The Creekside School Hiring for Special Education Autism Teacher Job at San Jose, CA Full Time

Job Objective/Purpose

• Provide high-quality education to special education students, using the least restrictive supports necessary for the student to make meaningful progress.
• Serve as the Special Education Teacher on the Individual Education Plan (IEP) team for all assigned students and implement and oversee all aspects of the student’s adopted IEP.
• Lead a team of paraprofessionals in all aspects of individual student plans, TCS programming, professional development, and campus activities.
• Be active in maintaining the efficacy and integrity of the organization within its goals/philosophy and strive to maintain the philosophy and mission of the program to the highest capacity.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Plan, implement, and manage high quality, standards-based education for students.

• Develop and provide an exemplary special education program to assigned students.
• Teach students the necessary skills that will provide a solid foundation for an active, positive, healthy and independent adulthood.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities, cont.

• Ensure data is consistently taken on IEP goals and target behaviors. Data should be reviewed and analyzed regularly, making any necessary changes to the educational program in collaboration with and support of the student’s educational team.
• Maintain active and regular communication between student’s home and school using school systems in place such as Google groups, email and Google voice.

Assess, write and implement Individual Education Plans (IEP) and triennial assessments.

• Write, develop, edit and implement IEPs, complete and edit Progress Reports, develop and/or complete assessments and other documents as assigned within the time frames as assigned.
• Coordinate with the Principal, Program Specialist, and Related Service providers to ensure all parts to IEP documents are complete, aligned, and included.
• Follow IEP recommendations, Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP), sensory integration plans, communication plans, and other individual student plans consistently and with fidelity and oversee and direct Teaching Assistants to do the same.
• Ensure files, documents and paperwork are updated as needed, are confidential, and comply with all regulations as set forth by the CDE.

Support the social-emotional development, health and well being of students at all times.

• Utilize developmentally based, research-supported techniques and therapies such as The Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-based (DIR®/Floortime™) Model and Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBI).
• Support students using least restrictive prompts and scaffolds so as to maximize independent skill development.
• Continually work to build a positive relationship and rapport with each assigned student by engaging in child led activities with the student, pairing with student preferred activities and items, and striving to establish a developmentally appropriate relationship where meaningful back and forth social interaction may occur.
• Utilize restrictive practices such as restraint, seclusion, escape extinction, and planned punishment only as a last resort or as part of an IEP team approved, data driven, and supervised intervention.

Manage and supervise a team of Teaching Assistants (TA).

• Lead Teaching Assistants in a collaborative, respectful manner that supports the learning and professional growth of each staff member.
• In collaboration with the Principal, manage TA attendance through the online timesheet platform.
• Provide constructive and honest feedback and written evaluations. Encourage feedback and ideas from all staff.
• Assign tasks to classroom staff and organize classroom responsibilities in a proactive, respectful, and supportive manner.
• Create daily staff/student schedules and ensure that all supervisees take appropriate breaks and lunches on time.
• Ensure that Teaching Assistants receive and complete all required training/onboarding and professional development. Lead retraining as needed.

Participate on a multi-disciplinary team.

• Actively participate in school-level planning, meetings/committees and other school system groups.
• Work with administration, related service providers and classroom staff to facilitate a school program that allows students to meet IEP goals, developmental milestones, and personal fulfillment.
• On a multi-disciplinary team, represent expertise in academics, functional academics, life skills, vocational skills, teaching strategy and pedagogy.
• Communicate effectively and respectfully with parents, care providers, students, other staff members, administrative staff, the Board of Directors, district officials, and community members.
• When needed, present problems, issues or concerns to the Principal, Executive Director or colleagues in a respectful, proactive, and solutions-focused manner.
• Receive feedback and concerns in an equally respectful, proactive, and solutions-focused manner.

Act as a leader on campus and support the overall mission and philosophy of TCS.

• Be active in maintaining the efficacy and integrity of the organization within the goals/philosophy of the organization; strive to maintain the philosophy, and mission of the program to the highest capacity.
• Serve as a classroom leader and senior staff member in a collaborative team environment, lead classroom meetings, parent conferences, IEP meetings, and when appropriate, professional development sessions.

Manage all aspects of a classroom program including: budget, material and curriculum management, shared use of vehicles, and shared use of therapy spaces.

• Manage an annual classroom budget and comply with all budget reporting requirements.
• Maintain a clean, organized, safe and effective classroom and school environment; regularly collaborating with other staff members to create and maintain this.
• Manage time and resources effectively and appropriately.

Cooperate with and follow all TCS and CDE policies and procedures.

• Maintain the confidentiality of all students and families at all times.
• Work with the Principal, Executive Director and Related Services to ensure the school program/classroom is adhering to all laws, regulations, and standards set forth by the California Department of Education.

Qualifications

License/Credential/Certification

• Valid California Education Specialist Instruction Credential.
• Moderate/Severe or Mild/Moderate with Autism Authorization
• Cleared credential preferred

Education

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in education, psychology or related field.

Experience

• 1 year experience as a lead teacher/educator in a classroom setting.
• 3 years experience working with those on the autism spectrum and/or working with students who are moderate to severely affected by a developmental disability in a professional setting.
• 1 year experience collaborating with other professionals on a student’s IEP team.
• 1 year experience completing and presenting lesson plans, formal and informal assessments, progress reports, and IEPs for students with special needs.

Skills and Competencies

Knowledge

• Extensive understanding of typical and atypical development of children, a variety of behavioral strategies/theories, how to work with those with severe sensory and communicative challenges, and the unique and individual learning styles of those with developmental disabilities.
• Be familiar with augmentative and alternative communication systems and working with students with limited vocal speech.
• Be familiar working with students who have significant sensory processing/integration challenges.

Skills and Abilities

• Proficient in Google Suite. Working knowledge of Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• People management skills, including managing employees and teams’ performance and providing feedback, delegation, and direction.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Flexibility and creativity to adapt and/or modify activities/curriculum to engage and teach each individual despite challenges.
• Be open to learning about and implementing new approaches used with children who have special needs through training, coaching sessions and conferences; be able to transfer new learning into practice.
• Experienced in collecting quantitative and qualitative data, describing progress in measurable terms, have the ability to review and analyze data, and make program adjustments based on available data.
• Have strong problem-solving skills with a solutions-focused approach to any issues as they arise with students, staff, parents, community members, etc.
• Have good judgment, tact, and ability to maintain the highest level of professionalism as a leader, a model to other staff members, and a representative of the organization.
• Have exemplary organizational skills, efficiency, and initiative in completing tasks within the timeframe as assigned while maintaining a high quality of work.
• Ability to exercise leadership and collaborative skills effectively by taking ownership of responsibilities, maintaining positive rapport with others, guiding or learning from others.

Additional

• Maintain calm and professional demeanor when dealing with difficult or emotional situations.
• Be self-reflective and objective for the ultimate benefit of the students and school program, give and take feedback in a positive and supportive way.
• Must consistently demonstrate the ability to be a self-initiator, creative and flexible to meet the needs of the organization and the individual learning styles of the children.

Physical Requirements

If applicable, working and playing with students at The Creekside School requires a considerable amount of strength and physical movement.

Employees must be able to perform the following physical movement functions as needed:

Regularly

• Sitting – Resting position in which the body weight is supported primarily by the buttocks in contact with the ground or a horizontal object such as a chair seat.
• EXERT- up to 20 lbs. of force to move objects, equipment, and to work/play with students.
• MOTOR SKILLS – Picking, pinching, or otherwise working primarily with fingers as in handling, typing, or writing.

Frequently

• STANDING – Remaining upright on the feet, particularly for sustained periods of time.
• WALKING/RUNNING – Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances for community outings or moving from one classroom/office to another. Running is required for potential emergency situations.
• REACHING – extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• EXERT – up to 40 lbs. of force to move objects, equipment, and to work/play with students.
• HANDLING – Seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or otherwise working with hand or hands.

Occasionally

• LIFTING – Up to 25 pounds. Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position to-position.
• EXERT – up to 80 lbs. of force to move objects, equipment, and to work/play with students.

Physical Requirements, Cont.

• CLIMBING – Ascending or descending stairs, ramps, or hills using feet and legs
• BALANCING – Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling
• STOOPING – Bending body downward and forward.
• KNEELING – Bending legs at knees to come to rest on knee(s).
• CROUCHING – Bending body downward and forward by bending legs and spine.
• CRAWLING – Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet.
• PUSHING – Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
• PULLING – Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, drag, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.

Important: A Creekside School student may exhibit behaviors such as aggression (e.g. biting, kicking, hitting), property destruction, self-injurious behavior, screaming, etc.Due to the potential safety risk for staff and students associated with working with those who may

engage in behaviors of concern, all staff are required to be certified by Safety-Care by QBS to handle potentially dangerous situations and work to prevent crisis situations and/or hazards associated with those who engage in behaviors that pose a safety risk. Staff will not be allowed to perform any type of physical management unless they have received the initial Safety-Care training/certification through The Creekside School.

In the event that a student requires physical management because he/she poses a serious, imminent safety risk to him/herself and/or others, Safety-Care will be used as a last resort. This involves the use of safe, non-harmful control and restraint positions to safely control an individual until he/she can regain control of his/her behavior.

Terms of Employment

Employment at The Creekside School is based on mutual consent, and both the employee and The Creekside School have the right to terminate employment “at-will”, with or without cause or advance notice.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $76,000.00 – $110,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Education:

• Bachelor’s (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• California Education Specialist Credential (Required)

Work Location: One location