POSITION TITLE:

Teacher Support Specialist-Special Education

RESPONSIBLE TO:

Director of Special Education

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

• Advanced degree in Special Education preferred.
• Valid Georgia Teaching Certificate in Special Education.

Experience:

• Minimum of five years of experience providing services to students with disabilities required.
• Experience analyzing assessment data and recommending instructional strategies, interventions, and/or specially designed instruction.
• Experience training and developing skills through professional development, preferred.

JOB SUMMARY:
The purpose of the Teacher Support Specialist is to support teachers in the delivery of
specially designed instruction. The TSS will assume responsibility for the direction, coordination and supervision of the special education process and programming in the building(s) to which they are assigned. The TSS is to support the tiered intervention process at point of referral to special education to ensure appropriate identification, service delivery and compliance with state andfederal requirements of the IDEA. The TSS will serve as a coach in the area of instruction andcompliance, and will oversee the 504 process as designated.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Mentoring, Guidance and Support

1. Provide support to the MTSS facilitator at point of referral to special education.
2. Support, guide and facilitate the development of the IEP and adherence to district, state and federal rules and guidelines governing the education of students with disabilities while buildingcapacity amongst others to become fully independent in the process.
3. Actively engage in the data review process to ensure instruction aligns with the initiatives of each student’s IEP so they may make meaningful progress.
4. Facilitate and monitor the 504 process inclusive of the initial eligibility meeting, plandevelopment and annual review.
5. Oversee the implementation of 504 accommodations.
6. Maintain accurate and timely reporting procedures.
7. Act as a liaison between the local school and the district office to identify needed supports aligned to departmental and local school strategic initiatives.
8. Work collaboratively with peers to maintain systems of accountability.
9. Support teams with collection and analysis of data when conducting Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA).
10. Work with school teams to design behavior strategies for students and create behavior intervention plans based on the results of FBA.
11. Provide training in the FBA and BIP process.
12. Support and routinely monitor all aspects of service delivery to ensure students are capable of making meaningful progress and teachers have the supports and tools needed to demonstrate growth.
13. Mentor and build capacity amongst special education teachers to facilitate acquisition of MCS practices and procedures.
14. Deliver professional learning based upon data review, classroom observations and guidance from local and state training, aligned with DSS initiatives.

Specialized Instruction

1. Advocate for access to the general education curriculum by decreasing barriers to learning and providing support and training in the delivery of specialized instruction.
2. Actively participate in and support scheduling of special education services in the general education setting to the greatest extent.
3. Effectively communicate needs for special education resources and/or training to school and district leadership through long and short-term action planning initiatives and input related to local budgetary allocations.
4. Provide job-embedded coaching and modeling of effective instructional strategies.

Strategic Processes and Professionalism

1. Routinely monitor timelines, (e.g. annual review, initial eligibility, 504 and IEP) to ensure compliance with state and local procedures.
2. Facilitate the transition of students with disabilities from one grade level to another, including IEP implementation in new setting and scheduling student services.
3. Collaborate with test coordinator and special education teachers to facilitate adherence to accommodations during state mandated assessments for all students with disabilities.
4. Keep current in relevant topics through participation in professional organizations and professional learning activities.

NON-PROGRAM DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Performs other duties as assigned.

Physical Demands:

Vision, hearing and verbal communication are essential factors in performing required tasks, duties, and responsibilities. Stooping, crouching, kneeling and bending are required in addition to walking, standing and sitting. Frequent movement from classroom to classroom and driving from school building to school building is required. Some travel for professional development is also required. Travel may require extended periods of time in an automobile. The employee must be able to lift a student up to a weight of 40 pounds without assistance and perform a two-person lift for students over 40 pounds.  Must have flexible work hours since teacher meetings often occur before and after regular school hours. 

Work Environment:

The noise level is generally quiet and will vary depending on the classroom noise level. Working with specific students may require Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Training.

NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT:

The Board of Education of the City of Marietta does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or gender in its employment practices, student programs and dealings with the public.

SALARY SCHEDULES