Job Description

Director of Special Education

Neighborhood Charter Schools (NCS) is a public charter school network rooted in Harlem and the Bronx, serving students in an intentionally designed, inclusive learning community. NCS is built on a simple but powerful belief: every child deserves to be known, valued, and supported as their full self. Our schools operate as a true neighborhood model, grounded in deep relationships with families and a commitment to belonging for every student.

What distinguishes NCS is an inclusive-by-design approach. Classrooms, schedules, and supports are intentionally built to serve autistic students, multilingual learners, students with IEPs, and general education students together. Inclusion is not a program or an add-onit is the foundation of how our schools function and how students experience learning every day.

As NCS expands from a K8 network to a K12 system, the launch of its first high school marks a defining moment for the organization. This next chapter requires greater coherence across schools, clarity around vision and systems, and senior leadership to ensure quality and consistency as the network grows.

The Opportunity:

The School-Based Director of Special Education is responsible for ensuring that all scholars with disabilities are supported to reach their full potential through rigorous, differentiated instruction and the faithful implementation of NCS's special education programs at the school level. This role oversees and coaches school-based special education leaders and service providers, including Special Education Coordinators, Mental Health and Behavior Program Managers, and speech-language pathologists, while collaborating closely with school leadership to ensure strong instructional practice and compliance. The Director designs, implements, and monitors school-based special education systems in partnership with other team members. Additionally, the Director supports autism program fidelity, family partnership, professional development, assessment accommodations, and enrollment processes, creating the conditions for equitable, inclusive, and high-quality special education programming across the campus.

Reporting Structure:

This position reports to the Managing Director of Special Education

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• People Management
• Directly manages Special Education Coordinators, Mental Health and Behavior Program Managers, and SLPs under the guidance of the Managing Director of Special Education
• Completes evaluation documents for all direct reports
• Collaborates and communicates with the school-based leader team in regards to special education matters.
• Ensures day-to-day special education compliance, dependent on teacher and student attendance, in conjunction with the school-based leader team
• Case Management
• Works with the Special Education Project manager and the special education coordinators to ensure case management systems are effectively implemented at the school-based level.
• Develops and maintains professional working relationships with outside agencies in regards to case management (i.e., Committee on Special Education, RCM healthcare, Department of Education).
• Special education records management and data tracking
• Assist with per-pupil billing as needed
• Maintenance of school-based special education documentation and compliance
• Special education compliance management
• Monitors classroom special education ratios to ensure equity and inclusion
• Ensures implementation of 12:1 programming across full-day and half-day models
• Works alongside the intervention specialist and school-based leader team to ensure 12:1 instructional consistency and effectiveness
• Behavior Interventions and Systems
• Manages and refines all school-based tier 3 behavioral systems, including the development of FBAs, implementation of BIPs, behavioral data tracking and management, and paraprofessional management and coaching.
• Manages effective collaboration with the school-based Culture team, ensuring effective transition from tiers 2 to 3.
• Related Services
• Works alongside the Special Education projects manager to ensure consistency in related service delivery and scheduling
• Directly supervises school-based SLPs in an evaluative capacity
• Serves as a direct resource for on-campus related service providers
• Autism Program Fidelity
• Works alongside the Autism Program Specialist to ensure consistency in Social Club provision and teacher attendance
• Works to maintain and continue effective use of Social Thinking language and concepts across the K-8 program.
• Serves as a parent resource and support for Autism related concerns at the school-based level
• Special Education Enrollment
• Serve as a school-based liaison and resource during enrollment season by participating in informational sessions for families
• Work alongside the operations team to carry out organization-wide enrollment systems
• Support ASD enrollment alongside the Managing Director of Special Education, Special Education Projects Manager, and the Autism Program Specialist
• Professional Development
• Train special education coordinators and mental health and behavior specialists to effectively deliver feedback to teachers, providers, and paraprofessionals on best practices, under the structure and supervision of the Managing Director of Special Education.
• Design, plan, and implement professional development for instructional staff in a structured and as-needed capacity.
• Plan for, structure, and supervise special education consultant visits and observations
• Assessment
• Work alongside the Managing Director of Special Education to develop and maintain systems of testing accommodations to ensure IEP compliance.
• Collaborate and communicate with the school-based leader team and instructional leaders to understand and plan for upcoming assessments.
• Support and implement proctoring and testing guidelines for special education students
• Family Communication and Support
• Serve as a model and resource for Special Education Coordinators and the school-based leader team.
• Build and maintain relationships with NCS families.
• Provide family training and coaching within special education structures and processes, in collaboration with the Managing Director of Special Education.

Qualifications:

• Master's degree required; NYS professional certification preferred
• NYS SBL/SDL certification preferred, or willingness to participate in an accredited SBL/SDL program to pursue certification
• A minimum of 2 years of school leadership and professional management experience
• Proven effectiveness as a special education teacher and/or service provider
• Strong knowledge and experience in best practices for students with disabilities, including autistic students
• A commitment to contributing to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive setting
• Effective organizational and time management skills
• Collaborative mindset and ability to work productively with all stakeholders
• Effective communicator in public and interpersonal settings

Compensation:

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, vision, and dental insurance
• Competitive retirement plan
• Parental leave
• Tuition reimbursement
• Provided with a smartphone and a laptop
• The starting salary range for this position is $135,000- $150,000

Neighborhood Charter School is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. We do not discriminate against applicants or employees based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, or any other legally recognized protected basis. Our mission is to empower responsible citizen-scholars who will positively impact the world, and building a team with diverse perspectives and backgrounds is integral to achieving this goal. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

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