Job Description: Inclusion Specialist (Special Education) Teacher
Reporting to: Principal
ABOUT US:
Founded in 2003, Bright Star Schools has been serving students, families, and communities in Los Angeles for over 20 years! We currently serve over 3,600 students in 9 schools in the communities of South Los Angeles, Koreatown, and the San Fernando Valley. Our free, charter public schools are joyful, small, and safe communities where each of our students is known and supported to thrive. We welcome all students of all abilities and backgrounds.
We’re looking for outstanding educators to join our team and help provide holistic, inclusive support for all students to achieve academic excellence and grow their unique talents so that they find joy in higher education, career, and life. Guided by our core values of integridad, kohyang, ubuntu, and growth, we’re committed to our students’ and educators’ success.
At Bright Star Schools, we provide a culture of learning and growth for educators, with an emphasis on job-embedded, differentiated professional development, which includes:
- Organization-wide content specific professional development sessions throughout the year
- An instructional coaching program
- A no-cost induction program for new teachers with a preliminary credential (Our two- year induction program allows teachers with preliminary credentials to earn their CA clear credential at no cost to the teacher.)
- Paid planning days
- Professional learning communities at the school site and by grade level or content area.
Overall, our educators receive 200+ hours of job-embedded professional development opportunities to support teacher growth and advancing student achievement over the course of each year.
We also offer small class sizes, comprehensive teacher support, a focus on anti-bias and anti-racist school and classroom cultures, and numerous collaboration opportunities across the organization and within school sites.
Educator applicants should be prepared to conduct classes virtually or in-person depending on COVID-19 health guidelines.
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Bright Star Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual
orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, pregnancy, or veteran status.
Qualifications & Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree
- CA Education Specialist Credential (Mild/Moderate)
- Candidates with an intern credential also considered
- Two years of urban teaching experience preferred
- Bilingual Spanish or Korean desirable
- Possession of either Bilingual, Cross-Cultural, Language and Academic Development (BCLAD) certificate; Cross-Cultural, Language and Academic Development (CLAD) certificate; Bilingual Certificate of Competence (BCC); or Language Development Specialist (LDS) certificate desirable
Teacher Traits:
- Belief that every child deserves an excellent education which prepares him/her for college and life beyond
- Demonstrated ability to teach the whole child in an inclusive setting using modifications and accommodations
- Willingness to receive feedback, engage in frequent dialogue, and ability to self-reflect
- Life-long learner
- Collaborative
- Firmly committed to ensuring that every student is able to achieve a rigorous expectations and curriculum
- Firmly committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-biased, and equitable classroom environment
- Belief in data-driven instruction
- Firm, kind approach to managing student behavior
- Technologically competent
- Entrepreneurial spirit and creative problem solver
- Sense of joy in working with students and love of teaching
Responsibilities:
Whole School Responsibilities
- Uphold Bright Star Schools’ mission and values
- Demonstrate genuine care for all students
- Build relationships with all students
- Embrace existing school-wide management systems and promote high standards of behavior
- Uphold restorative practices and create safe, positive learning environments for all students
- Collaborate with school leaders, providing input to improve Bright Star programs
- Actively participate in professional development sessions
- Communicate professionally with peers, supervisors, parents, and students
- Commit to a longer school day and calendar year
- Adhere to Bright Star’s professional attire guidelines
- Supervise bathroom breaks, as needed
- Uphold attendance procedures each period using school information system, Aeries
- Participates in school-wide culture events (i.e. Culture days, Songfest, Assemblies, and Field Day)
- Perform other duties as assigned
Compliance & Instructional Responsibilities
- Create and uphold students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
- Plan for and facilitate student IEP meetings for caseload of students
- Communicate with and update all records for family/guardian(s)
- Support General Education teachers with differentiated instruction and/or individualized accommodations as needed
- Create and submit weekly action plans (overview of compliance and instructional planning) to administrator/coach
- Use California State and/or California Common Core standards to plan rigorous lessons in support of IEP goal development
- Plan for and execute co-teaching strategies with general education teachers as needed to support students
- Employ strategies to get to know and understand students and prioritize culturally responsive teaching
- Participate fully in weekly instructional coaching activities (including analysis of student learning, intellectual prep, observation debrief, etc.) and execute on next steps from the weekly coaching meeting. These meetings will be 45 minutes to an hour weekly with your matched coach
- Implement feedback from administrator(s) regarding weekly action plans and/or execution
- Coordinate Resource Specialist Program (RSP) service delivery to students on caseload and track services accordingly on Welligent; monitor progress and provide periodic reports to families
- Establish and maintain positive environment within classroom or small group RSP settings
- Implement an aligned instructional program to support students in meeting grade level, school, and district goals
- Support instruction with school-wide supplemental programs
- Maintain gradebooks and meet grading reporting and IEP progress report deadlines
- Administer informal and formal academic assessments (Woodcock Johnson IV) and complete academic assessment reports according to district-approved standards
- Communicate with families regarding student academics and behavior
- Collaborate with General Education teachers, Counselors, Inclusive Education/ SpEd Team (including Paraprofessionals) and English Language Development (ELD) Team
- Use planning periods for the advancement of student academics and compliance
- Implements all duties in compliance with all state and federal Special Education laws and district mandates
- Tutor students in need of remediation
- Perform other adjunct duties as assigned
Benefits
Salary and Benefits:
Salary: BSS salary is based on experience and education, and was created in consideration of the longer school day and school year. Please click here for our salary scale. Additionally, all credentialed Inclusion (SPED) Teacher hires are eligible for a $5,000 signing bonus for the 24-25 school year.
Status: Full Time
Start Date: An exceptional candidate will assume a full time role no later than August 2024. Teachers attend 2 weeks of required professional development prior to the academic school year starting.
Location: Koreatown, Los Angeles, CA
Benefits: Health, dental, vision, CalSTRS retirement matching, life insurance, short-term disability, optional 403b plan, sick and vacation paid time off, and holidays.
Other Benefits:
- Laptop
- Job-embedded induction program for new teachers with a preliminary teaching credential to earn their CA clear credential at no cost to the participant
- Weekly instructional coaching or mentoring (through our in-house induction program referenced above) for all teachers
- Instructional leaders as principals
- Pupil-free planning days for teachers
- Staff wellness program
- School counselors to support with family engagement and communication