Position Summary
The Director of Special Education assists the Superintendent with staffing, budgeting, data collection, and reporting, staff development, and program implementation and evaluation for identified special education programs; coordinates special education compliance; and serves as the district’s liaison in all matters concerning special education.
Qualifications
- Master's Degree in Special Education
- State of Michigan Approval as a Special Education Director or Supervisor of Special Education
- Continuing Education Credit Requirement, under current Michigan law, is 18 State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECH)
- Successful experiences as a classroom teacher and administrator, local school district experience preferred
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Must pass a criminal history background check (fingerprinting) and a Michigan Public Act 189 unprofessional conduct check
Key Responsibilities
- Understands, accepts, and abides by the Reed City Area Public Schools philosophy and mission statement in all his/her school activities
- Establish and communicate a division-wide philosophy of least restrictive environment for serving special needs students
- Keep informed of legal requirements governing Special Education and ensure that staff and programs are in total compliance with the law
- Evaluate and recommend for continuation of employment and promotion of all personnel serving in the Special Education area
- Assume responsibility for compiling, maintaining and filing all reports, records other documents legally required or administratively useful
- Supervise the recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training and evaluating of all assigned Special Education personnel
- Monitor the development and implementation of all aspects of the special education program process
- Assume responsibility for Child Find activities including the coordination of all schools’ referral activities
- Collaborate with school-based administrators and central office administrators regarding the discipline of students with disabilities
- Facilitate and/or participate in all matters of dispute resolution with the Michigan Department of Education and the Office for Civil Rights pertaining to students with disabilities; manage mediation and due process procedures
- Coordinate the implementation of federal and state grant applications and manage appropriate IDEA grants
- Maintain accurate database and files of former and current students served in special education
- Conduct ongoing needs assessments, collect and analyze data, use pertinent data to refine and improve operational functions and services
- Plan, implement, and facilitate professional development/in-services for school staff assigned the responsibility of delivering and overseeing the special education services/process in their buildings
- Work with Child Study Committees in developing, implementing, and evaluating proper child study procedures
- Serve as the district’s liaison in all matters concerning special education
- Perform related work as required by the Superintendent