Special Education Program Specialist (26-27SY)

Lighthouse Community Public Schools • Oakland, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

At Lighthouse Community Public Schools (LCPS), the mission is to prepare diverse students for college, a career of their choice, and to be lifelong changemakers. Founded in 2002, LCPS operates two high-achieving K-12 public charter schools, Lighthouse and Lodestar, serving nearly 1,600 students in East Oakland. LCPS is engaged in an educational movement focused on disrupting inequities by providing exceptional educational opportunities, grounded in core values of community, integrity, agency, love, and social justice, and rooted in the Expeditionary Learning Education Model. The Special Education Program Specialist role is a strategic and visionary leadership position focused on equity. This role ensures an exceptional education for all students, particularly those with disabilities, by monitoring and developing academic programs and facilitating data-driven, equity-focused teams. The specialist will partner with school site leaders to develop education specialists and student support aides, aiming for retention of a diverse, highly effective team and improved student outcomes. Key aspects include leading professional learning, coaching, and mentoring on special education and multi-tiered systems of support, managing complex special education cases with expertise in IDEA and Educational Code, and providing program oversight to fulfill commitments to students with disabilities. The role requires an equity lens in managing cases, data analysis, and addressing disproportionality, along with a commitment to innovation, problem-solving, and culturally aware collaboration.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required
• 5+ years of special education experience, including school psychologist, speech and language pathologist, education specialist, or special education administrator
• 2+ years of leadership and/or coaching experience required (e.g. leading professional development, participating on the leadership team, mentoring new teachers, etc.)
• Extensive knowledge and experience with special education law and best practices and serving students with disabilities

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree with emphasis in special education highly preferred
• Appropriate CA credential either in Special Education or Pupil Services, preferred
• Knowledge of El Dorado Charter SELPA and SEIS, preferred
• Spanish fluency, preferred

Responsibilities

• Support a portfolio of schools to implement a strong, inclusive, equity-focused special education program that leads to academic, behavioral, and social-emotional achievement outcomes for ALL students
• Oversee 1 or more specialized projects in the development of the special education and/or MTSS model
• Use data-driven approaches to develop, monitor, and improve the instructional program and ensure student growth and achievement
• Support complex cases by providing guidance and recommendations, offering consultation with the team, attending and facilitating staffing meetings, participating in IEP meetings, and/or facilitating IEPs
• Apply conflict resolution strategies with parents or other stakeholders to resolve disputes related to a student’s IEP, demonstrating knowledge of current IDEA and LCPS policy and procedures
• Provide ongoing monitoring, semi-annual caseload reviews, and feedback with education specialists regarding individualized education plans (IEPs) and IEP meetings, in order to ensure they are anchored in educational benefit and are IDEA compliant
• Consult and assist school based teams with designing an appropriate offer of a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment, including supporting with non-public school and residential treatment center placement
• Ensures a continuum of supports are provided in meeting the needs of students requiring behavior interventions, including the use of evidence-based pre-referral interventions, and the development of the BIP, if needed
• Collaborate with school-site leaders to support the implementation of IEPs and behavior intervention plans (BIPs)
• Remain up to date with special education research, law, and best practices
• Design and deliver professional development aligned to organization-wide and department-specific goals
• Provide 1:1 and group coaching and professional development to support the development of Education Specialists, in particular, new hires, Instructional Aides, and MTSS Coordinators
• Serve of an induction coach or intern mentor for assigned Education Specialists, if assigned
• Assists in recruiting and screening of special education and MTSS staff, in conjunction with the Sr. Director of Special Education
• Support in designing coaching and professional development structures for special education, related service providers, and MTSS staff
• Serve as direct supervisor or secondary supervisor of assigned special education staff, including MTSS Coordinators, Instructional Aides, Education Specialists, and other Related Service Providers
• Collaborate with leaders to develop systems and structures in support of MTSS, including data systems, COST processes, 504 plans, and attendance systems
• Coach MTSS Coordinators to implement MTSS processes
• Monitor the effectiveness of MTSS systems
• Design and lead trainings to enhance the impact of MTSS
• Demonstrate knowledge of, and support, LCPS mission, vision, value statements, standards, policies and procedures, operating instructions, confidentiality standards, and the code of ethical behavior
• Perform other related duties as required and assigned

Benefits

• competitive compensation and benefits package
• competitive salary
• generous health and retirement benefits (100% employee health coverage/50% for dependents; 8% employer-matching for retirement program; medical and dependent FSA)
• nearly 5 weeks of holidays in line with our academic calendar
• 10 days of paid time off in addition to generous sick and personal time off

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees