School Psychologist
Reports to: Executive Director of Special Services Location: Special Services
Bargaining Unit: CEA FLSA Status: Exempt
Job Summary:
This position helps students with the psycho-educational development, their abilities and potentials, and their social-emotional needs. Additionally, it helps student adjust to cultural and environment factors which influence learning and the adjustment process.
Required Qualifications:
- Washington State ESA certification as a School Psychologist
- Demonstrated successful leadership and managing qualities
- Working knowledge of rules, regulations, and laws dealing with special education
- Ability to work cooperatively with staff, parents, administration and support personnel
- Willingness to learn curriculum, education codes and district policies
- Competency in assessment, data gathering and interpreting techniques
- Successful experience establishing and carrying out behavior interventions systems
- Current knowledge of federal and state laws, rules and regulation governing the education of children qualified for special education
- Working knowledge of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) best practices
- Knowledge of the identification process of special education students
- Ability to communicate effectively, possess awareness (for self and others), listen actively, be patient, incorporate humor/lightheartedness into work, be empathic, possess a growth mindset, and be customer-service oriented
- Ability to support the District’s vision, mission, and goals including the belief that all students can succeed
- Ability to maintain a positive attitude
- Promotes collaboration between school administration, staff and parents for the purpose of maintaining effective, consistent and regular communication between all stakeholders
- Ability to team teach
- Familiarity with racial equity and inclusion frameworks
- Successful experience working with self-direction and a high degree of collaboration
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Possession of organizational skills and flexibility to respond to changing student needs
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Ability to function in a calm, efficient, courteous manner under stress and to exercise careful judgment, confidentiality and tact in the performance of duties
- Ability to act in an ethical and confidential manner in all aspects of employment
- Ability to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations
Preferred Qualifications:
- At least five years of successful special education teaching experience
- Ability to speak Spanish
- School counseling or Board-Certified Behavior Analyst certification
- Actively participates in activities at the state and federal levels
- Experience working with students from diverse backgrounds
- Training in crisis management and/or threat assessment
Essential Functions:
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Assesses, motivates, redirects, and interacts with students in a productive manner.
- Provides training/in-service on strategies for working with students with behavior problems
- Manages the day-to-day activities of paraprofessionals assigned to work with students
- Observes students experiencing behavioral issues and collaboratively designs and implements intervention strategies
- Coordinates and collaborates with district and building staff and outside agencies
- Evaluates, creates, and implements FBAs (functional behavior assessments), PBIPs (positive behavior intervention plans), and ERPs (emergency response protocols) for students
- Assists in the planning and coordination of programs and services
- Participates in or facilitates school based Multi-disciplinary Team/Group of Qualified Professionals meetings
- Recognizes individual student learning needs and develop strategies to address those needs
- Keeps current on special education pedagogy and applies this research to special education programs
- Articulates special education visions and goals to regular education and special education staff
- Assists in developing and implementing Childfind activities
- Demonstrates effective conflict resolution and problem-solving skills
- Coordinates psychological and educational testing activities conducted for the purpose of special education eligibility determination as well as provides information supporting the development of appropriate educational programs
- Provides classroom support and intervention for students experiencing behavioral, social, and/or emotional behaviors that impact their education
- Provides direct services and intervention for special needs students as required for their success including proactive strategies such as social skills education, individual student interventions, behavioral contracts
- Directly assists classroom teachers with the ongoing management of special needs students
- Assists teachers with the design and implementation of solutions to classroom concerns focused upon the special need’s students’ population
- Serves as a member of the Student Support management team, IEP Teams, etc. as pertinent to the job
- Assists with the development of instructional and/or behavioral goals and objectives
- Conducts parent and/or parent-student conferences set up to interpret student assessment results
- Participates in curriculum development and implementation of special education services
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Works to ensure that the appropriate menu of services is identified and implemented for identified K-12 students
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Uses collaborative and evidenced‐based approaches to assist in the creation of IEPs to ensure that students receive skills targeted to their areas of identified need
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Develops staff capacity and parent participation in data‐based decision making
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Confers, counsels, trains and assists site administrators and school staff regarding specialized procedures and requirements
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Responds to inquiries from a variety of sources (e.g. other teachers, parents, administrators, etc.) around aspects of special education services
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Stays current on policies and laws related to special education
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Develops and maintains collaborative and transparent relationships with other district staff, families, and community partners.
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Completes all documentation as required by law or prescribed by the Executive Director of Special Services, including but not limited to IEPs, assessment documents, and progress reporting
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Attends staff and other professional meetings as appropriate or directed
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Uses and integrates technology for communication and instruction
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Conducts testing, interpret results, and leads the multi-disciplinary team in the identification of special education students
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Other duties as assigned
Salary: $63,581.60 - $126,045.10 annually, DOE
Work schedule: 1.0 FTE
Benefits: 12 Sick leave and 3 personal leave days; health benefits including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and long-term disability insurance through SEBB; State retirement through DRS; other fringe benefits as allowed under the Centralia Education Association Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Application Procedures:
Applicants interested in this position should apply online at www.edjobsnw.org AND submit a letter of interest to Tammie Jensen-Tabor, Executive Director of Special Services at [email protected]. Internal candidates only need to submit a letter to Tammie Jensen-Tabor.
