About this job:
Affective Needs Special Education (SPED) Teachers provide services to students who struggle with emotional and behavioral disabilities. Special education teachers are responsible for managing a caseload, monitoring student growth, and developing and implementing Individualized Education Plans (IEP).
Affective Needs is a center program specially designed to support students who struggle with intensive emotional and behavioral regulation. In AN programs, we focus on providing intensive specially designed instruction to build pro-social and school engagement behaviors, coping skills, and emotional and behavioral regulation skills, within a safe and consistent academic environment. Students who come to AN programs have frequent and intensive behavioral challenges in their previous setting, and require more structure and focused instruction to develop their skill set to access a less restrictive education setting. There is a strong emphasis on providing interventions that support students' mental health and social well-being.
Notice to Applicants: This vacancy is at a school designated as an “Innovation School.”
For more information, please contact the school and/or DCTA.
** Applications will be received until [specific date]. If the position is not filled by then, we may consider applications submitted after the deadline. Interested applicants must apply online by visiting the Denver Public Schools job board at careers.dpsk12.org. **
What DPS Offers You:
- A Culture that values Equity, Accountability, Integrity, Collaboration and Fun with a shared vision that Every Learner Thrives.
- Competitive Teacher Compensation and Procomp Incentive plan: Click here for the DCTA Teacher and SSP Salary Schedule. Click here for more information on compensation for these roles. Please note: You must submit all relevant documentation via onboarding before the salary-setting deadline (15 days after receiving your offer letter).
- In addition to competitive compensation, DPS offers other Total Reward offerings, such as time off, health and wellness benefits, and PERA Retirement.
What You'll Do:
- Instruct students in academic subjects using a variety of techniques to meet students' varying needs.
- Creates, writes, monitors, and facilitates IEPs for students on the caseload to ensure that students' individualized academic and social-emotional needs are met.
- Oversees the scheduling of IEP meetings and the IEP process for students assigned to caseload to ensure compliance with state and federal law.
- Assesses student progress towards objectives, expectations, and/or goals to provide feedback to students, parents, and administration.
- Promotes student respect for the rights of others in the classroom to create and maintain a positive learning environment.
- Prepares lesson plans and materials according to curriculum guidelines, adapting teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests; establishes and communicates clear objectives for lessons, units, and projects; and instructs students individually and in groups using various teaching methods.
- Demonstrates sensitivity to students' physical, medical, and learning styles with respect to their identified disabilities to support students.
- Sets high expectations for all students to demonstrate a deep belief that every learner thrives.
- Completes Medicaid logging for reimbursement of services when applicable.
- Manages and teaches socially appropriate behavior to promote self-regulation and safety.
What You'll Need:
- A bachelor's degree in Education, Special Education, or a job-related area is required. A Master's Degree is only required for Concurrent Enrollment positions.
- Have a valid Colorado Department of Education (CDE) Special Education Generalist License or Endorsement Click here for additional information regarding specific requirements and qualifications for the various subject areas (DPS accepts a CDE Application Receipt for 90 days.)
- For ELA-S (teaching in both Spanish and English) positions, candidates are required to take the Spanish language proficiency (SLP) exam, proctored by Berlitz Testing. Click here for more information. Additionally, if a teacher has taken, or chooses to take, the Praxis II - Spanish: World Language 5195 exam, it will also work at DPS as an appropriate SLP exam as long as the candidate scores 163 or higher on the Praxis II (#5195) exam.
- ELA-S Only: Must be Bilingual in Spanish and English Required.
- Experience working with young students with exceptional needs and their parents preferred.
- Experience developing and implementing IEPs and FBA/BIPs.
- Experience co-teaching in core academic subjects and thrives in a collaborative team approach preferred.
- Experience working or teaching a diverse student population.
- Work to dismantle systems of oppression and inequity in our community. Believe in and support all students so they feel seen and heard and have access to high-quality education.
- Live and work with a permanent home address in Colorado while working with us.
- Have the ability, with or without accommodations, to meet the physical demands of the position.
Denver Public Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender expression, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or any other status protected by law or regulations. It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors.