Director, Special Education Teacher Residency Program

Fairfield University•Fairfield, CT

10h•Hybrid

About The Position

Fairfield University’s School of Education and Human Development is developing a clinically rich, equity-centered Special Education Teacher Residency Program in partnership with local districts to recruit, train, mentor, and certify the next generation of special educators. The Director of the Special Education Teacher Preparation Residency Program will lead the creation and implementation of this innovative graduate level residency model, designed to prepare aspiring special education teachers through fieldwork, coursework, mentorship, and community partnerships. The Director will oversee every aspect of the residency initiative from program design and district collaboration to candidate recruitment, supervision, and continuous improvement. Grounded in Fairfield University’s Jesuit principle of cura personalis, the program will prioritize the development of highly skilled, reflective, and compassionate special educators prepared to serve students with disabilities in high need school communities. This is a unique opportunity to build a first of its kind program at Fairfield University and to play a leading role in strengthening the pipeline of diverse, well prepared special education teachers for districts with critical staffing needs.

Requirements

Master's degree in special education, education or Educational Leadership
CT State Certification in education
minimum five (5) PK-12 experience
Demonstrated experience coaching teachers or teacher candidates with measurable impact on instructional practice
Experience designing and facilitating professional development for adult learners
Experience managing multi-faceted teams including administrators, educational professionals, faculty, staff, and students
Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion with a professional record of work in or alongside historically underserved communities
Strong written and oral communication skills
Experience working with grant-funded programs
proficiency in data management and grant reporting

Nice To Haves

Doctoral degree (Ed.D. or Ph.D.) in Special Education or a related field
Certification in Special Education
Experience teaching in an urban or high-needs school
Direct experience within a formal teacher residency program (any role)
Familiarity with Connecticut's Alliance District framework, the TEAM mentoring program, and CT SDE educator preparation requirements
Established relationships with CT school communities
higher education experience a plus

Responsibilities

Design the residency model and gradual-release framework; develop all guiding program documents, handbooks, rubrics, and milestone calendars.
Partner with ESTP faculty and the department chair to align or redesign courses and shepherd curriculum through the university's approval process.
Manage the Year 1 program budget; maintain complete records and serve as primary liaison to the funder and grants office at Fairfield University.
Collaborate across ESTP on marketing, communications, and institutional visibility.
Create culturally responsive recruitment targeting preservice candidates, with specific outreach to paraprofessionals and long-term substitutes in partner districts.
Coordinate admissions with Fairfield University Graduate Admissions in alignment with SEHD and CT SDE educator preparation requirements.
Design professional learning for the residency cohort; Create tracking and reporting systems.
Serve as Fairfield's primary liaison to school districts; build sustained relationships with district leadership, principals, and mentor special education teachers.
Design and deliver mentor teacher professional development; coordinate distribution of mentor stipends.
Design and maintain a data system tracking all required indicators; Submit accurate, on schedule reports to the funder with narrative analysis of program impact.