YES Prep Public Schools Careers

Job Description 

POSITION: Manager of Special Populations Compliance 

REPORTS TO:  Director of Special Populations Compliance 

POSITION TYPE: 12-month 

START DATE: Immediate 

COMPENSATION: $60,818 - $73,000, Home Office grade 5

EVERY OPPORTUNITY STARTS WITH A YES

Great schools begin with great people who believe every day is an opportunity to make a difference.  At YES Prep, you have an opportunity to join a family of diverse educators who are leveling the playing field by providing opportunities for a high-quality, college-forward curriculum while also ensuring our students feel supported through their academic journey and empowered to lead choice-filled lives. YES Prep is more than a family of public charter schools, it’s the future of public education—it’s an opportunity to say, “Yes, you can!”

Our campuses are advancing educational equity. Some quick stats about us:

•         18,800 Students

•         2,100 Team Members

•         17 Secondary Campuses

•         6 Elementary Campuses

•         92% Students Who Qualify for Free/Reduced-Price Lunch

•         96% Hispanic & African-American Students

•         97% Students Who Are Accepted to a 4-Year University

•         88% First-Generation College Students

•         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, like KIPP Texas-Houston and IDEA Public Schools, 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.

THE OPPORTUNITY 

YES Prep needs a dynamic Manager of Special Populations Compliance, 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 ensure YES Prep complies with all federal and state laws and local procedures pertaining to special populations, provide crucial guidance and training to staff. Ultimately, your work guarantees our organization meets the needs of all YES Prep students with diverse needs.  

THE ROLE 

When you join the YES Prep team, some of the work and responsibilities will include: 

• Monitoring, advising, coaching, and training campus special populations staff, with emphasis on the ARD/IEP, Section 504, and Emerging Bilingual/LPAC and Bilingual Processes, including records retention and internal controls;   
• Advising and collaborating with concision and clarity regarding campus and system-level special populations staff on the implementation of federal and state regulations and updates to laws which pertain to special populations; 
• Monitoring and conducting internal audits of campus-level special populations data, records, and internal controls, public notices and developing plans regarding preventive and corrective actions;  
• Collaborating with different stakeholders in state and federal submissions and develop plans to address PEIMS, SPPIs, and other TEA reporting mandates.

• Developing and maintaining operating guidelines, forms, and other resources to assist staff in meeting special populations compliance requirements;  
• Developing and maintaining the Registrar & Attendance Clerk Manual, Student Handbook, Student Code of Conduct, and other internal communications and resources;   
• Possessing knowledge and have ability to troubleshoot and coach in IEP/504 software system
• Collaborating with government grants and finance staff on matters involving special education, emerging bilingual, and other related funding;  
• As assigned, serving as a liaison between YES Prep and government entities (e.g., TEA, Region 4 ESC) on special education populations compliance and engaging with peers in the education landscape; and  
• Additional duties as assigned. 

THE PERSON 

We seek staff with diverse backgrounds, talents, interests, and ideas. Certain traits consistently shine through for our most successful employees: passion for the mission, drive for results, care for students, and resilience. Other traits needed and desired for this role are:  

THE MUST HAVES: 

• Master’s degree from an accredited educational institution;  
• Standard Texas teaching certification in Special Education EC-12, EB (ESL/ELL) Certification, and/or other special education-related certifications; 
• Minimum three years of experience as a special education teacher and/or administrator or other relevant experience; 
• Skills and experience coaching adults and facilitating professional development in an academic environment; 

• Knowledge of conducting special education and 504 file reviews and creating comprehensive corrective action plans; 
• Knowledge of current special education data management system(s); 
• Experience creating data validation reports and using data tools such as Excel; 
• Proven track record of data analysis to solve problems and drive improvement; 
• Proven ability to manage projects, lead teams, and learn and utilize technological skills; 

• 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. 

THE MUST HAVE BELIEFS 

• 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 

THE NICE TO HAVES: 

• At least on year of experience with Section 504 
• EB (ESL/ELL) Certification 

• Pre-K experience  
• Knowledge of special education TSDS, PEIMS, SPP, and RDA data standards and reports 

THE PERKS 

• 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.  

WE ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO EQUITY & DIVERSITY 

YES Prep strives to recruit a diverse team of leaders. We believe there is a transformative academic and social benefit for students when their teachers and leaders reflect a diversity of backgrounds. Ninety-five percent (95%) of staff members agree that the organization provides a welcoming environment given their background and identity according to our latest system survey.  

YES Prep is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood.