Special Education Lead Teacher

Position Summary

The Village School of North Bennington (VSNB) is a pre-K through sixth-grade independent town academy serving approximately 140 students in the North Bennington and Shaftsbury 1 district. The Special Education Lead Teacher is responsible for leading our educational support teams. A team may include the student’s teachers and family members, and the educational assessment or counseling professionals with whom the student may interact. A plan may be developed by the team to address the student’s particular  academic, social/emotional, or developmental needs. The Plan may be a 504 Plan, an Educational Support Plan, or an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The Special Education Lead Teacher chairs the team meetings at VSNB and is responsible, as the case manager and coordinator of services, for the relevant planning, follow-up and documentation. This position is for the full school year and in the summer as necessary (including but not limited to admin meetings, student support team meetings, student plan administration, and potentially summer school). 

Role Qualifications

A minimum of two years of experience in providing case management of 504 Plans, Educational Support Plans and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) is preferred. A Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Special Education is preferred. A deep understanding of early elementary reading and writing development, along with intervention strategies is preferred. The candidate must be licensed in Special Education in Vermont and maintain current understanding and working knowledge of Vermont’s special education laws. 

Responsibilities

1. Act as the special education contact person for inter-school communication, and as the liaison between VSNB and the SVSU.

2. Attend all meetings relating to special education or 504 planning, including acting as parent advocate, meeting with parents, educating parents about special needs rights, and educating parents about special education terminology and methodology.

3. Maintain and update special education and 504 files in accordance with the regulations of the State of Vermont. Coordinate and lead yearly meetings with parents, teachers, and administration to review and update students’ academic plans.

4. Develop IEPs and maintain records of goals, objectives, accommodations and data on progress for students with academic plans. Prepare and send reports of progress toward meeting the IEP objectives to parents and to the sending school districts as required.

5. Act as student advocate when there are:

a. transition issues which must be communicated to the teaching staff;

b. academic concerns (identified by family members, teachers, or the students themselves), and/or

c. accommodations for the student and/or modifications of the program to provide support for the student who requires additional assistance in order to succeed or to be challenged in his/her courses.

6. Act as teacher consultant, including writing summaries of student needs, distributing the summaries to teachers, educating teachers about student needs and special education terminology, providing mentorship around instructing supports for students on caseloads.

7. Serve on the Student Support Team with the School Counselor, Classroom Teacher, Nurse, and Head of School.

8. Provide direct instruction for students as specified in the IEP goals and objectives.

9. Serve as the Coordinator for Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at VSNB.

10. Serve as the SSD contact person for families with students at VSNB who wish to apply for testing accommodations.

11. Coordinate regular faculty professional development offerings to enhance student learning.

12. Supervise and support all Special Education Teaching Assistants.

APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL POSITION IS FILLED

• To apply for this position, send your cover letter and resume or CV to Head of School Tim Newbold at tnewbold@vsnb.org.

The Village School of North Bennington provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Mission

Children are at the heart of all we do. We nurture a child's curiosity, ignite enthusiasm for exploring, develop tools for inquiry, for invention, for achievement. We welcome families into a community-wide collaboration to help our children grow into their best selves - responsible citizens and stewards of the greater world, makers of the future.