Consultant (IDEA)

State Education Resource Center•Waterbury, CT

36d•Hybrid

About The Position

The State Education Resource Center (SERC) is seeking candidates for a full-time Consultant position responsible for designing and implementing programming under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The ideal candidate will have demonstrated knowledge and expertise in school and district leadership, special education instruction, secondary transition, and special education procedures and practices. The Consultant will also support additional SERC initiatives and programs. This position reports directly to the Center Coordinator for CT School Reform. At SERC, our mission is grounded in a deep and unwavering commitment to equity and social justice. We believe every student deserves access to educational opportunities that honor and reflect their unique identities, abilities, and experiences. No matter a student's race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, or background, we are dedicated to providing programs and services that empower, uplift, and inspire them. Through our resources, professional development offerings, and centralized library—core components of our legislative responsibility—we work to dismantle systemic barriers and foster environments built on compassion, accountability, and transformative change. Our team members, in collaboration with the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) and partners in school districts and community organizations, support educators, service providers, and families in strengthening their capacity to meet the diverse needs of all students. If you are passionate about being part of a team that works to make education more equitable and inclusive—and you value collaboration, innovation, and purpose—we would love to have you join us. SERC Consultants are instructional leaders who design, deliver, and evaluate high-quality professional development that supports the application of learning, systems change, and capacity building for educators and school leaders. SERC Consultants serve as agency liaisons to the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) and Local Education Agencies (LEAs). Through collaborative internal and external partnerships, Consultants operationalize SERC's vision of Equity-Excellence-Education by applying a lens of equity and 21st-century skills to all programming, technical assistance, and materials development. The Consultant will support and coordinate SERC's multiple internal and external professional learning initiatives that uphold research-based, data-focused, and outcomes-driven best practices in schools, communities, and organizations.

Requirements

Specific expertise, education, and experience in data-driven decision-making and data teams, curriculum and instruction, and special education, including strong knowledge of effective high-leverage, evidence-based strategies that meet the needs of students with disabilities.
Demonstrated teaching ability in heterogeneous and inclusive settings, including the necessary knowledge of IEP development, specially designed instruction, accommodations and modifications, assistive technology, accessible educational materials, and instructional and behavioral strategies to support all learners.
Experience designing, implementing, and facilitating leadership training on Planning and Placement Team (PPT) processes, team leadership, and facilitation skills, as well as professional learning sessions for general and special education administrators that strengthen their leadership knowledge of special education procedures and practices.
Experience planning and coordinating professional learning programs that are accessible, inclusive, and culturally relevant to participants' needs.
Working knowledge of professional learning standards is essential.
Expertise in transition planning services and supports for students with disabilities, specifically from middle school through postsecondary education.
Experience implementing and facilitating data teams, multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), and effective strategies that meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse learners in general education settings.
Strong project development and management skills; excellent interpersonal skills to work with diverse external stakeholders in support of the agency's mission; strong attention to detail; and the ability to work effectively and efficiently as part of an internal team of Consultants.
Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
Knowledge of: The educational needs of learners with disabilities, including access to academic instruction, secondary transition services, and curriculum.
Knowledge of: Systems change, implementation fidelity, coaching, and professional learning practices that build organizational capacity and ensure sustainability.
Knowledge of: Professional learning standards, adult learning theory, and differentiated learning models used to design and deliver effective professional learning that achieves intended outcomes.
Knowledge of: Federal and state laws, regulations, statutes, and policies related to students with disabilities, with particular emphasis on current laws and regulations governing secondary transition.
Skill in: Applying research-based instructional strategies that address the needs of learners with disabilities.
Skill in: Using quantitative and qualitative student, educator, and systems data to plan, inform, guide, monitor, and adjust programs and professional learning.
Skill in: Providing high-quality customer service and collaborative communication that is culturally responsive and accessible to diverse internal and external stakeholders.
Skill in: Facilitating the implementation of state-level policy, research-based practices, and sustainable systems change that support culturally and linguistically diverse learners.
Skill in: Communicating professionally and effectively, with strong written and verbal communication skills and exceptional attention to detail.
Ability to: Communicate and promote professional learning opportunities, services, products, resources, and programs.
Ability to: Develop funding opportunities and collaborate with funders to design and implement professional learning that achieves agreed-upon outcomes.
Ability to: Identify the intersection of equity (race, language, culture, and ethnicity) across all aspects of education and schooling to promote seamless connections and ensure coherence with the agency's vision of Equity-Excellence-Education.
Ability to: Demonstrate effectiveness in culturally responsive and inclusive educational settings.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate effectiveness in a collaborative, team-oriented environment while possessing initiative, self-motivation, and the ability to manage multiple priorities independently with minimal supervision.

Nice To Haves

A Sixth-Year Certificate or Doctorate is preferred

Responsibilities

Build collaborative relationships with internal and external partners, including state agencies, school districts, colleges, universities, and community organizations.
Assist in the development and implementation of programming for students with disabilities, including logistical planning, scheduling, management, and oversight of professional learning opportunities, services, and programs.
Coordinate and provide peer coaching, mentoring, modeling, and other forms of educational and instructional support designed to enhance academic success for students with disabilities.
Assist school administrators with district- and school-level strategic planning and programming that support the academic achievement of students with disabilities.
Maintain current knowledge of state and national issues, initiatives, and legislation related to the education of students with disabilities.
Plan and implement comprehensive program evaluations to develop, monitor, and continuously improve professional learning programs.
Identify the intersection of equity (race, language, culture, and ethnicity) within all aspects of education and schooling to promote seamless connections and ensure coherence with the agency's vision of Equity-Excellence-Education.
Demonstrate effectiveness in culturally responsive and inclusive educational settings.
Assist the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) with the facilitation of statewide secondary transition initiatives and workgroups.