Masters In Special Education Jobs in Spring, TX (NOW HIRING)

Job Description

POSITION:  Elementary Special Education Manager

REPORTS TO: Principal

POSITION TYPE: 11-month

START DATE: 26-27 School Year

COMPENSATION: Starting at $70,500 annually

At YES Prep, work for a mission that impacts the life trajectory of students and their families. YES Prep creates pathways to extraordinary opportunity through best-in-class development, competitive compensation and benefits, and recognition for your impact. Grow as an authentic leader and be part of a high-performing, team-oriented culture. 

Some quick stats about us:

• 21,650 Students
• 2,600 Team Members
• 16 Secondary Campuses
• 12 Elementary Campuses
• 91% Students Who Qualify for Free/Reduced-Price Lunch
• 96% Hispanic & African-American Students
• 99% Students Who Are Accepted to a 4-Year University
• 85% First-Generation College Students
• Ranked in the Top 100 High Schools in the Nation, U.S. News & World Report
   

We serve the students of Houston, Texas, the 4th largest city across the United States. There are over 20 public-school districts and other great public charter school options  within Houston’s city limits serving our increasing population.

THE OPPORTUNITY

YES Prep needs a dynamic Special Education Manager with a robust set of experiences, to make our mission a reality. As a YES Prep employee, you will achieve jaw-dropping results, create pathways to opportunity for our students, and build transformative relationships. To put it simply, you will be a cross-functional leader who will coach and develop a team of Special Education teachers to provide excellent services as outlined in the IEP of each student, while also maintaining a high bar of Special Education compliance to support every child's needs.
 

THE ROLE

When you join the YES Prep team, some of the exciting work and responsibilities will include:

Student Achievement

• Setting Special Education objectives and key results for the year in alignment with the campus’ strategic priorities, collecting relevant data, and designing and executing the strategy necessary to achieve campus goals;
• Monitoring and managing progress toward increased student achievement outcomes for students in Special Education on achievement measures including IEP goals, standards-based grades, curriculum, district and state assessments;
• Sitting on the campus leadership team with the Principal, Director of Campus Operations, and other leaders to develop action plans that ensure all students – including students in Special Education – engage in rigorous, aligned, active and accessible learning in every classroom, every day;
• Working with the Principal and campus instructional leaders to set and maintain a vision for co-teaching and rigorous instruction in specialized programs;
• Building and applying knowledge of curriculum design & implementation for students with disabilities, including general education curriculum, alternate instruction and other special programs;
• Supporting teachers in setting and monitoring goals for students in Special Education, including IEP goals and objectives in addition to course and classroom growth goals;
• Co-observing and coaching with other members of the Instructional Leadership team to support differentiation and growth for all students in both General and Special Education classrooms;
• Collaborating with other instructional leaders to share best practices in differentiation and problem-solving instructional challenges for students with learning needs, including students in Special Education;
• Working with General Education staff to identify areas of need for students in Special Education and appropriate specially designed instruction, including the use of accommodated materials;
• Designing and delivering professional learning opportunities for campus staff on topics relevant to Special Education, including differentiation, specially designed instruction, behavior management, and inclusive practices, at in-service and other campus professional development days;
• When needed, planning and delivering engaging, rigorous instruction aligned to YES Prep curriculum and tailored to meet student needs;
• Creating, executing, and coaching others to implement Behavior Intervention Plans and Student Safety Plans for students with behavior needs;

Team Leadership

• Ensuring that students receive outstanding instruction in all settings by managing, evaluating, and developing at least two Special Education teachers, Special Education Teaching Assistants and a Compliance Specialist in alignment with YES Prep coaching & evaluation expectations;
• Planning for and executing regular Special Education team meetings to support the development of Special Educators on campus;
• Providing individual and group coaching to Special Education Teachers on instructional strategies, curriculum internalization & execution, assessment practices, TEKS alignment, and data-driven decision-making;
• Modeling effective teaching practices and providing both real-time feedback and standalone coaching on Special Education teacher performance;
• Supporting teachers in developing and executing effective lesson plans and instructional materials aligned with state and district standards and individual student needs, including alternate curriculum for students with significant disabilities;
• Assisting teachers in developing and executing functional life skills and social-emotional curricula for students with significant support needs;

Compliance

• Developing and managing Special Education Teachers to meet compliance requirements, including development of critical sections of the IEP, IEP progress reports and service logs;
• Collecting and reviewing paperwork for incoming students to identify students with disabilities;
• Demonstrating and applying knowledge of IEP content, compliance timelines, and Special Education law to maintain accurate & timely completion of Special Education compliance tasks;
• Ensuring the campus complies with all Special Education paperwork with the support of the Compliance Specialist, including maintaining accurate state audit folders;
• Working with all members of the campus team to identify any students suspected of having a disability & referring them for a Special Education evaluation, and following up on any campus deliverables related to the referral;
• Meeting regularly with campus administrators to discuss required paperwork from staff, upcoming due dates, participation in upcoming ARD meetings, alignment on student recommendations, and growth areas for additional development in compliance-related topics;
• Monitoring service logs to ensure that students in Special Education receive all required instructional services;
• Building strong collaborative relationships with families of students in Special Education, including sharing timely updates on students’ progress, seeking and implementing family feedback, and responding effectively to concerns;
• Seeking and participating in continuing development on federal and state regulations related to Special Education;
• Monitoring the fidelity of accommodations through the collection of work samples;

Cross-Functional Project Management

• Providing guidance on Tier 1 classroom management and behavior strategies;
• Supervising the implementation of classroom, district, and state assessments for students in Special Education;
• Working with the Director of Campus Operations to cohort students, creating and regularly updating a Special Education inclusion schedule to ensure that all IEP-required service minutes are met;
• Covering vacancies & leaves of absence on the Special Education team, including the Compliance Specialist;
• Creating and executing attendance supports for students in Special Education;
• Managing the attendance and participation of students in Special Education in tutorials and summer programs;
• Managing the ChildFind process for initial evaluations, and maintain compliance with all re-evaluations with support from the Compliance Specialist;
• Verifying and submitting rosters for TIA eligibility for Special Education Teachers;
• Verifying testing accommodations for system benchmark exams, STAAR tests, etc.;
• Additional duties as assigned.

THE PERSON

We seek staff with a multitude of backgrounds, talents, interests, and ideas. Certain traits consistently shine through for our most successful employees: passion for the mission, drive for results, care for students, resilience, and humility. Other traits needed and desired for this role are:

MUST HAVES

• Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited institution
• At least 3 years of teaching experience in Special Education
• Hold a standard Texas teaching certification in Special Education
• Hold a Texas Bilingual certification within the first school year of employment
• Belief in and commitment to the mission and core values of YES Prep Public Schools
• Openness to giving and receiving frequent feedback
• Demonstrated ability to work on a team
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks and initiatives at once
• Ability to maintain emotional control under stress

THE NICE TO HAVES

• At least 4 or more years of teaching experience in Special Education
• Fluent in Spanish

THE MUST HAVE BELIEFS

• Belief in and commitment to the mission and core value of YES Prep Public Schools
• Desire to disrupt systemic status quos in education
• Willingness to go above and beyond to disrupt said status quos
• Passion to develop resiliency through a relentless pursuit of jaw-dropping results
• Conviction that high expectations + high accountability = high performance and high growth

EVERY OPPORTUNITY STARTS WITH A YES

Great schools begin with great people who believe every day is an opportunity to make a difference. At YES Prep, you have an opportunity to join a family of educators who are leveling the playing field by providing opportunities for a high-quality, college-forward curriculum while also ensuring our students feel supported through their academic journey and empowered to lead choice-filled lives. YES Prep is more than a family of public charter schools, it’s the future of public education—it’s an opportunity to say, “Yes, you can!

THE PERKS

• Compensation – This position is an exempt, salaried position; salary offers commensurate with experience.

• Health and Supplemental Insurance – A $0 monthly medical option and a plan that includes $600 towards a Health Savings Account, in addition to a variety of supplemental benefits including Dental, Vision, Disability, Life, etc. Employees must work 20+ hours a week to be eligible for a full spectrum of benefits, and 10 hours a week minimum for medical benefits.

• Retirement Plans – Participation in Teacher Retirement System of Texas and a 457b Retirement Plan.

• Paid Time Off – Employees working 20+ hours a week receive 12 days of Paid Time Off when working the full duty schedule in addition to the system closures during the Academic Calendar. PTO days will be pro-rated based on start dates within the assigned duty schedule.

• Paid Leave Programming – In the event you need to be out due to medical needs (including maternity and paternity leave), YES Prep offers paid leave, paid at 100%, based on eligibility and tenure.

• Professional Development - YES Prep values longevity and performance over time. We invest in developing leaders through high-quality programs, effective coaching, and ongoing professional development.

• Award Winning Culture – The strong cultures of our campuses and Home Office are just one of many reasons we were named Houston’s Best Place To Work in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2025. We won the  2012 Broad Prize for Excellence in Urban Education    and were a 2016 finalist as well.