Dean of Special Populations (27-28 School Year)

Fort Worth STEAM Academy•Fort Worth, TX

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Fort Worth STEAM Academy is seeking a Dean of Special Populations for the 27-28 school year. This tuition-free public charter middle school in East Fort Worth aims to prepare students for success through a rigorous STEAM-focused education, a joyful culture of high expectations, and strong community partnerships. The Dean of Special Populations will lead the Special Education, Emergent Bilingual (EB), and Section 504 programs, ensuring high-quality services and compliance with all federal, state, and local requirements. This role involves owning Special Education compliance and case management, including ARD meetings, IEP implementation, service-minute tracking, related services coordination, progress monitoring, and coding. The Dean will also serve as the EB Coordinator, leading LPAC processes and monitoring EB student progress, and as the Section 504 Coordinator, overseeing required meetings, plans, and implementation. Additionally, the Dean will maintain an instructional coaching load, directly supporting two Special Education Teachers and one Reading Interventionist to improve instruction and student outcomes. Success in this role is defined by 100% compliance with timelines and documentation, 100% implementation and monitoring of required student services, strong student progress toward goals, accurate special populations coding, and meaningful contributions to schoolwide academic goals.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
Valid Texas Special Education teaching certification.
3–5+ years of successful experience in Special Education teaching, case management, compliance, or special populations leadership.
Strong working knowledge of ARD/IEP processes, Special Education timelines, service delivery, progress monitoring, accommodations, and documentation.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple compliance timelines and maintain accurate student records.
Experience analyzing student data and using it to improve instruction and intervention.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to facilitate meetings with families and staff.
Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to proactively identify and address compliance risks.
Ability to coach and develop teachers while maintaining high expectations for student outcomes.
Commitment to FWSA’s mission: a safe, structured, joyful school with rigorous STEAM learning for all.
Valid Texas Special Education teaching certification.
DPS fingerprint clearance per Texas Education Code §22.0835.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Special Education, Educational Leadership, School Administration, or a related field.
Texas Principal certification.
Experience serving as a Special Education Coordinator, Special Populations Coordinator, department chair, or comparable leadership role.
Experience facilitating ARD committees and overseeing Special Education compliance in a Texas public or charter school.
Experience with LPAC processes, TELPAS, EB compliance, and monitoring EB student progress.
Experience coordinating Section 504 meetings, plans, and implementation.
Experience supervising or coaching Special Education Teachers and interventionists.
Familiarity with Texas PEIMS Special Education and EB coding requirements.
Experience coordinating contracted related service providers.
Bilingual Spanish.
ESL certification.

Responsibilities

Lead all Special Education programming, case management, and compliance.
Coordinate and facilitate ARD meetings and ensure evaluation, IEP, and required notice timelines are met.
Monitor IEP implementation, student progress, accommodations, and service-minute delivery.
Coordinate evaluations and related services with internal and contracted providers.
Ensure Special Education records, documentation, and coding are complete, accurate, and audit-ready.
Serve as FWSA’s EB Coordinator and lead all required LPAC processes and meetings.
Oversee student identification, placement, review, reclassification, and monitoring.
Coordinate required language proficiency assessments, including TELPAS.
Maintain accurate LPAC documentation, parent communication, timelines, and student coding.
Monitor EB student progress and partner with teachers to ensure appropriate linguistic supports are implemented.
Serve as FWSA’s Section 504 Coordinator and facilitate required committee meetings.
Oversee referrals, evaluations, eligibility determinations, plan development, annual reviews, and reevaluations.
Maintain accurate Section 504 documentation and required timelines.
Ensure accommodations are communicated to staff and implemented with fidelity.
Monitor student progress and address concerns related to implementation or student access.
Directly manage and coach two Special Education Teachers and one Reading Interventionist.
Conduct regular observations and provide clear, actionable feedback.
Lead regular check-ins focused on student progress, service delivery, intervention data, and compliance priorities.
Coach staff on specially designed instruction, intervention, accommodations, progress monitoring, and inclusive practices.
Partner with the Dean of Instruction to strengthen instruction and intervention for students receiving additional support.
Build strong relationships with families and serve as a knowledgeable point of contact for Special Education, EB, and Section 504 programs.
Communicate student progress, services, and required processes clearly and respectfully with families.
Collaborate with school leaders, teachers, evaluators, PEIMS staff, and related service providers to coordinate student supports and meet required timelines.
Proactively identify compliance, service-delivery, and student-progress concerns and ensure appropriate follow-through.
Support state monitoring, audits, record requests, and other special populations compliance reviews.