Special Education Teacher- Self Contained

Maricopa Unified School District #20

Human Resources
44150 West Maricopa/Casa Grande Highway, Maricopa, Arizona 85138
Phone:  | Fax:

Special Education Teacher

Exempt - 185 or 187 day contract

Approved Certified Compensation Plan (Education and Experience)

School Principal

The Special Education Teacher provides services and support to students with special needs for the purpose of developing their success in academics, interpersonal skills and activities of daily living by implementing district approved curriculum; documenting teaching and student progress/activities/outcomes; addressing students’ specific needs; providing a safe and optimal learning environment; and providing feedback to students, parents and administration regarding progress, expectations, and goals.

The teacher must have a strong working knowledge of the legal requirements associated with providing special education and related services and demonstrate excellent organizational and time management skills.

• Designs the individualized education plan (IEP) for each assigned student in alignment with the district’s philosophy, Arizona Learning Standards and applicable state and federal law.
• Designs learning experiences and utilizes adaptive devices/technology to provide access to general curricular content for individuals with disabilities.
• Collaborates with colleagues and other departments in planning and constructing benchmark lessons, instructional interventions and/or programs.
• Serves as case manager to assigned special needs students.
• Provides direct services as needed to assigned special needs students.
• Prepares, implements, and evaluates IEPs (including transition plans and behavior management plans) for each assigned student based on individual needs, in accordance with district procedures and timelines.
• Uses appropriate assessment instruments pertinent to academic, communication, and behavioral areas.
• Plans, implements and evaluates social skills lesson plans, community-based instruction and behavior support plans (as needed) for each student.
• Identifies, selects, and modifies instructional resources to meet the needs of students with varying backgrounds, learning styles, and assessed needs in accordance with the district’s philosophy, goals and objectives.
• Provides specialized instructional techniques and media through individual and/or group sessions designed to meet the educational, social, and emotional needs of the students.
• Identifies and collaborates with district, community, and agency services to meet the needs of special needs students.
• Participates on the school-based intervention team, in-school staffing team and in the screening processes, as appropriate.
• Participates on evaluation teams for students as appropriate.
• Plans and implements self-care programs, including direct assistance to students (e.g., toileting, positioning, lifting, feeding, etc.).
• Monitors and oversees services provided by paraprofessionals and/or other support personnel assigned to classroom and/or student in classroom.
• Obtains and monitors present levels/baselines of assigned special needs students.
• Ensures that, for each student assigned as the Special Education Teacher’s case manager, the necessary evaluation records, IEPs, and other team-developed records are maintained in the student’s permanent special education folder.
• Ensures that each student has the necessary IEPs, evaluation records, and other applicable special education records (e.g., behavior management plans) in the student’s folder.
• Completes appropriate reports for local, state, federal and educational agencies.
• Refers students who require further evaluation or follow-up services to the appropriate school personnel or community agencies.
• All actions must be in concert with the mission statement, beliefs, objectives and parameters found in the district’s Strategic Plan.

• Working knowledge of federal and state laws related to the education of students with special needs.
• Working knowledge of the Arizona State Standards for the assigned grade level and/or…