Special Education Assistant Coordinator

POSITION TITLE:               Special Education Assistant Coordinator

LOCATION:                         North Star Academy

FLSA STATUS:                   Exempt

DEPARTMENT:                 Special Education

REPORTS TO:                  Special Education Coordinator

SUPERVISES/MANAGES:         Special Education Teachers and Paraprofessionals

Position Summary:

Special Education Assistant Coordinators are responsible for leading, organizing, facilitating and supporting special education for the assigned academy or academies.

Key Position Specific Roles & Responsibilities:

• Supervisory Responsibilities

  • Directly supervises special education paraprofessionals.   

  • Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws. 

  • Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

• Educational Programming

  • Assign caseloads for special education teaching staff

  • Supervision of special education teachers and paraprofessionals

  • Assign paraprofessionals

  • Provide training and guidance to special education teachers in the roles of paraprofessional supervision

  • Provide input regarding classroom placement for special education students

• Coordination

  • Maintain current demographics and data regarding all students on IEPs 

  • Provide input to IEP teams and building administrators regarding amended consequences for students receiving special education services

• Communication

  • Report weekly to Special Education Coordinator

  • Establish working relations with colleagues, developing effective systems for reciprocal communication about students with special needs.  This includes ongoing communication with building administrators.

  • Establish regular communication mechanisms with assigned special education team(s).

• Compliance

  • Assure due process timelines are met

  • Provide due process training and support for special education teachers in their first year

  • In conjunction with Special Education Compliance Specialist, review IEPs for compliance

  • Assure process in place for determining appropriate students for required state testing

  • In conjunction with Special Education Compliance Specialist, review IEPs for compliance

  • Member of assigned evaluation team

• ?Scheduling

  • Coordinate paraprofessional schedules for building

  • Assure internal coverage for special education teachers and paraprofessional staff when there are staff shortages in the building

  • Assure appropriate coverage for field trips and special events

• Other

  • Member of assigned academy educational lead team.

  • Participates in necessary academy level meetings

  • Other duties as assigned

  • Maintains confidentiality of sensitive information, adheres to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations.

  • Demonstrates familiarity with policies of the Duluth Public Schools District and state and federal regulations pertaining to education.

  • Participates on committees and special projects and other related duties as assigned.

  • Performs all other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Language / Communication Skills

  • Ability to read, write, speak, listen and understand the English language.
  • Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Ability to effectively present and communicate information, and respond to questions or complaints from students, caregivers, regulatory agencies, or members of the school community.
  • Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.
  • Gets along well with others and effectively works with teams.

• Reasoning Ability

  • Ability to solve practical problems, collect data, establish facts, draw valid conclusions, and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. 
  • Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

• Availability & Attendance

  • Work schedule may include hours up to eight hours in a day, or 40 hours in a week.
  • Follows all attendance policies and procedures, including punctuality and proper timeclock or timesheet reporting.

• Computer Skills

  • Computer proficiency with software programs and the ability to learn new computer technology and programs. 
  • Strong knowledge of instructional technology platforms and Google Workspace.

• Mathematical Skills

  • Ability to apply concepts of basic math.
  • The ability to analyze and understand data represented multiple ways (charts, graphs, etc.); identify trends or ‘root causes’ in data; and calculate with percentages.
  • Ability to understand special education finance.

• Psychology 

  • Basic knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation.

• Social Perceptiveness

  • Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.

Job Requirements:

• Education 

  • Completion of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; Master’s degree strongly preferred.

• Certification or Licensure

  • Valid or eligible for Minnesota Special Education Teacher’s License or another professional discipline (e.g. speech therapy, counselor, social worker) from the Minnesota Department of Education

• Experience

  • Minimum of five (5) years experience working in special education or related field.

  • Three (3) years in an administrator or supervisory position preferred

Physical and Mental Requirements:

• The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the key responsibilities and duties of this job.

  • Ability to endure prolonged walking, sitting, standing, use of pulling, bending, and stooping movements.

  • Ability to adapt to changes in daily work hours and schedule.

  • Must be able to lift a minimum of 25 pounds.

  • Must be in good general health and demonstrate emotional stability.

  • Ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously.