Visual Impairment Specialist, Special Education Services

Job Summary: Improve outcomes for students with disabilities through data analysis and implementation of targeted strategies. Serve as an ESC 7 liaison and provide assistance to Region 7 LEAs with the alignment of general education and special education programs/services to ensure the advancement of the achievement of students with disabilities.

Qualifications:

Education/Training:

Bachelor's Degree required

Master's Degree preferred

Degree in Special Education or related field is required.

Certification as a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments is required.

ACVREP Orientation and Mobility certification preferred. Experience:

At least five years of related experience.

Administrative responsibilities preferred. Knowledge/Skills:

Ability to build, develop, and inspire teams

Task execution (result-oriented)

Build and cultivate relationships

Excellent communication

Financial knowledge Mental Demands/Physical Demands/Environmental Factors:

Must be able to maintain emotional control under stress

Work with frequent interruptions; irregular hours

Frequent regional travel; occasional statewide travel Major Responsibilities and Duties:

1. In collaboration with other ESCs, will research, develop, and produce statewide professional development materials, tools, resources, and training-of-trainers guides that will be distributed to all 20 ESCs.

2. Provide leadership in the implementation of regional functions, grants, statewide initiatives, Special Education statewide networks and projects, and the Commissioner's Priorities in the assigned areas.

3. Plan and facilitate regional professional development for Region 7 customers based on requests and needs assessment data from district/regional data sources, including local education school personnel serving students with disabilities in special education programs.

4. Provide technical assistance to Region 7 customers in understanding and maintaining compliance with current Special Education federal and state laws, rules, regulations, and guidance, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Federal Accountability, Results-Driven Accountability (RDA), State Accountability through the Texas Reporting Performance System (TPRS), and the State Performance Plan (SPP).

5. Analyze state and regional data to collaboratively develop the Special Education Continuous Improvement Plan (SECIP).

6. Demonstrate effective leadership in collaboration with LEAs, ESC 7 staff, other ESCs, and TEA through program assistance and activities in the areas of visual impairment, deafblindness, assistive technology related to visual impairments/deafblindness, orientation and mobility, and Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) designed to promote improved performance for students with visual impairments.

7. Collaborate with local agencies and entities to provide Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) events for students with visual impairments/deafblindness.

8. Support and maintain AT Lab equipment in collaboration with other specialists and assistants.

9. Provide assistance to LEA administrative staff in identifying resources, products, and services available from ESC 7, including assistive technology available for checkout to improve the achievement of students with visual impairments.

10. Collaborate with and coordinate workshop efforts with ESC 7 Centers to provide leadership, technical assistance, and professional development in the assigned areas.

11. Support the continuous improvement of ESC 7 through activities such as the collection and analysis of needs assessment, customer satisfaction, training, technical assistance, and district data for use in planning services and supporting the development of ESC staff.

12. Collaborate with supervisors to maximize funding by monitoring expenditures to meet programmatic needs.

13. Provide training and technical assistance through Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (CPI) training and behavioral support for students with disabilities.

Regular and reliable attendance.

Other duties as assigned.

Funding

All Region 7 employees are at-will employees. Because your assignment is funded by grants, federal funding, and/or special funding, your continued employment is expressly conditioned on the availability of funding for the position. If funding becomes unavailable due to loss of state/federal funding or due to financial constraints of Region 7 ESC, your position is subject to immediate termination.