Lead Special Education Teacher (Early Childhood Education)

ABOUT US

The Primary School is creating a new school model that brings together all of the adults in a child’s life, including parents, educators, and medical and mental health providers, starting from a very early age. We recognize the entrenched racism that exists within our public systems and the unjust impact this has had on families of color. Our aim is that children and families most impacted by systemic poverty and racism receive the multidisciplinary support they deserve to be well, learn, and thrive.

Long-term, we hope to create a game-changing model that can be replicated across the country. As we continue to learn and grow, we plan to share what we’ve learned and pursue policy and systems change on a local, state, and national level. We are supported by a growing coalition of philanthropic partners, building on the generous support of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Our approach has three defining characteristics:

We start early. We start working with children as young as 12 months and provide full-time school starting at age three to reach them at a critical stage in development.

We partner with parents. We believe that when parents thrive, children thrive, so we support the wellness and growth of parents alongside the growth of their children.

We integrate services. Our unique model unites health care and education, building a multi-disciplinary team and holistic system of care around a child’s full needs.

In 2016, we opened our flagship school in East Palo Alto, California, with our first class of four year olds. We have grown to serve over 400 children and their families through our Early Family Foundations program, parent wellness program, full-day preschool, and elementary/middle school, which will grow through eighth grade. In 2021, we opened our second site in the East Bay.

ABOUT OUR EAST PALO ALTO SITE

We are continuing to grow our East Palo Alto site and are excited to launch 7th grade for our 2024-2025 school year. In our school program, we currently serve over 400 students across two preschool grades (3 and 4 year olds) and kindergarten through sixth grade. Integrated into our program are the other core components of our model including our parent program - partnering closely with parents throughout their child’s development and providing wellness programming for caregivers; our Early Family Foundations program - coordinating early developmental screenings and intervention services; and our medical home partnerships - working with existing health care providers in the community to coordinate care for children.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Lead ECE SPED Teacher provides instructional, behavioral, and educational support for all students with IEPs or identified developmental needs in Tier 2 or Tier 3 needs across ECE and Kindergarten classrooms. The role will provide extensive teacher coaching, curriculum, and environmental support to early childhood education teachers on how to best create inclusive classrooms for students with identified needs. This role will work extensively with interdisciplinary partners across the site, including but not limited to Parent Coaches, Health Team, and Student Services department to meet our early intervention goals as a school.

The Lead Special Education Teacher, ECE reports to the Director of Early Childhood Education with deep support and coaching from the Dean of Student Services. This position follows an instructional calendar.

Job Type: Full-time

Work Location: In-person

RESPONSIBILITIES

Instructional and Behavioral Support

Provide push in-classroom and pull-out support for our Preschool, Pre K and Kinder students with identified and emergent learning and behavioral needs

Design and implement Tier 2 and Tier 3 academic and behavioral support plans for ECE and Kindergarten students

Respond to students with escalated behaviors in ECE and Kindergarten as needed to support student wellness, in the moment coach teachers on how best meet students needs

Set specific goals for student progress, monitor progress toward those goals, and adjust services to maximize impact

Weekly instructional planning tailored to the needs of each child on caseload in collaboration with ECE and Kindergarten teachers

Ability to hold instructional delivery in large group, small group, and individualized formats

Data Monitoring and Case Management

Case manage a subset of students with diagnosed needs and pending services, which includes:

Acting as the primary point of contact for families

Facilitating mid-year growth circles in which students, general education teachers, and family members.

Review and revise student support plans.

Regular assessment and analysis of quantitative and qualitative student data with the goal of tailoring responsive instruction and support for assessments and IEP reviews

Document interventions provided and coordinate services with MTSS Coordinator and Dean of Student Services for external services

Implement developmental screenings for students enrolling into our ECE Program

Collaboration and Integration

Co-lead COST meetings in collaboration with the MTSS Coordinator in support of students and families

Proactive collaboration and frequent engagement with The Primary School Parent Coaches and staff, and external health practitioners and partners to ensure supports are aligned and well coordinated

Implement a consistent schedule in collaboration with the ECE Director and Dean of Student Services for providing services

Consult with teachers on accommodations that can support student success in the classroom and supports general education teachers to scaffold instruction for students on your caseload

Ongoing collaboration with the Lead Teacher to create enriching, positive, joyful classroom climate and rigorous academic content

Early Childhood Special Education Leadership

Provide consultation, support services and lead a Professional Learning Committee (PLC) as is requested by ECE Educators and other school personnel, to enhance their teaching practice

Understand current educational practices and curriculum trends in Special Education to be in a position to participate in policy-making processes and curriculum revision for TPS ECE programming across sites

Commit to ongoing professional development in supporting students with special needs

Support professional development of TPS ECE & Kinder staff and families on effective supports/accommodations for students with identified needs

QUALIFICATIONS

Three or more years teaching experience (preferably in your specialty area)

Deep knowledge and passion for your specialty area and age group

Demonstrated experience creating transformative classroom culture for all kids.

A commitment to social justice that is evident in equitable classroom practice

You are able to facilitate instruction and classroom management of 5-16 students at the same time, as needed

A deep commitment to all students

A parent- and family-centered mindset

You get that starting a new school and organization is no easy task and are not scared - in fact, you’re energized - by the idea of deeply commiting to bringing The Primary School to life.

A Plus If

You have a degree and/or credential in your specialty area

You speak fluent Spanish

You have ties to the East Palo Alto community

You have a passion for building relationships with community partners to support your specialty area

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, and communicate with both adults and children. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is moderate to high.

COMPENSATION

Annual salary range begins at $74,000-$103,740, plus an additional $4,000 annual stipend; compensation is commensurate with qualifications and experience, plus excellent health benefits (medical, dental, and vision), 401k retirement plan, flexible spending account (FSA), dependent care FSA, and generous paid time off, including a competitive paid parental leave benefit. TPS will cover 93% of the total premium cost for individual team members in our HMO and PPO plans, and 95% for individual team members in our HDHP plan. TPS also covers 50% of enrolled partners and/or dependents' costs on all three of our medical plans (HMO,PPO, HDHP). Please note that in order to be considered for this position, you must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. We are unable to offer sponsorship.

To ensure fair and equitable compensation for all of our employees, The Primary School has a no-negotiation policy on all offers extended. Final offers are determined using role descriptions, job market data, internal parity, and semi-annual benchmarking. Our goal is that this policy, paired with ongoing transparency in our compensation process, will make TPS a more fair, inclusive, and diverse workplace.

HOW TO APPLY

TPS values diversity (please see our commitment to DEI); people of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Please complete the online application and submit your most recent resume. These short-answer questions are designed to replace a cover letter, so take your time with them and copy in your answers from a separate document. If you feel that the questions do not accurately capture what you have to offer The Primary School, you are also welcome to attach a cover letter. Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis so we encourage you to submit yours soon. We look forward to reading your application!

The Primary School provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. The Primary School complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the organization has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.