Assistant Director of Special Education: Program Improvement, Oversight and Monitoring

State of Washington•Olympia, WA

26d•$102,547 - $114,577•Hybrid

About The Position

The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) seeks to fill Assistant Director of Special Education for the Program Improvement, Oversight and Monitoring. This permanent full-time position is based in Olympia, Washington. This position may be eligible for partial to near full-time telework. Telework is a combination of in-building and off-site days. During your initial training period you will be required to be in the office 3 days a week. After you've completed your initial training, you may have the option to work from home on a flexible telework schedule. While we're happy to offer this balance of in-office connection and telework flexibility, this isn't a fully remote position. To be eligible, you'll also need to reside in the state of Washington. We encourage interested candidates to visit the OSPI website to gain insight into our agency. The Assistant Director for Special Education Program Improvement - Oversight & Monitoring is a leadership role responsible for supervising the onboarding and development of new Special Education Program supervisors and taking a leadership role in overseeing and supporting priorities that are central to educational benefit for students with disabilities, improvement efforts, and organizing federal monitoring within the Special Education division and including for the program improvement team. This position plays a pivotal role to ensure that local education agencies (LEAs) comply with federal and state special education requirements in regard to special education services and that large scale improvement efforts (i.e., statewide IEP, coordination across agencies for transition, early childhood programs) have adequate oversight and monitoring. Additionally, the Assistant Director collaborates across teams to enhance Washington State's general supervision system, focusing on student outcomes and ensuring comprehensive and accountable special education programming from ages P-22.

Requirements

Master's degree or higher in Special Education, Child Development, Educational Leadership or education related field.
At least three (3) years of administrative experience in special education, at the local, state, or federal level.
Two (2) or more years experience demonstrated oversight and leadership of project implementation.
Teamwork: Contribution to the development, cohesion and productivity of the Program Improvement Team, supporting teamwork and cooperation through open communication with all members of the special education department and helping others.
Personal Development: Participating in meetings in an active, cooperative, and courteous manner. Making effective oral presentations, writing clearly and succinctly. Demonstrating understanding and empathy towards others.
Self-Management: Effective and efficient use of work time, exhibiting integrity and honesty, and working effectively in a diverse work environment.
Judgment: Display balanced thinking that combines wisdom, analysis, experience, and perspective.
Stress tolerance: Effectively handle stressful or adverse situations, making good decisions, working calmly and accurately, and working to calm others.
Accountability: Provide advanced-level leadership in the oversight, monitoring, and evaluation of special education programs, including identifying noncompliance, determining corrective actions, and ensuring timely resolution in alignment with state and federal IDEA requirements.
This position requires the ability to travel statewide, occasional out-of-state travel for national events, participation in necessary in-person meetings, and a flexible schedule that may include evenings, weekends, and occasional extended hours for on-site reviews.
This role requires spending at least two days in the office each month, along with participating in scheduled trainings and team or all-staff meetings.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in Special Education, Education Studies, MPA, MPP or related field.
Five (5) or more years of administrative experience in special education, at the local, state, or federal level.
2 or more years of supervisory experience.
Experience working with diverse and underserved populations.
Strong background and experience in the field of special education at the local, regional, or state level, including policy and guidance.
Ability and willingness to travel statewide and come into the office for necessary in person meetings.
Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to make clear presentations to diverse groups.
Strong project management skills.
Experience leading and implementing broad-level systems changes

Responsibilities

General Supervision System: Ensure the division's general supervision system is comprehensive, and focused on positive student outcomes by coordinating team efforts and ensuring all elements of monitoring, corrective actions, and reporting are functioning effectively and cohesively
Program Reviews: Provide leadership for on-site program reviews of local districts and other public agencies that receive federal funding to ensure compliance with special education requirements on behalf of eligible students.
Desk Reviews: Provide leadership for desk reviews of program compliance data and information for local school districts and public agencies, identifying areas for program improvement and ensuring adherence to federal and state regulations.
Report Development: Analyze state-wide data collected from on-site and desk reviews to inform statewide program improvement efforts and create reports to effectively communicate priorities based on this data.
Federal Special Education Monitoring: Organize and lead efforts across the Special Education division to maintain and enhance the state's general supervision system, ensuring that systems are student-focused, and outcome-driven.
Team Leadership and Supervision: Provide guidance and support for program improvements and compliance activities and working closely with the Executive Director of Special Education. Directly supervise members of the Program Improvement Team, ensuring their efforts align with the division's goals and objectives. This includes supervision and the continuing to develop the infrastructure for an internal Early Childhood Special Education team that partners closely with Early Childhood Education and the broader program improvement team, ensuring strong coordination of services under IDEA Part B Section 619 and ties to division improvement efforts. This team will provide technical assistance and monitoring within Washington's mixed-delivery system-including school districts, child care providers, and Head Start programs-to strengthen inclusive practices, ensure compliance, and expand access to high-quality early learning experiences for young children with disabilities.
Collaboration and Coordination: Work closely with other division teams and agency members to ensure coordination of program review findings with broader policy and program goals, contributing to the development of corrective action plans and system improvements. Take on a more active leadership role overseeing the OSPI liaison roles for statewide Education Service District (ESDs) to provide support directly to the ESDs and to regional Special Education liaisons so they can effectively support ESDs related to oversight and monitoring for special education leaders.
Provide Project Management Structures to Large Scale Improvement Efforts: This role provides project management leadership for the division's large-scale improvement initiatives.
Lead Federal Special Education Monitoring: Provide leadership and organization for the division's federal special education monitoring efforts, facilitating collaboration across teams and ensuring a focus on accountability, student benefits, and program effectiveness.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Assistant Superintendent/Executive Director of Special Education.

Benefits

Washington State offers a generous benefit package including health, dental and life insurance, retirement and an optional deferred compensation program.
We support a healthy work/life balance by offering flexible/alternative work schedules and mobile and telework options.
We have a tuition assistance policy and support employees seeking tuition waiver through participating higher education organizations.
We have an Infant at Work Program that is based on long-term values of newborns and infant-parent bonding. Eligible employees who are new parents or legal guardians can bring their infant (six weeks to six months) when returning to work.
We value and are actively involved in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within OSPI by way of cross-divisional, collaborative committee.

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