SY Academic Specialist

Academic Specialist

Start Date:
July 2025

Role Type:
Full-Time, 12 month

Location:
Washington, DC

FLSA Status:
Exempt

WHO WE ARE

DC Prep is a high performing network of public charter schools serving over 2,100 preschool through 8th-grade students across six campuses in Wards 5, 7, and 8. We’re proud of the high bar we set for ourselves to achieve results–our students deserve our best!

OVERVIEW

The Academic Specialist is charged with modeling and building a positive, productive and joyful learning environment to ensure a high-quality experience for all children, most specifically for students with significant cognitive disabilities. The Academic Specialist collaborates frequently with members of the special education department and leadership team to design rigorous specialized instruction for students on their caseload. An effective Academic Specialist is highly data-driven and relentless in designing specialized instruction that holds high expectations for students with disabilities while meeting a wide range of academic needs in collaboration with co-teachers.

As a key member of the school leadership team, the Academic Specialist functions on a 12 month schedule as a teacher-leader and reports to the campus Special Education Coordinator.

WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU’LL DO

You absolutely love to teach and have a strong track record of differentiating instruction that supports your students in making academic leaps and bounds. You are unwavering in your belief that ALL students can–and should–pursue rigorous academic goals. You will be responsible for:

• Providing Tier 3 interventions to students with IEPs
• Designing and implementing literacy and math instruction for multiple special education pull-out groups daily
• Designing and delivering standards-aligned, student-centered instruction to meet rigorous academic goals for students with disabilities
• Using data to develop rigorous IEP goals for each student on your caseload
• Designing and implementing high quality specialized instruction for students with disabilities across multiple grade levels
• Creating and refining service delivery schedule for specialized instruction
• Monitoring progress of specialized instruction to inform refined services or goals for students on your caseload
• Communicating regularly with families regarding student progress toward IEP goals
• Providing instructional leadership to other members of the school community to ensure specialized instruction is aligned with all other student services
• Serving as a member of the Multi-Disciplinary Team for students on your caseload to report out on progress with families and other service providers
• Collaborating with general education teachers, special education inclusion teachers, and Academic Intervention Fellows to ensure specialized instruction is aligned with grade-level curriculum and content
• Providing expertise to school community regarding academic interventions by serving as a member of the SST team
• Maintaining compliance for all students on your caseload
• Writing and updating Present Levels of Performance and IEP goals on an annual basis
• Writing and submitting quarterly IEP progress reports
• Communicating with other related service providers to ensure appropriate service delivery

QUALIFICATIONS

Educational background and work experience

• 2+ years of lead teaching experience as an Interventionist or Special Education Teacher in an urban public school with a record of high student achievement
• Bachelor’s degree from a competitive college or university required. Concentration or advanced degree in special education or literacy/ math intervention preferred

Skills and characteristics

• Desire and willingness to do “whatever it takes” to support student achievement in traditionally under-served communities
• Passion for connecting with students and families in support of student success
• Extraordinary oral skills to effectively communicate with varied audiences
• Comfort with and ability to write efficiently and effectively as part of a culture where curriculum writing, email communication, and documentation are critical
• Superior analytical skills and sound judgment to make critical decisions autonomously
• Meticulous organizational…