Special Educator (Full-time)
JOB SUMMARY:
The Village School of North Bennington has an anticipated opening for a full-time Special Educator for the 2025-2026 school year. The Special Educator is responsible for managing all Special Education services at the Village School and works collaboratively with a team that may include the student’s teachers and family members, as well as the educational assessment, interventionist, or counseling professionals with whom the students may interact. The Special Educator works to develop Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) that address the students’ academic, social-emotional, and/or developmental needs. The Special Educator coordinates and leads the IEP meetings at the Village School and is responsible, as the case manager and coordinator of services, for the relevant planning, follow-up and documentation. This position may extend into the summer as necessary, which may include administrative meetings, student IEP meetings, transition meetings, and potentially teaching summer school classes.
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Serves as the main point of contact for inter-school communication regarding Special Education, as well as the liaison between the Village School and the Southwestern Vermont Supervisory Union (SVSU)
- Attends all meetings relating to Special Education planning, including acting as parent advocate, meeting with parents, educating parents about special needs rights, and educating parents about Special Education terminology and methodology
- Develops IEPs and maintain Special Education files, as well as records of goals, objectives, accommodations and data on student progress with academic plans, in accordance with the regulations of the State of Vermont
- Prepares and send reports of progress toward meeting the IEP objectives to parents and to the sending school districts, as required
- Serves as a student advocate when transition issues, academic concerns, or accommodation issues arise
- Consults with faculty, interventionists, specialists, and support staff, as needed, in order to provide summaries of student needs, to educate teachers about student needs, to clarify Special Education terminology, or to provide mentorship around instructional supports for students
- Provides direct instruction for students as specified in the IEP goals and objectives
- Serves as the Coordinator for Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at the Village School, as well as the SSD contact person for families with students at the Village School who wish to apply for testing accommodations
- Provides case management for students on IEPs
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Special Education or a related field is required; preference will be given to candidates with a Masters degree in Special Education
- Valid Vermont Teaching License with a Special Education endorsement; a provisional or emergency license may be considered, but preference is given to candidates who are licensed (or eligible for licensure) in Special Education in Vermont
- Experience in developing and/or providing IEP case management
- Working knowledge of the profiles of neurodivergent students and who are well versed in evidence based practices, such as Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, and Structured Literacy
- Understanding and working knowledge of Vermont’s Special Education laws
WHY CHOOSE THE VILLAGE SCHOOL?
- Competitive salary
- Negotiable relocation cost reimbursement
- Tuition remission for the K-6 children of core staff members
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance (with an orthodontics benefit)
- School-paid life insurance, as well as the option to purchase additional life insurance
- 403b Retirement Savings Program (with employer matching)
- PTO and Sick Leave