Teacher - Special Education (Pre-Kindergarten ABL)

Holyoke Public Schools•Holyoke, MA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Pre-Kindergarten Applied Behavioral Learning (ABL) Teacher will design and lead a joyful, language-rich, developmentally appropriate learning environment for young children with autism and related neurodiverse disabilities. The teacher will provide individualized instruction and support that develops communication, play, early academic skills, social-emotional development, self-regulation, adaptive functioning, and independence. As the instructional leader of the classroom, the teacher will work closely with families, paraeducators, general education teachers, behavior analysts, and related service providers to ensure that every student experiences safety, belonging, meaningful progress, and access to inclusive opportunities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institution.
Possession of, or eligibility to obtain, a Massachusetts educator license appropriate for the assignment, as determined by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Holyoke Public Schools.
SEI Endorsement or eligibility to obtain the endorsement within the required timeline.
At least one year of full-time teaching experience or equivalent professional experience working in an educational setting.
Experience supporting children with autism, developmental disabilities, communication needs, and significant academic, behavioral, or adaptive support needs.
Knowledge of the special education evaluation, IEP-development, implementation, progress-monitoring, and reporting processes.
Ability to collect, analyze, and apply student-performance data to instructional planning and decision-making.
Demonstrated ability to establish a structured, positive, and developmentally appropriate classroom environment.
Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
Ability to lead and collaborate effectively with paraeducators, families, educators, specialists, and school leaders.
Ability to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, including active supervision and the provision of physical or adaptive support consistent with student plans and district training.

Nice To Haves

Experience teaching preschool-aged children with autism or related neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Experience implementing applied behavior analysis, naturalistic developmental interventions, visual supports, functional communication training, and augmentative and alternative communication systems.
Experience leading, coaching, or coordinating the work of classroom paraeducators.
Experience supporting students with significant communication, behavioral, sensory, adaptive, or personal-care needs.
Experience facilitating meaningful inclusion with typically developing peers.
Experience working in an urban school district and with culturally and linguistically diverse students and families.
Bilingual applicants, particularly applicants who speak Spanish, are strongly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

Create and maintain a joyful, safe, predictable, structured, and developmentally appropriate classroom environment.
Plan and deliver explicit, individualized, and play-based instruction addressing early academics, functional communication, social-emotional development, play, self-regulation, motor development, adaptive skills, and independence.
Differentiate instruction, materials, classroom routines, and the learning environment to address each student’s strengths, interests, developmental level, sensory profile, communication needs, and learning style.
Implement evidence-based instructional and behavioral practices, including visual supports, task analysis, reinforcement, prompting and fading, naturalistic instruction, discrete-trial instruction when appropriate, and opportunities for students to generalize skills across people and settings.
Support and honor all forms of student communication, including speech, gestures, visuals, signs, behavior, and augmentative and alternative communication systems.
Provide repeated opportunities for students to make choices, communicate their needs, engage with peers, participate in classroom routines, and develop greater independence.
Develop, write, implement, and monitor high-quality Individualized Education Programs in collaboration with families and the multidisciplinary team.
Translate IEP goals into clear daily instruction, classroom routines, staff responsibilities, and systems for collecting evidence of student progress.
Prepare for and participate meaningfully in IEP meetings, evaluations, progress reviews, transition meetings, and other student-centered team meetings.
Complete IEPs, progress reports, assessment reports, data summaries, and other required documentation accurately and within district, state, and federal timelines.
Maintain organized and confidential student records in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and district procedures.
Administer and interpret developmentally appropriate formal and informal assessments.
Collect objective data on student communication, engagement, academic performance, behavior, social development, adaptive skills, and independence.
Regularly analyze student data to determine whether instruction and interventions are producing meaningful progress.
Adjust instructional strategies, learning targets, prompting levels, materials, behavioral supports, and opportunities for practice in response to evidence.
Write clear, detailed reports that summarize assessment results, identify student strengths and needs, and provide actionable recommendations.
Develop a classroom culture grounded in relationships, co-regulation, positive reinforcement, dignity, predictability, and respect.
Collaborate with behavior analysts, autism specialists, families, and other team members in the development and implementation of individualized behavior support and safety plans.
Identify the function and communicative purpose of student behavior and teach meaningful replacement skills, including communication, requesting assistance, waiting, transitioning, coping, and self-advocacy.
Use proactive environmental supports, crisis-prevention strategies, and appropriate de-escalation techniques to reduce distress and maintain safety.
Ensure that physical restraint is never used as punishment or as a standard response to behavior.
Participate in emergency physical intervention only when legally permissible, necessary to prevent assault or imminent serious physical harm, and consistent with required training and district procedures.
Follow all required procedures for incident response, documentation, family notification, medical follow-up, and administrative reporting.
Serve as the instructional leader of the classroom and establish clear roles, routines, and expectations for paraeducators and other supporting staff.
Develop systems that ensure adults are strategically assigned to instruction, data collection, communication support, behavior support, inclusion, transitions, and personal-care routines.
Model effective instructional and behavioral practices and provide paraeducators with regular guidance, feedback, and opportunities to practice.
Promote consistent implementation of IEPs, communication systems, behavior plans, prompting procedures, and data-collection protocols across all staff members.
Foster a professional team culture grounded in shared responsibility, respectful communication, problem-solving, confidentiality, and a relentless commitment to students.
Actively plan and facilitate meaningful opportunities for students to learn, play, communicate, and build relationships alongside peers in inclusive settings.
Collaborate with general education teachers to identify appropriate supports, accommodations, instructional goals, and measures of success for inclusion.
Partner closely with speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, behavior analysts, counselors, nurses, special education leaders, and other service providers.
Participate in team meetings, professional learning communities, consultation sessions, and schoolwide initiatives.
Support students across classroom, arrival, dismissal, meals, recess, specials, community experiences, and other school environments, as appropriate.
Build trusting, respectful, and culturally responsive relationships with students’ families and caregivers.
Communicate regularly with families about student strengths, progress, emerging needs, classroom experiences, and opportunities for partnership.
Ensure that family perspectives, priorities, cultural knowledge, and knowledge of their child are meaningfully reflected in planning and decision-making.
Work collaboratively with interpreters and district staff to ensure families can fully access and participate in communication and the IEP process.
Ensure that students receive respectful and individualized support with toileting, hygiene, feeding, dressing, mobility, positioning, and other adaptive routines identified in their educational, medical, or safety plans.
Protect student privacy and dignity during all personal-care routines.
Follow all required medical guidance, health plans, safety protocols, and staff-training requirements.
Remain current with accepted research and best practices in early childhood education, special education, autism support, communication, applied behavior analysis, inclusion, and positive behavioral interventions.
Participate actively in required professional development, coaching, consultation, and district training.
Demonstrate reliability, professional judgment, confidentiality, strong attendance, and timely follow-through.
Perform other responsibilities consistent with the role and assigned by the building principal or district administration.