Director of Student Supports
: Job Details :

DescriptionOrganization OverviewExcel Academy was founded in 2003 with the mission to provide a high-quality, free, and public education to students in East Boston and Chelsea Massachusetts, communities that are predominantly low-income and Latinx and historically have faced significant social and educational barriers. Our success in Massachusetts is proof that the opportunity gap can be closed. We are thrilled to extend our impact with the opening of our first school in Rhode Island in 2022 to serve the communities of Providence, North Providence, and Central Falls, and we look forward to serving up to 2,200 students in Rhode Island at full scale. At Excel Academy Charter Schools, we believe that when a student has the support and tools to pursue a productive post-secondary pathway aligned to their personal identity and values, it can fundamentally change their life trajectory. At Excel Academy we learn from our students, families, and staff and make improvements. We have increasingly adapted to provide a holistic education that values our community as collaborators in the learning process, social-emotional support, equity for diverse learners, and fosters identity development. We prioritize an approach that is both rigorous and inclusive. Our team of passionate, intelligent, driven, and loving staff are at the core of the work we do. Growth Happens Here.About the RoleServing as a key member of the Network Team's academic leadership, the Director of Student Supports provides oversight, coaching, and support to all Excel schools. This position will report to the Chief Schools Officer, and will ensure all students have access to high quality support services that meet their needs, in line with Excel's rigorous and inclusive goals. Your ImpactSet and uphold the vision for the Excel approach to Special Education

• Lead the department to articulate and implement Excel's philosophy and approach to special education in accordance with state and federal guidelines
• Ensure that schools with high-needs programs or individual students can serve them in alignment with Excel's approach to Special Education
• Support the Dean of ROSE programming and the Head of School at Excel Academy East Boston to create and uphold a vision, both academically and behaviorally, for the substantially separate program
• Map and source resources (related service providers, technology, assessments, curricula) in accordance with student-specific IEP requirements and in collaboration with DOSSes
• In collaboration with DOSSes and School Leaders, make decisions on network-wide learning support team onboarding, meetings and professional development
• Oversee and manage the Network Special Education budget

Set and uphold the vision for the Excel approach to Multilingual Learner (MLL) Education

• Support the Network ELL Department Heads to make decisions on network-wide ELL team meetings and professional development
• Support the Network ELL Department Heads and School Leaders to ensure alignment of service delivery and programming access for English Language Learners across the network
• Map and source resources (technology, assessments, curricula) in accordance with student-specific ELL requirements and in collaboration with the ELL department heads

Oversee Network Compliance for Special Education

• Through direct management of the Director of Compliance, oversee compliance with DESE reporting requirements related to special populations (for example, CPR, Focused Tiered Monitoring)
• Serve as Local Educational Agency representative (LEA) for the network in situations when that responsibility is not delegated to school-based special education administrators or the Director of Compliance

Oversee Network Compliance for English Language Learners (ELLs)

• Through direct management of the Director of Compliance, work to ensure that ELL compliance measures are met (SEI endorsement, staffing changes as needed for caseload minutes, implementation of the LOOK act, file compliance, etc.)

Coordinate Student Support and Intervention Leadership and Guidance

• Serve as the Network Liaison to the Network Nursing and Counseling Departments
• Serve as a resource and support to school-based Student Support Teams and foster sharing of information and best practices related to student supports across the Network.
• Serve as Foster care liaison for the Excel network
• Serve as Civil Rights Coordinator and Title IX officer for the Excel network

Directly manage and cultivate key staff members

• Support Deans of Student Supports at each school, and facilitate regular meetings and collaboration between the school-based special education administrators
• Directly manage and support key shared service-providers across the network, including Speech Language Pathologists, Reading Specialists, and network school psychologists

Serve as a productive member of the Network team:

• Do whatever it takes to ensure that the mission of the school is fulfilled. This mission of Excel Academy is to prepare students to succeed in high school and college, apply their learning to solve relevant problems, and engage productively in their communities.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree is required
• License or a plan to pursue DESE required licensure prior to the start date:
  • Learning Specialists, Special Education Teachers, ROSE Teachers, and Special Education Coordinators and Administrators must hold a Moderate Disabilities or Severe Disabilities license.
  • You can learn more about Licensure Requirements through DESE here:
• A minimum of three years' special education teaching experience in an urban public school or charter school setting required
• Experience as a Special Education Administrator, Multilingual Learner Administrator, or Student Supports Administrator in a school setting required

Preference will be given to applicants who share points of intersection with our students, such as speaking Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, or a language commonly spoken by our students and families at an advanced level, being first generation college graduates, or having grown up low-income. Mission Alignment

• You share a commitment to and belief in all students and the mission of Excel Academy Charter Schools, including Excel's values and educational model;
• You are committed to addressing racial and economic inequity in education;
• You work effectively in a team environment and have a willingness and desire to support others in doing their best work; and
• You are open to change, are willing to problem-solve, and seek feedback for your own professional growth and improvement.

Excel Academy Charter Schools do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, ancestry, athletic performance, special need, proficiency in the English language or a foreign language or prior academic achievement. Applications will be reviewed as they are received and candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.