Associate Director of Special Education
Los Angeles, CA /
Regional Support – Regional Leadership /
Full-Time Immediate
/ Hybrid
Who We Are
KIPP SoCal Public Schools is a nonprofit organization that operates 24 tuition-free, open-enrollment charter public schools, within 20 Local Education Agencies (LEA), educating more than 9,800 students and supporting 5,800 alumni to and through college and beyond.
What We Believe
KIPP SoCal believes that the purpose of education is for liberation. This means that we see, develop, and inspire the limitless potential in each and all of our KIPPsters.
What We Do
At KIPP SoCal we build trusting relationships that are strengthened by high expectations and collaboration alongside laughter and joy. We set ambitious goals and hold each other accountable for students achieving their greatest potential. We work together with each other and in partnership with families and communities in the active pursuit of a more equitable world. We do the right thing, even when it's not always comfortable standing up and speaking out against anti-blackness, racism, oppression, and injustice. We persevere through obstacles and treat failure as an opportunity to learn and grow.
Job Overview
In addition to supporting a portfolio of 2-3 schools to achieve outcomes for special education students, the Associate Director of Special Education (ADSE) will co-manage, coach, and oversee a team of 5 Program Specialists as they develop school-based leaders to ultimately manage and drive special education programs and services at their school site. The ASDE will be in charge of planning, and executing regional professional development focused on evidence-based instructional practices for students with disabilities and school leaders who oversee special education programs at their school site. They will analyze special education programming by conducting ongoing walkthroughs, audits, and data analyses of student achievement in order to identify trends and potential strategies to continually improve student achievement. All ideal candidates will be passionate about meeting the needs of all students, have specialized expertise working in special education, and have a “make it happen” attitude.
The Opportunity
- Under the guidance of the DSE, plan and implement regional professional development and training for general and special education personnel consistent with KIPP SoCal’s special education department vision, mission, priorities, and strategic goals
- Plan and execute regional training, and professional development to build the capacity of all teachers and leaders in meeting the diverse needs of students with disabilities
- Collaborate with program specialists to ensure that special education instructional practices at school sites are effective, cohesive, and aligned throughout the region
- Develop systems to track and monitor academic progress of students with disabilities
- Analyze special education programs by conducting ongoing walkthroughs, audits, and data analyses of student achievement in order to identify trends and potential strategies to improve student achievement
- Manage and oversee a portfolio of schools to implement strong special education services and programs, which lead to strong academic and behavioral achievement outcomes for ALL students
- Analyze and respond to special education student group data for each school site, at least monthly
- Communicate data to key stakeholders (e.g: case managers, school leaders, teachers, DSE, etc.) with urgency and clarityFlag concerns at the school level and manage up and/or laterally to change-makers (e.g: case managers, school leaders, DSE, regional support staff) to address them
- Collaborate with school site leadership teams to create clear, timeline-driven plans to improve special education services at their schools
- Support Child Find at all schools by ensuring school leaders facilitate robust programs of quality academic and behavioral interventions, and that they refer to students as appropriate
- Develop, monitor, and oversee specialized programs across the region with fine-tuned criteria, instructional practices, procedures, and techniques in order to ensure all special education students are being served across a continuum of supports and interventions
- Evaluate and provide feedback around IEPs, 504 plans, and behavior intervention plans, ensuring that these support student achievement and are implemented with fidelity
- Champion compliance at schools, certifying that all schools are in 100% legal compliance
- Lead and develop school-based leaders’ expertise in the areas of inclusive practices, behavior intervention, true authentic compliance and special education talent development
- Drive Regional Case Manager development through weekly check-ins, IEP meeting observations and IEP audits
- Provide on-the-ground coaching and support for school leadership teams focused on improving inclusive practices and meeting schoolwide priority goals specifically focused on outcomes for students with disabilities.
- Communicate clearly (orally and in writing) with the school leader to support her/his management and oversight of the special education program
- Differentiate support depending on school leader experience in SpEd and the health of the school
- Expand school leadership team knowledge and expertise around special education
- Contribute to the Student Services team collective knowledge, resources and communication to support KIPP SoCal’s entire Student Services team and family.
- Create and deliver practice-based professional development to team members and school-based staff
- Promote communication across schools by actively seeking out best practices and sharing information across schools and region
- Develop tools and resources to improve student services systems and structures at the regional and school level
- Utilize Kastle to ensure effective, streamlined knowledge management
- Participate in all Student Services professional development and tactical meetings
- Seek out, participate in and share learnings from external professional development opportunities
- Other duties as assigned
Benefits & Compensation
- KIPP SoCal Public Schools offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience in a similar position. The salary range for this position is $85,600 to $128,400. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint of $107,000 depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budget allocated for this role.
- 100% of healthcare premium costs covered by employer, dependents added at 50% of the cost
- Employer-paid life insurance
- 401(k) plan with up to 6% match by KIPP SoCal
- Voluntary Benefits (Pet Insurance, Supplemental Life, Accident, Short Term Disability, etc.)
- Generous time off program includes 22 holidays, sick leave and vacation
- Other great benefits (Flexible spending account, EAP, etc.)
** PLEASE NOTE: KIPP SoCal Public Schools requires that all team members be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for the safety of our students, family, and staff. Team members may apply to seek a medical exemption. Regardless of your current vaccination status, our team can advise you on how to fulfill this important requirement so that you can start the position in a timely way. We’re here to help. **
KIPP SoCal Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation/gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
KIPP SoCal strives to ensure that our careers website is accessible to all, including individuals with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process due to a disability, please contact us. You can find our contact information on our website, http://www.kippsocal.org/. Information will be sent to a talent acquisition representative who will provide assistance to ensure appropriate consideration in the hiring process.
