountability = high performance and high growth

• Bilingual (Spanish)
• Experience with self-contained behavior programming and/or students identified with Emotional Disturbance
• Board Certified Behavior Analyst
• Experience with teacher coaching or evaluation (department head, mentor or coach)
• Experience planning and delivering professional development to adults
• Current CPI, SafetyCare or similar de-escalation program certification
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks and initiatives at once

• Compensation – This position is an exempt, salaried position; offers commensurate with experience.

• Health and Supplemental Insurance – A $0 monthly medical option that includes $600 towards a Health Savings Account, in addition to a variety of supplemental benefits including Dental, Vision, Disability, Life, etc. Employees must work 20 hours a week to be eligible for a full spectrum of benefits, and 10 hours a week minimum for medical benefits.

• 
  Retirement Plans – Participation in Teacher Retirement System of Texas and a 457b Retirement Plan.

• 
  Paid Time Off – Employees working 20 hours a week receive 15 days of Paid Time Off in addition to the system closures during the Academic Calendar.

• 
  Paid Leave Programming – In the event you need to be out due to medical needs (including maternity and paternity leave), YES Prep offers paid leave, paid out at 100%, based on eligibility and tenure.

• Professional Development - YES Prep values longevity and performance over time. We invest in developing leaders through high-quality programs, effective coaching, and ongoing professional development.

• Award Winning Culture – The strong cultures of our campuses and Home Office are just one of many reasons we were named Houston’s Best Place to Work in 2018, 2019, and 2021. We won the 2012 Broad Prize for Excellence in Urban Education and were a 2016 finalist as well.