Special Education Teacher (The Hope Academy)

The Hope Academy•Providence, RI

About The Position

The Special Education Teacher creates a culturally responsive, inclusive learning environment that supports students’ sense of belonging, positive classroom community, and communication skills. The teacher validates students’ strengths, recognizes and redirects microaggressions, and engages students through discussion and varied forms of participation. The role teaches English Language Arts, mathematics, social studies, and science in a fully inclusive classroom using The Hope Academy’s course of study. The teacher develops lessons and instructional materials with diverse content, applies workshop-model instructional practices, uses authentic and formative assessment, and provides flexible individual and small-group instruction. The teacher collaborates with general educators, therapists, specialists, families, and the special education director to support student learning and implement an integrated educational and therapeutic model. The teacher develops lesson plans, progress reports, and IEPs; plans age-appropriate activities aligned with IEP goals; maintains student progress data; and participates in special education evaluations and re-evaluations. The role also includes culturally informed behavior management, providing guidance to teacher assistants as needed, supervising students during school-day activities, and participating in ongoing professional development.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
Valid special education teacher certification from RIDE, or the ability to obtain it.
Ability to work in a typical school environment and move about the classroom and building continuously throughout the workday.
Ability to use a computer approximately 20% of the time and other office equipment.

Responsibilities

Teach English Language Arts, mathematics, social studies, and science using The Hope Academy’s course of study in a fully inclusive classroom.
Develop lesson plans and instructional materials that include diverse content throughout the academic year.
Demonstrate concepts and strategies using models, discussion, reflective writing, technology, and other available resources.
Use workshop-model instructional practices and authentic assessment practices that mitigate stereotype threat in feedback, assessment, and grading.
Formatively assess students across content areas, including through running records, analytic writing rubrics, and conferring.
Administer RICAS, iReady, and other diagnostic assessments such as WCJ-IV.
Provide purposeful and flexible individual and small-group instruction to meet student needs.
Collaborate with teachers and therapists to implement an integrated educational and therapeutic model.
Develop lesson plans, progress reports, and IEPs within specified timelines.
Plan and implement motivating, creative, age-appropriate activities addressing goals in each student’s IEP.
Maintain data records on student progress to inform grading and accurate progress reports.
Work with the special education director to initiate special education evaluations and re-evaluations to determine eligibility for services.
Collaborate with educators and specialists to plan, adapt, and teach curriculum for all students.
Co-teach and plan with the general educator and identify opportunities for inclusive instruction.
Use culturally informed behavior management and discipline practices, including practices that counter inequitable discipline of children of color.
Use positive guidance techniques, such as redirection, modeling appropriate behavior, and praise.
Provide supervision, guidance, and feedback to teacher assistants as needed.
Develop and maintain contact with families with awareness and respect for students’ and families’ diverse backgrounds and structures.
Facilitate student interactions that support emotional, social, and cognitive growth and understanding of each child.
Seek and participate in ongoing professional development offered by the school or through independent study.
Supervise students in out-of-classroom activities during the school day.