Program Manager, Special Education Compliance

San Diego Unified School District•San Diego, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

San Diego Unified School District is seeking leaders who are deeply committed to students, inspire their colleagues through collaborative leadership, and are dedicated to the communities they serve. The District is looking for leaders who champion educational equity and strive to create access and opportunity for students furthest from educational justice. Successful candidates will demonstrate strong instructional leadership skills, a solid understanding of school operations, and the ability to build robust relationships with all members of the school community. The Program Manager, Special Education Compliance will be responsible for planning, implementing, and monitoring compliance programs to ensure adherence to federal and state laws, mandates, regulations, and District policies related to Special Education. This role involves providing instructional and technical guidance to site and department administrators and staff, coordinating and conducting compliance monitoring and corrective actions, and supporting the District's response to due process matters, complaints, investigations, and state oversight.

Requirements

Master's degree in special education, educational administration, or a related field
Four (4) years of leadership experience in delivery, oversight, and administration of specialized special education services within a school site or district environment.
Leadership experience must include direct oversight or administration of separate setting programs equivalent to the District's specialized models, including emotional and behavioral support and neurodevelopmental programs such as Extensive Support Needs (ESN) and Successful Transitions Achieved Through Responsive Support (STARS), Medically and Physically Challenged (MPC) or medically fragile protocols, Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), and Non-Public Schools (NPS) oversight and compliance.
Valid California Administrative Services Credential.
Online employment application
Completed online employment application submitted/received electronically by the closing date.
Application MUST include all required attachments, current and previous employment history and education to evaluate qualifications, and all other requirements identified in the recruitment and application questions.
Answer all application questions thoroughly, clearly, and concisely.
Contact information for all previous places of employment where you served in a certificated position must be listed under the 'Employment History' section of the application.
Provide a complete list of every school district, county office of education, charter school and/or state special school (also known as a Local Education Agency (LEA)) with which you have previously been employed, regardless of the length of service.
Contact information for three references must be listed in the 'Reference' section of the application.
Cover Letter / Letter of Intent
Resume reflecting current and past work and accomplishments.
A copy of your valid California Administrative Services Credential, or equivalent out-of-state administrative credential, MUST be attached to your submitted online application.
If you are currently enrolled in an Administrative Services Credential program, you must attach verification of enrollment from the CTC-approved university/ program with the anticipated program completion date.
If you are currently in the process of obtaining an Administrative Services Credential by achieving a passing score on the California Preliminary Administrative Credential Examination (CPACE), you must attach a copy of the official score report.
If you are scheduled to take the CPACE, you must submit a copy of the confirmation of the scheduled exam date(s).

Nice To Haves

Experience interpreting and applying special education law, regulations, and compliance requirements is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Lead, coordinate, and execute corrective action plans across school sites, special education staff, and departments to ensure full compliance with directives issued by the California Department of Education (CDE), the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and other regulatory entities.
Develop, implement, and oversee data-driven monitoring systems to track corrective action compliance indicators and timelines; audit and report individual education program (IEP) compliance.
Coordinate the provision, documentation, and tracking of compensatory education services in collaboration with school sites and program staff to ensure compliance with settlement agreements and corrective action requirements.
Support the District's due process and complaint response functions; gather records, analyze facts, coordinate timelines, draft summaries, and collaborate with District leadership and legal counsel to ensure systemic compliance.
Provide comprehensive guidance, technical assistance, coaching, and training to administrators, special education teams, and staff regarding special education compliance requirements, due process, Manifestation Determination Reviews (MDRs) protocols, procedural safeguards, documentation standards, and implementation of corrective actions.
Participate in state, regional, and District special education-related compliance reviews, audits, complaint investigations, and monitoring activities; coordinate collection and submission of required documentation.
Collaborate with site administrators and Special Education program staff to ensure required services, supports, and documentation are delivered and maintained in accordance with timelines and student needs.
Monitor implementation of corrective action plans resulting from complaints, investigations, due process matters, compliance reviews, mediations, settlements, and internal audits.
Review and analyze records, data, and service documentation to identify compliance trends, systemic patterns, and areas of operational risk; prepare comprehensive statistical, narrative, and compliance reports for District leadership and regulatory agencies, utilizing findings to recommend proactive procedural or program improvements that strengthen compliance, consistency of practice, and student service delivery.
Serve as a liaison among departments, schools, families, outside agencies, and legal or regulatory entities to facilitate resolution of compliance findings and continuity of services.
Develop written procedures, guidance documents, and monitoring tools to support standardization of special education compliance practices across the District.
Prepare and deliver presentations, reports, and recommendations to District leadership, site administrators, and stakeholder groups regarding compliance status, findings, risks, and improvement strategies.
Supervise, support, and evaluate the performance of assigned staff.
Perform related duties as assigned.