High School Special Education Coordinator

Opportunities for 2024-2025: Massachusetts High School Campus, East Boston, MA

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Description

Organizational Overview  

Excel Academy was founded in 2003 with the mission to provide a high-quality education to students in East Boston and Chelsea Massachusetts, communities that are predominantly low-income and Latinx and historically have faced significant social and educational barriers. Our success in Massachusetts is proof that the opportunity gap can be closed and we opened a new school in Rhode Island in 2022.  At Excel Academy Charter Schools, we believe that when a student has the support and tools to pursue a productive post-secondary pathway aligned to their personal identity and values, it can fundamentally change their life trajectory.    

At Excel Academy we learn from our students, families, and staff and make improvements. We have increasingly adapted to provide a holistic education that values our community as collaborators in the learning process, social-emotional support, equity for diverse learners, and fosters identity development. We prioritize an approach that is both rigorous and inclusive. Our team of passionate, intelligent, driven, and loving staff are at the core of the work we do.   

Growth Happens Here.  

About the Role 

The Special Education Coordinator role is designed to facilitate the processes related to special education at Excel Academy Charter High School. The Learning Specialist and Coordinator collaborate to advise the special education team to ensure that the needs of all students are being met and that services are aligned and in compliance with students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

This is a hybrid role and employees must be able to work onsite at least 3 days per week. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Evaluation and Individualized Education Program (IEP) Process Responsibilities  

  • Coordinate and execute all aspects of the new or triennial evaluation process according to state and federal deadlines;
  • Manage compliance paperwork across grade levels (e.g. IEPs, Input Forms, IEP Progress Reports, evaluation waivers, extended evaluations, etc.) to ensure deadlines are met and information is accurately recorded;
  • Develop and oversee process for reviewing evaluations prior to the team meeting to ensure key stakeholders are able to understand eligibility questions, disability manifestations, appropriate goals, and support recommendations
  • Work with the School Psychologists and service providers to ensure the evaluation process aligns with the school’s student supports priorities
  • Write, amend, or revise IEPs for students who newly qualify for special education or who continue to be eligible at their triennial review, in accordance with team decisions.

 

Family Relations  

  • In consultation with the Learning Specialist, plan, schedule and chair all special education meetings with individual families, including but not limited to annual team meeting;
  • Document meeting notes (Summary of Team Meeting) and family communication
  • Provide parents the opportunity to evaluate team meetings, allowing them to vocalize whether or not they felt appropriately involved in all team decisions;
  • Gather feedback from families of special education students with end-of-year evaluation surveys; and
  • Send home evaluation summaries at least three days prior to evaluation team meetings for family to review.


Team Member Responsibilities  

  • Serve as a productive member of the Excel community;
  • Align student support services with the school’s mission and educational philosophy;
  • Participate in generating and upholding Excel Staff norms;
  • Provide coverage when needed;
  • Meaningfully participate in Friday meetings, school PD and Family Conferences
  • Serve as a Faculty Mentor for Mentor Group
  • Do whatever it takes to ensure that the mission of the school is fulfilled.

  

Qualifications  
  • A Bachelor’s degree is required; a Master’s degree preferred;
  • License or certification not required prior to start date but must be willing to work towards licensure in year 1: 
  • A minimum of two years’ teaching experience in an urban public school or charter school setting preferred, but not required.
 
   
Preference will be given to applicants who share points of intersection with our students, such as speaking Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, or a language commonly spoken by our students and families at an advanced level, being first generation college graduates, or having grown up low-income.    
  
Mission Alignment   
  • You share a commitment to and belief in all students and the mission of Excel Academy Charter Schools, including Excel’s values and educational model;
  • You are committed to addressing racial and economic inequity in education;
  • You work effectively in a team environment and have a willingness and desire to support others in doing their best work; and
  • You are open to change, are willing to problem-solve, and seek feedback for your own professional growth and improvement.

   

Excel Academy Charter Schools do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, ancestry, athletic performance, special need, proficiency in the English language or a foreign language or prior academic achievement.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received and candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

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