Special Education Teacher - IHSCA

Institute For Latino Progress•Chicago, IL

1d•$62,610 - $119,310•Onsite

About The Position

Instituto Health Science Career Academy, in partnership with Chicago Public Schools (CPS), is dedicated to providing a world-class education for all students, ensuring they are college- and career-ready upon graduation. The school aims to offer high-quality, specially designed instructional supports and services for students with disabilities within the least restrictive environment. The special education teacher will collaborate to improve academic achievement by ensuring meaningful access to grade-level core instruction. This role involves providing appropriate, effective, and culturally relevant instruction for grades 9-12, aligned with state standards, SAT, and AVID College Readiness. The teacher will foster a safe learning environment that supports students' social-emotional growth and academics, ensuring individualized education plans (IEPs) are met.

Requirements

Completion of a Bachelor’s degree in special education and/or core area content
A valid Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) in one of the following areas: Special Education (PK-Age 21) endorsement (LBS1) or School Support Personnel endorsement with a supervisory endorsement
Five years of experience working with students with disabilities required
ICTS Basic Skills and Content Area tests successfully passed
Working knowledge of federal and state laws related to the education of Diverse Learners
Ability to maintain a high sense of confidentiality
Able to work with a wide variety of people
Team player and willing to take on multiple tasks at once and independent worker, requires minimal supervision
Exceptional organization and time management skills
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Maintain composure under pressure
Dependable and punctual
Strong project management skills, attention to detail and effective management of multiple projects at one time
Ability to adhere to deadlines, react to unpredictable events quickly and efficiently, be resourceful, manage conflict and challenges

Nice To Haves

Reading and/or ESL/Bilingual endorsement a plus
Bilingual English/Spanish preferred

Responsibilities

Designing lessons consistent with student IEPs
Utilizing adaptive devices/technology to provide general curricular content access to students
Preparing and implementing IEPs (including transition plans and behavior management plans) for each assigned student based on individually assessed needs
Using appropriate assessment instruments pertinent to academic, communication, and behavioral areas
Adapting teaching materials to make it appropriate and relevant to the students’ needs
Conducting individual or group sessions to meet educational, social, and emotional needs of the students
Participating on the school-based intervention team, in-school staffing team and in the screening processes, as appropriate
Actively participating on student IEP meetings
Uploading/Updating all documentation in accordance with CPS and IHSCA program compliance
Planning and implementing self-care programs, including direct assistance to students (e.g., toileting, positioning, lifting, feeding, etc.)
Monitoring and overseeing services provided by paraprofessionals and/or other support personnel assigned to classroom and/or student in classroom
Obtaining and monitoring present levels/baselines of assigned special needs students
Referring those students who require further evaluation or follow-up services to the appropriate school personnel
Providing timely feedback to students, parents and administrators of student progress, expectations and goals
Including a school-wide focus on the social/cultural domain of learning and student experience, with an emphasis on incorporating the No Non-Sense Nurturing framework and Health Sciences-related materials into the classroom on a regular basis
Taking daily attendance and submitting it to PowerSchool
Participating on Teacher Parents Conferences to discuss academic student progress
Contacting parents via e-mail, phone or during Parent Teacher Conferences to discuss academics and behavior on a regular basis
Willingness to sponsor extracurricular activities
Following all IHSCA’s school-wide standards regarding teacher behaviors
Adhering to all IHSCA’s electronic and web-based rules and restrictions
Following all guidelines found in the Instituto and IHSCA employee handbooks
Other duties as assigned
Identifying and participating in conferences, workshops and Professional Development sessions to keep up to date with the best teaching practices and implementing best practices in the classroom
Working collaboratively with instructors of core subjects to identify multiple learning strategies in order to successfully teach students with varying learning styles most effectively and in an engaging manner
Working collaboratively with social workers, special education staff, and deans of students to ensure the behavioral and educational abilities of students are developed for success after high school
Using reflective practices to assess personal and professional growth in order to seek out opportunities to continually advance professional knowledge and skill