Director Of Special Education

The Learning Community • Central Falls, RI

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Learning Community seeks a collaborative, dedicated Director of Special Education to lead its special education program and ensure students with learning disabilities receive high-quality instruction and support. The role includes part-time administrative support, including clerical assistance and help with LEA meetings alongside a special educator case manager.

The Director oversees a compliant, effective K–8 special education program and helps develop the Schoolhouse Project, a new high-support model for students with complex learning and emotional needs. This work includes building a team hub of expertise to support the broader school team and an instructional coach to help client schools implement best practices. The school is seeking a leader who is energized by innovation and by designing systems, practices, and partnerships that improve student outcomes.

The Director oversees services, IEP compliance and documentation, family meetings, outplacement logistics, student scaffolds and interventions, staff coaching and development, student evaluations and progress data, state testing accommodations, and Extended School Year (ESY) coordination. The position is based at The Learning Community Charter School in Central Falls, Rhode Island. It is full-time, with typical hours of 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. most days and 7:30 a.m.–4:45 p.m. on Wednesdays for whole-team meetings. Schedules may vary to meet family needs, and attendance at the August Summer Institute is required before each school year.

Requirements

• RI certification for district-level director of special education.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or resident, or have a work visa.
• Deep knowledge and experience managing a special education program, including mastery of relevant legal requirements and compliance practices.
• Knowledge of best practices and research-based interventions for K–8 students with a wide range of disabilities and support needs, and ability to translate a vision into action.
• Strong understanding of equity and inclusion, including how inequity appears in special and general education settings and how to engage families inclusively across race and other dimensions of identity.
• Excellent time-management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage compliance and program deadlines, track student progress, and project-manage the work of others.
• Professionalism, strong follow-through, and ability to deliver thorough, high-quality work on time or communicate proactively when commitments may be missed.
• Effective communication, trust-building, and influencing skills for working with teachers, students, and families and resolving competing expectations.
• Ability to educate, coach, and train families, leaders, teachers, and other staff through engaging, actionable training.
• Innovative and entrepreneurial mindset, including creativity, problem-solving, willingness to rethink traditional approaches, and ability to design systems, pilot ideas, learn from data, and collaborate on solutions.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all aspects of the special education program and ensure services are compliant and deliver their intended outcomes.
• Ensure eligible students consistently receive all IEP services, required documentation is completed and filed with the appropriate agencies, and family meetings occur as specified in IEPs, with translation support as needed.
• Oversee transportation and related logistics for students receiving outplacement services.
• Ensure students with IEPs receive appropriate scaffolds, interventions, and supports in classroom instruction and standardized assessments.
• Observe special education service delivery and coach special education teachers and others who work with students receiving special education services.
• Plan professional development, communicate needed changes in practice, provide timely actionable feedback, and model and share best practices, including collaboration between general and special education teachers.
• Conduct Kindergarten intakes and evaluate students for services as needed, working with the school psychologist.
• Ensure intervention systems and student progress data, including progress notes, are accurate, current, and tracked on time.
• Ensure state testing and accommodations for special populations are administered according to state mandates.
• Coordinate state testing with other directors, including RICAS, DLM, NGSA, and NAEP; enter student accommodations and train staff providing them.
• Coordinate and oversee Extended School Year (ESY).
• Help develop the Schoolhouse Project, including a high-support model for students with complex learning and emotional needs, a team expertise hub, and instructional coaching support for client schools.

Benefits

• Medical insurance: Learning Community pays 82% of the annual premium for single or family plans.
• Participation in the State of Rhode Island Teacher Pension Plan.
• $50,000 life insurance plan provided at no cost while employed.
• 10 paid sick days and 5 paid personal days per year.
• Optional vision and dental insurance, paid entirely by the employee.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed