Director, Special Education (Specialized Instruction)

Position Overview

The Director, Special Education Specialized Instruction is a Division leader responsible for the strategic direction, organization, development and implementation of high-quality specialized services for students with disabilities in all LCPS schools and related professional development for staff.

Roles and Responsibilities

The following information is intended to describe the overall nature and scope of the work being performed in relation to the position. This is not a comprehensive listing of all responsibilities or tasks; other work may be assigned when deemed appropriate:

• Supervises and evaluates activities of special education administrators including strategic planning and coordination of respective areas and ensures accountability for program implementation for students with disabilities, staff support and compliance with regulations and procedures.
• Interprets federal, state and local laws, regulations and procedures related to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Code of Virginia; provides guidance and support to school administrators and direction to staff regarding the implementation of federal and state regulations; ensures accountability for compliance with federal and state laws and regulations.
• Provides oversight and strategic direction for special education program development and related professional development for school staff on special education effective practices with an instructional focus and the accurate implementation of the IDEA; engages in strategic planning of program goals and the budget for the Office of Special Education and related grants and administers the budgets of assigned areas; responsible for staffing projections and staffing allocations to individual schools in accordance with staffing standards, fiscal allocations and program efficiencies.
• Analyzes data regarding student performance, staffing, enrollment growth and other important trends regarding students with disabilities; creates comprehensive reports/analyses for the Superintendent and School Board with relevant data; develops, implements and monitors a data-based continuous improvement plan for improving student achievement for students with disabilities.
• Conducts staff meetings and works with special education administrators to coordinate program activities related to responsibilities for students, parents and school staff; coordinates services and cross-functional teams with other offices within Student Services and the Departments of Instruction, Human Resources and Talent Development, and Support Services; assists in the interview process of new personnel; conducts short-term and long-range strategic planning; approves and monitors contracted services agreements; responds to requests for information from the public.
• Collaborates with parents, administrators and school division staff to address issues related to students with disabilities; participates, as the division liaison, in the Special Education Advisory Committee meetings; attends School Board meetings and prepares such reports for the Board and the Virginia Department of Education, as requested; coordinates grant applications relevant to special education and pursues grant funding for special projects.

Qualifications

Below are the qualifications for this position:

• Master’s Degree and a Postgraduate Professional License in special education or a related field and endorsements in special education and school administration. Has significant successful experience as a building administrator or equivalent experience in leadership and management in a central office position.
• Current comprehensive knowledge of the principles and best practices in school administration and current educational trends as applied to the special education population, comprehensive knowledge of current procedures and effective practices of a variety of special education services
• Significant, current successful experience as a special education administrator and successful experience in leadership and management of staff and operations in a central office position; current successful experience in program development and evaluation and systems approach to capacity building for program implementation
• Strong knowledge and significant experience in systems change practices in a large school division; Strong knowledge and proven application of the IDEA and Virginia regulations; current knowledge and proven experience with Virginia dispute resolution process and proven expertise in mediation and conflict resolution with parents, staff and families
• Strong problem-solving, organizational, communication and interpersonal skills, demonstrated experience in collaborative teamwork and large-scale professional development and program implementation; excellent oral and written communication skills; strong ability to organize, analyze and display data in several reporting formats; strong oral presentation skills
• Successful experience implementing strategic program goals with demonstrated results/outcomes; strong ability to manage multiple projects from concept to completion within tight timelines; demonstrated ability to think strategically, analyze data and inform practice through collaborative and data-based decisions
• Current experience in developing and tracking a significantly large and comprehensive budget

Physical Requirements

The following provides a brief description of physical requirements for this position:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly talking, expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. The employee must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly. The employee must possess normal cognitive abilities including the ability to learn, recall and apply certain practices and policies. Frequently sitting and/or remaining in a stationary position for long periods of time. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.

Pay Scale: Universal 28

FLSA status: Exempt

Months/Days/Hours: 12 months, 248 days, 8 hours per day

Reports to: Assistant Superintendent, Student Services

Salary Range: $128,390-$196,988 per year