Special Education Teacher
KIPP Colorado Public Schools
This role offers a $5,000 signing bonus!
About the KIPP Colorado Special Education Teacher Role: The Special Education Teacher is the instructional leader of their student caseload and is directly responsible for driving student outcomes and creating an exceptional student experience. Teachers drive the educational mission of KIPP Colorado schools by developing daily instruction aligned with our academic program that enables students to make significant academic growth each year. The Special Education Teacher plans instruction, organizes learning activities, internalizes and intellectually prepares for lessons, grades equitably and consistently, and implements with fidelity all accommodations and modifications for students’ IEPs, BIP’s, 504 Plans, and MTSS interventions. The Special Education Teacher at KIPP Colorado holds full responsibility for creating and cultivating a culturally responsive classroom community that is warm-demanding, including upholding school-wide expectations, managing tier 1 behaviors, and contacting families proactively and responsively. Special Education Teacher Teachers support the campus-wide community and whole school systems through active presence at daily duties, including but not limited to: arrival duty, dismissal duty, lunch duty, threshold presence at transitions, hallway / bathroom duty, and coverage for staff absences. This is a full-time position and will report directly to a member of the school leadership team.
About KIPP: Together with families and communities, KIPP creates joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. KIPP is a national network of tuition-free, public charter schools open to all students. There are 255 college-preparatory KIPP schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 100,000 students. Nationally, KIPP students are graduating four-year colleges at three times the national average for low-income students.
Who we are: KIPP Colorado Public Schools is a network of six free college-preparatory public charter schools open to all students. Our 350-person staff educates 2,600 students from ECE to 12th grade. At KIPP Colorado, we partner with our KIPPsters, educators, families and communities to ensure that we are all united around the goal of a choice-filled future for our KIPPsters. Our KIPP Forward Team supports our 1,000+ high school Alumni as they create their own paths. Our core values of excellence, belonging, belief, advocacy and courage are central to who we are and how we operate at all levels of our organization.
What we do: We believe in the unique gifts and brilliance of every student. We believe in setting a high bar for joy and academic excellence to ensure the infinite possibilities our students have before them become a reality. We aspire to create and reinforce a culture of achievement, belonging and support. We know that every student is different and we personalize learning based on a student's needs, skills, and interests.
Role Responsibilities and More About How You’ll Spend Your Time in this Role
Professional Responsibilities
Believe deeply in the mission, values, and Race, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (RIDE) commitments of KIPP Colorado Schools and that all children can and will learn
Assume personal responsibility for student achievement
Read, internalize, and adhere to the KIPP Colorado Policies and Procedures manual and guidelines
Providing an active presence, strategic supervision, and intentional monitoring to ensure student safety and engagement in rigorous learning (regardless of my role and its proximity to students)
Take ownership for the development of your craft (meet 1x/1-2 weeks with a manager, implement feedback, engage in active practice, etc.)
Commit to being prepared. Such as; internalizing and preparing for lessons; preparing for O3s/coaching, preparing for meetings, coaching, PD, etc.
Meet professional obligations including and not limited to meeting deadlines and honoring schedules
Consistently leverage existing professional tools, including but not limited to Google Suite (google documents, etc.) and Microsoft Suite (including but not limited to your KIPP Colorado email, Teams chat / meetings, Teams phone, and Microsoft outlook)
Maintain strong attendance each day and be on time to all responsibilities
Collaborate with colleagues and seek feedback in the spirit of continuous improvement
Reflect on professional practices to meet individual professional development goals
Actively participate in professional development, grade level, and department meetings
Actively engage and implement in all school-wide and Org wide professional development
Serve as a positive, contributing member of a grade team or functional team, collaborating with colleagues to tackle common challenges and implement org and grade-wide initiatives
Share candid, solutions-oriented feedback with peers and leadership on a regular basis, assuring that feedback is shared directly with the intended recipient. Ensure that feedback is focused on improving outcomes and experiences for students
Assist with both student and staff recruitment and engagement- including events, home visits, calls home, and other determined and related requirements
Your role, professional development, org wide meetings, etc may require you to travel around Denver to other KIPP Campuses, our Home Office, or other KIPP or PD events
Other duties as assigned (such as but not limited to, lunch duty, arrival/dismissal duty, bathroom duty, school support duties, etc.)
Special Education Responsibilities
Develop, monitor, and evaluate the effectiveness of special education programs and other student supports (Intervention, 504, ELL, etc.)
Maintain IEPs, 504s, Evaluations, and ELL programs; ensure services are delivered with fidelity
Liaison with parents via trainings, meetings, and consultations
Provide case management for Special Education caseload and provide instruction to students receiving special education supports
Ensure accurate and timely completion of IEP, BIPS, and FBAs
Ensure students receive their minutes (pull-out and push-in dependant upon student needs), accommodations, and modifications in collaboration with gen ed teacher
Support classroom teachers with understanding student support plans and requirements
Instructional Planning and Delivery
Develop standards-based unit plans and daily lesson plans
Design and deliver rigorous, backwards-planned lessons
Design and implement assessments that are aligned with daily objectives
Grade student material and provide students with feedback and support
Plan rigorous lessons that include a focus on lesson internalization
Use the adopted curriculum with fidelity
Use data to adjust short- and long-term plans in order to meet students’ learning needs
School Culture Alignment
Believe deeply in the mission of KIPP Colorado Schools and that all children can learn
Establish and maintain relationships with students and families based on trust and respect
Approach practice with a sense of urgency to maximize instructional time
Establish and maintain high expectations for academic work and classroom behavior
Establish and reinforce rules and consequences to maintain a positive, focused classroom
Meet professional obligations such as meeting deadlines and honoring schedules
Additional Responsibilities
Participate in active presence and strategic supervision and monitoring to ensure student safety and engagement in rigorous learning
Complete MLE coursework and certification requirements (required for most roles)
Partner with the Assistant Principal of Special Services and Special Education Teachers to ensure proper implementation of 504s, BIPs, IEPs, safety plans, accommodations, modification, and language support for students
Enforce positive behavior systems and monitor behavior data
Attend designated school functions outside of school hours (Back to School Night, Report Card Conferences, Community Events, etc.)
Perform necessary support duties including (but not limited to) bus, lunch, and dismissal duties, chaperone field trips. Participate in parent meetings, conferences, and periodic evening events
Develop strong relationships with the families of students through home visits, participation in school events and phone calls home
Communicate regularly with families about academic progress and behavior
Be accessible by school cell phone for homework help and student emergencies beyond regular school hours
Participate in daily duties (i.e. breakfast, lunch, dismissal) to support school operations
Maintain accurate records, grade books, and data tracking systems
Assist with both student and staff recruitment
Other duties as assigned