2026-27 - 1.0 Special Education HSLS Teacher - Lydia Hawk (Internal Only)

North Thurston Public Schools • Lacey, WA

23h • Onsite

About The Position

The teacher is primarily responsible for effective teaching and learning of the assigned subject(s) following district approved curriculum, instruction and assessment practices. As a special education teacher, teacher may teach in a variety of elementary and/or secondary educational settings to include but not limited to Life Skills, Behavior Development, Structured Communications, and Learning Resource/Support. Primary responsibility shall include student safety and appropriate collaboration and attention to each student’s readiness to learn including needed guidance, discipline, and welfare. The District represents a diverse community with a population of approximately 40% students with diverse backgrounds. We seek an individual who has successful experience in working with culturally diverse families and communities. The selected candidate must demonstrate a commitment to strengthening community engagement and communication with the District’s diverse populations.

Requirements

• Ability to use varied educational/developmental assessment instruments including, but not limited to: Woodcock-Johnson Reading, Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery.
• For Early Intervention: capacity to develop a comprehensive understanding of IFSP process and Part C of IDEA.
• Early Childhood Education endorsement.
• Incumbents must have successful experience working successfully with culturally diverse families and communities, or have otherwise demonstrated a commitment to strengthening engagement of a diverse community and skill in communicating with a diverse population.
• Successful completion of a teacher certification program at an accredited college or university, and valid Washington state certification(s) and/or endorsement(s).
• Successful completion of or a commitment to timely complete, highly qualified (“HQ”) criteria including praxis requirements.
• Successful teaching experience or demonstrated potential to effectively teach in a special education environment and knowledge and skill in applying IDEA and 504 requirements and procedures.
• Possess analytical and diagnostic skill to assess student special needs and translate such needs into an effective instructional plan for the student.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate the individual development plan and to coach and support staff and teacher colleagues so that they may effectively implement their responsibilities under the plan.
• Ability to effectively communicate with parents, students, and staff verbally and in writing.
• Commitment to collaboration and teaming and effectiveness in working within a professional learning community.
• Skill in classroom management and ability to achieve, support, and maintain acceptable student behavior.
• Knowledge of and ability to use appropriate and multiple assessment, instruction, and evaluation techniques.
• Knowledge of child and adolescent development and ability to apply that knowledge to the selection and application of curriculum materials and instructional practices.
• Knowledge and skill in culturally responsive teaching and learning.
• Skill and ability to utilize technology to aid instruction, assessment and learning.
• Evidence of continuous professional learning and a commitment to participate in professional growth opportunities and self reflection on professional practice.
• Ability to teach pre-Braille readiness, Braille reading/writing, handwriting and typewriting skills.
• Ability to teach the use of large print books and the use of optical aids.
• Ability to support orientation and mobility skills in the school environment.
• Ability to teach visual efficiency, divergent concepts, human sexuality and study skills.
• Ability to teach motor/special development.
• Ability to determine the types of needed functional education visual assessment.
• Ability to assess a student’s mobility in the school and community.
• Ability to teach Braille in conjunction with regular classroom curriculum.
• Knowledge of eye diseases and visual impairments and their implications on visual functioning.
• Must possess a valid Washington State driver’s license as this position will travel to different schools and make home visits.
• Ability to assess sign language needs for students.
• Will teach sign language instruction for students in conjunction with regular classroom curriculum as appropriate for each student.
• Will work with interpreters to develop hearing impaired student support schedules.
• Ability to use and teach the use of augmentative and assistive technology.
• Will case manage and provide in home and/or remote instruction to homebound students as determined by the IEP team.
• Ability to collaborate and coordinate with staff across multiple buildings and grade levels.
• Ability to coordinate transition services including community-based instruction.
• Ability to support a wide range of curriculums for a diverse caseload.
• Successful completion of a teacher certification program at an accredited college or university, and valid Washington state certification(s) and/or endorsement(s).
• Successful completion of or a commitment to timely complete, highly qualified (“HQ”) criteria including praxis requirements.
• Successful teaching experience or demonstrated potential to effectively teach in a special education environment and knowledge and skill in applying IDEA and 504 requirements and procedures.
• Possess analytical and diagnostic skill to assess student special needs and translate such needs into an effective instructional plan for the student.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate the individual development plan and to coach and support staff and teacher colleagues so that they may effectively implement their responsibilities under the plan.
• Ability to effectively communicate with parents, students, and staff verbally and in writing.
• Commitment to collaboration and teaming and effectiveness in working within a professional learning community.
• Skill in classroom management and ability to achieve, support, and maintain acceptable student behavior.
• Knowledge of and ability to use appropriate and multiple assessment, instruction, and evaluation techniques.
• Knowledge of child and adolescent development and ability to apply that knowledge to the selection and application of curriculum materials and instructional practices.
• Knowledge and skill in culturally responsive teaching and learning.
• Skill and ability to utilize technology to aid instruction, assessment and learning.
• Evidence of continuous professional learning and a commitment to participate in professional growth opportunities and self reflection on professional practice.
• Must complete a satisfactory fingerprint and sexual misconduct background check.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual skills.
• Successful experience teaching in a diverse student environment.
• Successful experience in a team-teaching environment.
• Successful experience in the grade level(s) and/or content area(s).

Responsibilities

• Plans for student success based on assessed needs of individual students and the use of data and information to determine each student’s current knowledge and skill level, set student learning goals, and assess student progress.
• Applies or uses district approved assessment tools and strategies in assessing student needs.
• Leads or assists in identifying and in complying with teaching and learning and student accommodation requirements under Individual Education Program (IEP) and 504 accommodation requirements.
• Works collaboratively in a professional learning community with other teachers, support staff, multi-disciplinary teams, and others as appropriate, in addressing the needs of students and developing effective teaching and learning practices.
• Conducts planning for lessons using commonly accepted professional practice (content, goals, assessment, re-teaching, etc.) and consistent with school/district approved curriculum and instructional practice.
• Uses research-based instructional strategies in planning lessons to make the teaching and learning more relevant to students (e.g., contextual learning opportunities).
• Maintains and provides reasonable and meaningful student grading and evaluation consistent with school and district policy and regularly and effectively communicates such information to students and parents.
• Integrates district approved and/or required technology into planning, learning, progress reporting, and required record-keeping activities including the preparation of IEP’s in the case of students with special needs.
• Creates, communicates, and maintains classroom management practices that effectively engage students in the learning process.
• Actively participates in faculty, grade level, department, and curriculum meetings; assists building efforts to plan, implement, and evaluate the school’s program and to do related work as required.
• Applies school policy and procedures, standard practices, state requirements, and approved curriculum, and actively and positively supports the school vision.
• Is constantly observant of the needs and challenges of students and promptly engages an administrator or appropriate educational staff associates when the teacher suspects or reasonably believes that a student is at risk or in danger due to such issues as bullying, sexual harassment/misconduct, depression or suicide ideation, or academic failure.
• Serves as a positive role model for students and practices the behaviors that are expected of students.
• Assists in the supervision of students at school activities and events.
• Remains vigilant of students throughout the school day and the school location, taking the initiative to engage students when students are acting inappropriately or in inappropriate locations for the time of day.
• Understands the nature of student misbehavior to include student-to-student bullying, harassment, and/or discrimination and takes steps to intervene in such situations and/or engage the assistance of a school administrator.
• Plans time for reflection on professional practice to establish a professional growth plan and annually reviews the plan and progress with the administrator.
• Follows Board policies and stays abreast of updates and changes.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Conducts vocational interest and aptitude assessments (Specific to VOICE Program).
• Implements programs including academic, physical, self-help, leisure/recreation social/emotional and prevocational (Specific to VOICE Program).
• Coordinates and supervises community based work and travel programs (Specific to VOICE Program).
• Coordinates with adult service providers (Specific to VOICE Program).
• Participates in necessary transition activities between early interventions and pre-school placements (Specific to Early Intervention Program).
• Participates in the development of an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) in coordination with Parent to Parent including monitoring outcomes as a member of the IFSP team (Specific to Early Intervention Program).
• Provides direct and/or consultative services to assist parents in addressing child’s needs (behavioral, adaptive, communication, etc.) in the home and community (Specific to Early Intervention Program).
• Teaches pre-Braille readiness, Braille reading/writing, handwriting and typewriting skills (Specific to Visually Impaired).
• Teaches the use of large print books and the use of optical aids (Specific to Visually Impaired).
• Supports orientation and mobility skills in the school environment (Specific to Visually Impaired).
• Teaches visual efficiency, divergent concepts, human sexuality and study skills (Specific to Visually Impaired).
• Teaches motor/special development (Specific to Visually Impaired).
• Determines the types of needed functional education visual assessment (Specific to Visually Impaired).
• Assesses a student’s mobility in the school and community (Specific to Visually Impaired).
• Teaches Braille in conjunction with regular classroom curriculum (Specific to Visually Impaired).
• Assesses sign language needs for students (Specific to Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program).
• Teaches sign language instruction for students in conjunction with regular classroom curriculum as appropriate for each student (Specific to Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program).
• Works with interpreters to develop hearing impaired student support schedules (Specific to Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program).
• Uses and teaches the use of augmentative and assistive technology (Specific to Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program).
• Case manages and provides in home and/or remote instruction to homebound students as determined by the IEP team (Specific to Itinerant Special Education Teacher).
• Collaborates and coordinates with staff across multiple buildings and grade levels (Specific to Itinerant Special Education Teacher).
• Coordinates transition services including community-based instruction (Specific to Itinerant Special Education Teacher).
• Supports a wide range of curriculums for a diverse caseload (Specific to Itinerant Special Education Teacher).

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Long term disability insurance
• Basic life insurance
• Washington State Healthcare Authority under the School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB)
• Washington State Department of Retirement Systems Plan
• Tax deferred 403(b) and 457 Deferred Compensation Plans (DCP)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level