Job Title: Director of Special Education Services
Reports To: Chief Academic Officer
Works In Partnership With: Chief Executive Officer, Facilitators of Learning, Learning Lab Facilitator, Advisors, Student Support Team, Families, Related Service Providers, and School Leadership
Supervises: Assigned Special Education Staff, Learning Lab Facilitator, Related Service Providers, and Other Assigned Student Support Personnel
Approved By: Board of Trustees
Date Revised: June 30, 2026
Job Classification: Full-Time, Exempt
YouthBuild Preparatory Academy is looking for a Director of Special Education Services who can lead special education with both technical skill and educational courage.
This is not a paperwork-only compliance role. Compliance matters, and it must be done well. But at YBPA, special education cannot be reduced to forms, timelines, meetings, and service logs. The Director of Special Education Services must ensure that students with disabilities receive the services, supports, instruction, accommodations, and opportunities they are legally entitled to while also making sure they are fully included in a competency-based, project-based, interdisciplinary, liberatory learning community.
The Director of Special Education Services is responsible for leading, coordinating, monitoring, and improving all special education services at YouthBuild Preparatory Academy. This includes IEP development and implementation, special education compliance, Child Find responsibilities, evaluations, eligibility processes, service delivery, progress monitoring, family communication, staff coaching, related services coordination, transition planning, and support for students with diverse learning needs.
The person in this role must be able to hold two truths at the same time. First, the school must meet every legal and ethical obligation to students with disabilities and their families. Second, students with disabilities must not be treated as separate from the heart of the school. They are not an add-on. They are not a compliance category. They are full members of the learning community who deserve access to rigorous projects, exhibitions of learning, career pathways, academic support, community-based learning, and meaningful demonstrations of mastery.
This role requires a leader who understands special education law, instruction, student support, team leadership, family partnership, and schoolwide systems. It also requires someone who believes that disability justice, access, belonging, and high expectations belong together.
YouthBuild Preparatory Academy is a competency-based, project-based, interdisciplinary learning community rooted in liberatory education. We serve students who deserve more than a traditional school model that asks them to sit still, comply, and memorize information disconnected from their lives.
Our work is grounded in four core commitments: Growth, Relationships, Agency, and Belonging. We believe students learn best when they are known well, challenged with purpose, and given opportunities to demonstrate mastery through meaningful work. We are building a school where students do not simply earn credits. They build identity, voice, skill, confidence, and a path toward their future.
The ideal Director of Special Education Services is:
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Deeply committed to students with disabilities and to building a school culture where access, rigor, support, and belonging are expected.
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Skilled in special education compliance, IEP development, progress monitoring, service delivery, evaluations, eligibility, and family communication.
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Able to lead special education as part of the school’s instructional model, not as a separate program sitting outside the core learning experience.
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Experienced in supporting students with a wide range of academic, behavioral, social-emotional, executive functioning, communication, and transition needs.
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Comfortable coaching teachers and staff on accommodations, modifications, specially designed instruction, inclusive practice, project-based learning, and competency-based assessment.
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Strong at building systems, tracking details, meeting deadlines, protecting confidentiality, and communicating clearly.
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Able to balance legal compliance with human-centered leadership. The work must be accurate, timely, respectful, and grounded in care.
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Collaborative and direct, with the ability to work across academic, student support, family engagement, operations, and leadership teams.
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Committed to eliminating deficit-based thinking about students with disabilities.
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Grounded in the belief that students with disabilities deserve meaningful access to rigorous learning, not watered-down expectations.
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Lead and manage all special education services, systems, procedures, and compliance requirements for YouthBuild Preparatory Academy.
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Ensure that the school meets all applicable federal, state, and local requirements related to special education, including IDEA, Section 504 where applicable, Rhode Island special education regulations, procedural safeguards, timelines, documentation, and service delivery.
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Ensure that students with disabilities receive a Free Appropriate Public Education in the Least Restrictive Environment.
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Oversee Child Find responsibilities, referral processes, evaluations, reevaluations, eligibility determinations, IEP meetings, annual reviews, manifestation determination reviews, progress reporting, and transition planning.
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Ensure that IEPs are developed, implemented, monitored, and reviewed with accuracy, integrity, and attention to each student’s individual needs.
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Monitor timelines for evaluations, reevaluations, annual reviews, progress reports, family notices, transfer IEPs, and required documentation.
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Ensure that Prior Written Notices, procedural safeguards, meeting invitations, consent forms, evaluation reports, IEPs, progress reports, and related documentation are completed accurately and on time.
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Maintain organized and confidential special education records in accordance with school, state, federal, and privacy requirements.
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Prepare for and respond to state monitoring, audits, complaints, corrective action plans, mediation, facilitated IEP meetings, due process matters, and other compliance reviews as needed.
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Serve as the school’s primary point of leadership for special education compliance and service coordination.
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Lead the development of inclusive special education practices that align with YBPA’s competency-based, project-based, interdisciplinary, and liberatory learning model.
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Support Facilitators of Learning in designing accessible learning experiences, projects, performance tasks, exhibitions, and assessments for students with disabilities.
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Coach teachers and staff on accommodations, modifications, specially designed instruction, Universal Design for Learning, differentiated instruction, executive functioning supports, and accessible assessment practices.
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Ensure that students with disabilities have meaningful access to general education curriculum, schoolwide projects, career pathways, community-based learning, credit recovery, exhibitions of learning, and graduation requirements.
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Work with academic leadership to ensure that special education supports are built into the instructional model rather than added after students struggle.
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Review student work, assessment data, IEP goals, progress reports, and teacher feedback to identify instructional needs and improve support.
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Help teachers distinguish between academic support, accommodation, modification, intervention, and specially designed instruction.
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Support the use of rubrics, portfolios, performance tasks, student reflection, and exhibitions as valid ways for students to demonstrate mastery when aligned to student needs and IEP goals.
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Promote high expectations for students with disabilities while ensuring appropriate access, scaffolding, and support.
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Lead, schedule, or support IEP meetings, eligibility meetings, reevaluation meetings, annual reviews, transition meetings, manifestation determination reviews, and other special education meetings as needed.
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Ensure that IEPs are clear, legally compliant, instructionally useful, and connected to each student’s present levels, disability-related needs, goals, services, accommodations, modifications, and transition planning.
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Ensure that IEP goals are measurable, meaningful, and connected to student growth, access, independence, and postsecondary readiness.
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Monitor the implementation of IEP services, accommodations, modifications, supports, and progress monitoring responsibilities.
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Ensure that progress reports are completed accurately and shared with families according to required timelines.
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Support case managers in maintaining accurate documentation, service logs, communication records, and student progress data.
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Coordinate with general education teachers to ensure they understand and implement student accommodations, modifications, and supports.
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Review IEPs for quality, consistency, compliance, and alignment to YBPA’s competency-based model.
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Support students in understanding their learning needs, accommodations, goals, progress, and self-advocacy responsibilities when appropriate.
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Supervise and support the Learning Lab Facilitator to ensure that the Learning Lab provides targeted academic intervention, credit recovery support, and project-based academic coaching.
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Ensure Learning Lab supports are aligned with IEPs, ILPs, intervention plans, competency progress, credit recovery needs, and graduation readiness.
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Use student data, teacher referrals, assessment results, attendance information, course progress, and competency evidence to identify students who need intervention.
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Coordinate targeted intervention in Math and English Language Arts for students with disabilities and other students needing additional support.
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Ensure students using Imagine Learning or other credit recovery platforms receive active support, progress monitoring, and accountability.
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Monitor whether intervention supports are improving student progress and adjust systems when students are not moving forward.
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Work with the Chief Academic Officer and classroom Facilitators of Learning to ensure intervention is connected to core instruction and not treated as a separate track.
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Support the development of schoolwide systems for academic intervention, credit recovery, portfolio completion, exhibitions of learning, and graduation readiness.
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Collaborate with student support staff, advisors, social workers, counselors, families, and leadership to support students with academic, behavioral, emotional, attendance, and executive functioning needs.
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Support the development and implementation of behavior intervention plans, functional behavior assessments, safety plans, and restorative approaches where appropriate.
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Ensure that disciplinary decisions involving students with disabilities are reviewed carefully and aligned with legal requirements, student rights, and the school’s restorative approach.
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Participate in student support meetings and help identify appropriate interventions, services, referrals, and supports.
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Support staff in understanding disability-related needs and avoiding responses that punish students for unmet support needs.
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Promote student self-advocacy, independence, and responsible use of accommodations.
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Help ensure students with disabilities can participate meaningfully in schoolwide experiences, internships, fieldwork, community projects, exhibitions, and other learning opportunities.
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Build respectful, honest, and collaborative relationships with families and caregivers of students with disabilities.
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Ensure families receive timely communication about meetings, evaluations, eligibility, services, progress, concerns, rights, and next steps.
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Facilitate IEP meetings in a way that is clear, respectful, organized, and centered on the student.
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Explain special education processes, rights, responsibilities, and decisions in plain language.
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Address family concerns quickly and professionally, with a focus on problem-solving and trust-building.
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Ensure translation, interpretation, and accessibility supports are provided when needed.
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Partner with families to support student attendance, engagement, academic progress, transition planning, and graduation readiness.
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Coordinate related services, including counseling, speech and language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychological services, behavioral consultation, and other services as required by student IEPs.
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Supervise or coordinate with related service providers and contracted vendors to ensure services are delivered, documented, and aligned to student needs.
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Monitor service logs, provider schedules, student progress, and communication among staff and providers.
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Work with school leadership and operations staff to support contracts, schedules, documentation, and accountability for related service providers.
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Coordinate with outside agencies, community partners, transition providers, and postsecondary supports as appropriate.
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Maintain accurate special education data and ensure timely completion of required internal and external reporting.
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Monitor caseloads, service delivery, compliance timelines, student progress, graduation status, attendance, discipline data, and intervention outcomes.
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Use data to identify patterns, gaps, risks, and opportunities for improvement across special education services.
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Prepare reports for school leadership and the Board of Trustees as needed while protecting student confidentiality.
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Support the school’s preparation for state monitoring, audits, grant reporting, corrective action, and accountability processes.
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Work with leadership and finance staff to support appropriate use of IDEA and other funds connected to special education services.
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Develop and maintain special education procedures, checklists, calendars, documentation systems, and staff guidance tools.
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Supervise, coach, and support assigned special education staff, Learning Lab staff, related service providers, and other assigned personnel.
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Support hiring, onboarding, evaluation, scheduling, and professional growth for special education and intervention staff.
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Provide training and coaching to staff on special education responsibilities, IEP implementation, accommodations, modifications, inclusive practice, behavior supports, progress monitoring, and documentation.
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Lead or contribute to professional development connected to special education, disability access, competency-based learning, project-based learning, restorative practice, and liberatory education.
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Create a team culture rooted in clarity, accountability, collaboration, and care.
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Help staff move away from deficit-based thinking and toward practices that increase student access, independence, and mastery.
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Bachelor’s degree required.
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Master’s degree in Special Education, Educational Leadership, School Administration, Curriculum and Instruction, or a related field strongly preferred.
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Current and active Rhode Island Special Education certification required, or the ability to meet applicable Rhode Island certification requirements for the assignment.
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Rhode Island administrator, supervisor, or special education leadership credential preferred where applicable.
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Minimum of five years of successful experience in special education teaching, case management, related service coordination, or special education leadership required.
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Experience leading IEP meetings, developing IEPs, monitoring services, supporting compliance, and working with families.
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Strong knowledge of IDEA, Rhode Island special education regulations, Section 504, FAPE, LRE, procedural safeguards, evaluation processes, eligibility, transition planning, and discipline protections for students with disabilities.
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Experience supporting students at the secondary level strongly preferred.
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Experience working in urban school communities or with students who have experienced barriers in traditional school settings strongly preferred.
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Strong written and verbal communication skills.
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Ability to build effective working relationships with students, families, staff, leadership, service providers, community partners, and state agencies.
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Ability to manage complex timelines, documentation, compliance requirements, and student support systems.
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Current B.C.I. required.
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Citizenship, residency, or work authorization required.
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Commitment to the mission, values, and educational model of YouthBuild Preparatory Academy.
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Rhode Island certification in Special Education with leadership, administrator, or supervisor credentials.
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Experience as a special education coordinator, department chair, instructional coach, LEA representative, assistant director, or director.
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Experience with competency-based learning, project-based learning, portfolio assessment, exhibitions of learning, restorative practices, advisory models, or alternative secondary school models.
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Experience supporting students with executive functioning needs, emotional or behavioral disabilities, specific learning disabilities, autism, intellectual disabilities, speech and language needs, trauma-related needs, and other disabilities.
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Experience supervising staff, managing related service providers, and supporting contracted vendors.
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Experience with special education data systems, progress monitoring tools, compliance calendars, and student information systems.
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Bilingual or multilingual ability.
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Experience developing inclusive systems in a school that is still growing, changing, and building new structures.
A successful Director of Special Education Services at YBPA will:
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Ensure special education services are compliant, timely, organized, and student-centered.
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Build systems that make IEP implementation clear, consistent, and connected to daily instruction.
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Help students with disabilities access rigorous competency-based and project-based learning without lowering expectations.
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Support teachers in understanding how to design accessible learning experiences and implement accommodations, modifications, and specially designed instruction.
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Strengthen the Learning Lab as a targeted academic intervention and credit recovery space.
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Improve communication with families and build trust around special education services.
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Use data to identify students who need support before they fall further behind.
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Ensure students with disabilities are meaningfully included in projects, exhibitions, portfolios, career pathways, and graduation planning.
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Build a special education team culture rooted in clarity, accountability, compassion, and high expectations.
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Contribute to a school culture where students experience Growth, Relationships, Agency, and Belonging every day.
YouthBuild Preparatory Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building an inclusive workplace and learning community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.
This role is for a leader who understands that special education is not a side department. It is one of the clearest tests of whether a school truly believes in access, belonging, and high expectations.
At YouthBuild Preparatory Academy, the Director of Special Education Services will lead the systems, people, practices, and partnerships that help students with disabilities receive what they need and demonstrate what they know. The work requires precision, patience, urgency, and backbone.
We are building something that challenges the old model. That means we need a special education leader who can protect compliance, coach practice, support families, challenge deficit thinking, and help students move toward mastery with dignity. If you are looking for a paperwork-only role, this may not be the right fit. If you are ready to build special education services that are legally sound, instructionally strong, and rooted in student power, this is the work.
