School Based Special Education Director

Neighborhood Charter Schools•New York, NY

14d•$135,000 - $150,000•Onsite

About The Position

Neighborhood Charter Schools (NCS) is a public charter school network rooted in Harlem and the Bronx, serving students in an intentionally designed, inclusive learning community. NCS is built on a simple but powerful belief: every child deserves to be known, valued, and supported as their full self. Our schools operate as a true neighborhood model, grounded in deep relationships with families and a commitment to belonging for every student. What distinguishes NCS is an inclusive-by-design approach. Classrooms, schedules, and supports are intentionally built to serve autistic students, multilingual learners, students with IEPs, and general education students together. Inclusion is not a program or an add-on—it is the foundation of how our schools function and how students experience learning every day. As NCS expands from a K–8 network to a K–12 system, the launch of its first high school marks a defining moment for the organization. This next chapter requires greater coherence across schools, clarity around vision and systems, and senior leadership to ensure quality and consistency as the network grows. The School-Based Director of Special Education is responsible for ensuring that all scholars with disabilities are supported to reach their full potential through rigorous, differentiated instruction and the faithful implementation of NCS’s special education programs at the school level. This role oversees and coaches school-based special education leaders and service providers, including Special Education Coordinators, Mental Health and Behavior Program Managers, and speech-language pathologists, while collaborating closely with school leadership to ensure strong instructional practice and compliance. The Director designs, implements, and monitors school-based special education systems in partnership with other team members. Additionally, the Director supports autism program fidelity, family partnership, professional development, assessment accommodations, and enrollment processes, creating the conditions for equitable, inclusive, and high-quality special education programming across the campus.

Requirements

Master’s degree required
Proven effectiveness as a special education teacher and/or service provider
Strong knowledge and experience in best practices for students with disabilities, including autistic students
A commitment to contributing to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive setting
Effective organizational and time management skills
Collaborative mindset and ability to work productively with all stakeholders
Effective communicator in public and interpersonal settings

Nice To Haves

NYS professional certification preferred
NYS SBL/SDL certification preferred, or willingness to participate in an accredited SBL/SDL program to pursue certification
A minimum of 2 years of school leadership and professional management experience

Responsibilities

Directly manages Special Education Coordinators, Mental Health and Behaviors Program Managers, and SLPs under the guidance of the Managing Director of Special Education
Completes evaluation documents for all direct reports
Collaborates and communicates with the school-based leader team in regards to special education matters.
Ensures day-to-day special education compliance, dependent on teacher and student attendance, in conjunction with the school-based leader team
Works with the Special Education Project manager and the special education coordinators to ensure case management systems are effectively implemented at the school-based level.
Develops and maintains professional working relationships with outside agencies in regards to case management (i.e., Committee on Special Education, RCM healthcare, Department of Education).
Special education records management and data tracking
Assist with per-pupil billing as needed
Maintenance of school-based special education documentation and compliance
Monitors classroom special education ratios to ensure equity and inclusion
Ensures implementation of 12:1 programming across full-day and half-day models
Works alongside the intervention specialist and school-based leader team to ensure 12:1 instructional consistency and effectiveness
Manages and refines all school-based tier 3 behavioral systems, including the development of FBAs, implementation of BIPs, behavioral data tracking and management, and paraprofessional management and coaching.
Manages effective collaboration with the school-based Culture team, ensuring effective transition from tiers 2 to 3.
Works alongside the Special Education projects manager to ensure consistency in related service delivery and scheduling
Directly supervises school-based SLPs in an evaluative capacity
Serves as a direct resource for on-campus related service providers
Works alongside the Autism Program Specialist to ensure consistency in Social Club provision and teacher attendance
Works to maintain and continue effective use of Social Thinking language and concepts across the K-8 program.
Serves as a parent resource and support for Autism related concerns at the school-based level
Serve as a school-based liaison and resource during enrollment season by participating in informational sessions for families
Work alongside the operations team to carry out organization-wide enrollment systems
Supports ASD enrollment alongside the Managing Director of Special Education, Special Education Projects Manager, and the Autism Program Specialist
Train special education coordinators and mental health and behavior specialists to effectively deliver feedback to teachers, providers, and paraprofessionals on best practices, under the structure and supervision of the Managing Director of Special Education.
Design, plan, and implement professional development for instructional staff in a structured and as-needed capacity.
Plan for, structure, and supervise special education consultant visits and observations
Work alongside the Managing Director of Special Education to develop and maintain systems of testing accommodations to ensure IEP compliance.
Collaborate and communicate with the school-based leader team and instructional leaders to understand and plan for upcoming assessments.
Support and implement proctoring and testing guidelines for special education students
Serve as a model and resource for Special Education Coordinators and the school-based leader team.
Build and maintain relationships with NCS families.
Provide family training and coaching within special education structures and processes, in collaboration with the Managing Director of Special Education.