Position Type:
Administration/Director
Date Posted:
4/29/2026
Location:
District Office
Position Title:
Director of Special Education
Payroll/Personnel Type:
12 Month
Reports to:
Assistant Superintendent of Student Success and Diverse Programs
Union Eligibility:
not eligible
Starting Salary
Commensurate with experience
Position Summary:
The Director of Special Education provides oversight and strategic support for our Special Education and 504 services. The Director collaborates with schools to ensure students with IEPs and 504s are provided access to grade level instruction through high quality individualized services.
A Director serves three core functions:
1. Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of all programs serving students with IEPs/504s in alignment to state and federal guidelines
2. Instructional leadership by providing data-driven and research based professional development on best practices for students with IEPs
3. Program and student advocacy.
The Special Education Department is one of four departments in the district's Student Services and Diverse Programs team. The Director of Special Education is a member of the Superintendent's Executive Leadership team and directly supervises and develops a Coordinator, Instructional coach and three clerical support staff.
Core Functions:
Function 1: Program Development, Implementation and Evaluation
Key Activity
Activity Description
Program Entry
Assessment
Program Design
Assess the current state of the program (compliance; District culture; outcomes; instructional practices, staffing, professional development) to identify priorities, inform continuous improvement planning and recommendations.
Define/align program objectives and supporting frameworks, models, guidelines, resources and professional development strategy around writing, implementing and assessing high quality Individualized Education Programs for students; Codify Special Education standards and procedures for quality control and the development of school leadership capacity
Program Evaluation
Establish a continuous improvement process and systems of accountability to determine program impacts on student learning and consistent implementation of Special Education standards and procedures
Program Coordination / Implementation
Align department team members and resources to program objectives to ensure efficient and effective delivery of services; Create and maintain an observation strategy to support the implementation of continuum of services guidelines, frameworks and resources to support school leadership development and implementation of high quality, standardized Special Education and 504 practice
Student Placement
Oversight
Guide screener and assessment administration and use data to inform placement, program decisions, and reclassification.
Development and
Evaluation of Direct
Reports
Set and maintain high standards for professional practice. Facilitate consistent opportunities for team development through practices such as standing department meetings around coaching and collaboration; regular observation of practice, feedback; facilitate annual performance evaluation process grounded in continuous improvement cycles of practice
School Support Strategy
Design and implement a tiered school support strategy for school leadership teams
Staff placement
Provide recommendations for staffing allocation and strategic districtwide placement for special education personnel; provide consultation to principals on school-based assignments
Interdepartmental
Collaboration
Facilitate collaborative work, as needed, with other departments to manage areas of convergence, intersection, and avoid contradiction or redundancy to ensure focused attention and support for students with IEPs and 504s
Federal and State
Reporting, Compliance and Grant Management
Oversee all required reporting and data preparation to ensure full compliance with federal and state regulations; Grant writing aligned to program priorities
Function 2: Instructional Leadership
Key Activity
Activity Description
Professional
Development for School Leaders
Design and facilitate professional learning to develop Assistant Principals (LEA Reps) and Principal leadership competencies for Special Education and 504 services
Professional
Development for
Program Teachers and
Staff
Design and facilitate professional learning to support instructional practices that improve access to the instructional core for all students with IEPs and 504s
Professional
Development for Direct Reports
Provide intensive coaching, co-planning, observation of practice, and conference opportunities to develop the instructional and program leadership capacity of department staff
Observation of Practice Systematically and strategically conduct observations to evaluate the transfer of professional learning to classroom practice and gather data to drive Special Education-specific program planning and instructional improvements.
Function 3: Advisory
Key Activity
Activity Description
Board reporting
Contribute to Board report preparations and presentations, providing clear updates on program progress, outcomes, and needs; policy recommendations
Parent and Community Engagement
Lead external communications, Educational activities to foster strong partnerships and advocate for students with IEPs and 504s; Utilize internal and external communication platforms to disseminate critical program information
Budget
Monitor department expenditures and provide annual budget recommendations aligned with department priorities and goals.
External PD
Vet and recommend potential external professional development opportunities to confirm alignment to Special Education program priorities, goals, and implementation planning.
Contracts and Purchases
Review and recommend all purchases and contracts related to special education for approval.
Perform other duties as assigned by district leadership to ensure program operations that advance the mission of equitable education for all students
Content Knowledge and Skills:
? Adult learning and instructional coaching frameworks for special education
? Systems level continuous improvement planning
? Current research, policy, and best practices for individualized education programs of instruction across continuum of service settings ranging from the general education setting to adaptive skills and transition programs for young adults ? State and federal regulations related to Special education, including IDEA and relevant ISBE guidelines ? Technologically proficient in data management systems, Google and Microsoft Office Suite, and educational platforms that support progress monitoring for students with IEPs
? Bilingual Spanish proficiency preferred
Leadership Intelligences and Competencies:
? Ethical and Integrity: Embraces what has been defined as right behavior and influences people through actions, principles, values, and beliefs. Models behaviors they expect to see in others.
? Self-aware: Manages emotions and recognizes, empathizes with, and navigates other people's emotions; Monitors and takes responsibility for one's own behavior and well-being, personally and professionally.
? Intentional: Acts rather than reacts; is deliberate; recognizes every aspect of their behavior; sets personal leadership milestones.
? Accountable: Holds oneself to a higher standard and continuous growth; honors, stands behind, and takes ownership of agreements and decisions that one makes.
? Organized: Plans and accomplishes things in a prioritized, orderly manner.
? Resilient: Strong enough to live with uncertainty and ambiguity; learns to grow through adversity.
? Adaptive: Takes on the gradual but meaningful process of change, both individually and within the organization; thrives within challenging environments.
? Collaborative: Works cooperatively with others toward a common purpose; enables others to succeed individually while accomplishing a collective outcome.
? Motivational: Fosters in others an internal state that rouses them to action and specific desired behaviors.
? Resourceful: Garners personal, building, district, and community resources to achieve the vision and goals of the department and district.
? Visionary: Fosters an environment in which the district's and department's vision and mission drive the strategic alignment of organizational decisions and resources
? Data Literacy: Promotes a data-driven culture of decision-making for continuous improvement
? Self-driven, strategic management: Employs a process of setting goals aligned to the district's mission and vision, developing department goals and continuous improvement plans aligned to meeting those goals, mobilizing the human and material resources needed for implementation, and evaluating the results of those actions in order to determine next steps as part of a model of continuous improvement.
? Result-Orientation: Cultivates an environment in which high expectations of results for student and staff learning are embraced and drive organizational and personal growth.
? Receptive and reflective: Receptive to feedback on performance and new ways of working to shift adult practices to impact student learning.
Experience:
? Minimum of five years of experience as a full-time educator in a Special Education P-12 setting
? Minimum of three years of successful educational leadership experience as a school Principal or Assistant Principal
? Minimum of three years of impactful educational leadership experience as a central office administrator
Education:
? Master's Degree in Education (required)
? Director of Special Education endorsement (required)
? Professional Educators License with General Administrator Endorsement (required)
? ESL and/or Bilingual Endorsement (preferred)
Physical Requirements:
? Must be physically able to operate a motor vehicle
? Must be able to exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to lift, carry, push, and pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body
? Light work usually requires walking or standing to a significant degree
Salary range:
$120,000 - $135.000
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned.
In connection with hiring for this position, the district shall not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or national origin.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled
Interested candidates should apply online at www.ksd111.org
Dr. James L. Henderson
Assistant Superintendent for People Services
EOE/AA/D/V
#LI-KANKAKEE111
