This opportunity is open to all interested candidates.
OVERVIEW:
San Diego Unified School District, the second largest district in California and one of the top largest urban school districts in the United States, is looking for leaders who care deeply for students, inspire passion in their coworkers through collaborative leadership, and are committed to the communities in which they serve. The District seeks leaders who are committed to educational equity and work to create access and opportunity for our students furthest from education justice. Successful candidates must demonstrate their skill as an instructional leader, a firm understanding of school operations, as well as the capacity to build strong relationships with all partners within a school community.
BASIC FUNCTION:
The Program Manager, Special Education Compliance (assigned to support the Office of Investigations, Compliance, and Accountability) will plan, implement, and monitor compliance programs to ensure adherence to Special Education program federal and state laws, mandates, regulations, and District policies; provide instructional and technical guidance to site and department administrators and staff; coordinate and conduct compliance monitoring, corrective actions, and reporting; and support the District's response to due process matters, complaints, investigations, and state oversight.
DIVERSITY STATEMENT:
Because each person is born with inherent worth and dignity, and because equitable access and opportunity are essential to a just, educated society, San Diego Unified employee commitments include being respectful of differences and diverse perspectives, and being accountable for one’s actions and the resulting impact.
POSITION SPECIFICS:
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Working Location: The Office of Investigations, Compliance, and Accountability. 4100 Normal Street, San Diego, CA 92103
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Work schedule: 12 months / 248 days
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The position is paid on the AASD Certificated Supervisors Salary Schedule, Salary Plan 0708, Grade 030.
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Qualifies for District Paid health and wellness benefits for employee and dependents
Examples of Duties:
An incumbent may perform any combination of the essential functions shown below. This position description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, knowledge, or abilities associated with this classification, but is intended to accurately reflect the principal job elements.
E = Essential Functions
Lead, coordinate, and execute corrective action plans across school sites, special education staff, and departments to ensure full compliance with directives issued by the California Department of Education (CDE), the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and other regulatory entities. E
Develop, implement, and oversee data-driven monitoring systems to track corrective action compliance indicators and timelines; audit and report individual education program (IEP) compliance. E
Coordinate the provision, documentation, and tracking of compensatory education services in collaboration with school sites and program staff to ensure compliance with settlement agreements and corrective action requirements. E
Support the District's due process and complaint response functions; gather records, analyze facts, coordinate timelines, draft summaries, and collaborate with District leadership and legal counsel to ensure systemic compliance. E
Provide comprehensive guidance, technical assistance, coaching, and training to administrators, special education teams, and staff regarding special education compliance requirements, due process, Manifestation Determination Reviews (MDRs) protocols, procedural safeguards, documentation standards, and implementation of corrective actions. E
Participate in state, regional, and District special education-related compliance reviews, audits, complaint investigations, and monitoring activities; coordinate collection and submission of required documentation. E
Collaborate with site administrators and Special Education program staff to ensure required services, supports, and documentation are delivered and maintained in accordance with timelines and student needs. E
Monitor implementation of corrective action plans resulting from complaints, investigations, due process matters, compliance reviews, mediations, settlements, and internal audits. E
Review and analyze records, data, and service documentation to identify compliance trends, systemic patterns, and areas of operational risk; prepare comprehensive statistical, narrative, and compliance reports for District leadership and regulatory agencies, utilizing findings to recommend proactive procedural or program improvements that strengthen compliance, consistency of practice, and student service delivery. E
Serve as a liaison among departments, schools, families, outside agencies, and legal or regulatory entities to facilitate resolution of compliance findings and continuity of services. E
Develop written procedures, guidance documents, and monitoring tools to support standardization of special education compliance practices across the District. E
Prepare and deliver presentations, reports, and recommendations to District leadership, site administrators, and stakeholder groups regarding compliance status, findings, risks, and improvement strategies. E
Supervise, support, and evaluate the performance of assigned staff. E
Perform related duties as assigned.
To view the detailed position description for Program Manager, Special Education Compliance, click here.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Education and Experience:
Any combination equivalent to a Master's degree in special education, educational administration, or a related field and four (4) years of leadership experience in delivery, oversight, and administration of specialized special education services within a school site or district environment. Leadership experience must include direct oversight or administration of separate setting programs equivalent to the District's specialized models, including emotional and behavioral support and neurodevelopmental programs such as Extensive Support Needs (ESN) and Successful Transitions Achieved Through Responsive Support (STARS), Medically and Physically Challenged (MPC) or medically fragile protocols, Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), and Non-Public Schools (NPS) oversight and compliance.
Licenses and Other Requirements:
Valid California Administrative Services Credential.
Experience interpreting and applying special education law, regulations, and compliance requirements is highly desirable.
APPLICATION INFORMATION:
Application Process
To be eligible for consideration, interested candidates must submit the following items. Your application will be considered incomplete if you do not include all required information, including completion of the Work Experience and Education Sections of the online application, required attachments, and responses to all application questions.
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Online employment application
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A completed online employment application must be submitted/received electronically by the closing date. This application MUST include all required attachments, current and previous employment history and education to evaluate your qualifications, and all other requirements identified in the recruitment and application questions. It is important to note that a resume does not substitute for completing the Work Experience and Education sections. Your application will be considered incomplete if you do not include all relevant details and attachments.
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Paper applications are not accepted.
- Answer all application questions. The application questions should be answered thoroughly, clearly, and concisely as the responses provided (along with the entire application package) will be carefully reviewed to determine which candidates will move forward in the recruitment process.
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Contact information for all previous places of employment where you served in a certificated position must be listed under the 'Employment History' section of the application (Assembly Bill 2534). As of January 1, 2025, in accordance with Education Code section 44939.5 (as amended by California AB 2534) applicants for certificated positions are required by law to provide a complete list of every school district, county office of education, charter school and/or state special school (also known as a Local Education Agency (LEA)) with which you have previously been employed, regardless of the length of service. The District may contact current and former LEAs at any time during the application screening process.
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In accordance with California Assembly Bill 2534, all applicants for certificated positions must provide a complete employment history. Please adhere to the following
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List Every Educational Employer: You must include every school district, county office of education, charter school, other educational institutions, or state special school where you have been employed, regardless of your length of service.
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HR Contact Information: In the Employer Email field, you must provide the email address for that employer's Human Resources or Personnel Office (i.e., not your direct supervisor).
Note: These email addresses are required to satisfy the employment verification and background requirements mandated by Education Code section 44939.5.
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Contact information for three references must be listed in the 'Reference' section of the application. References should be from a current or previous supervisor. Reference email requests may be sent at any time during the application screening process of this recruitment. These reference requests are not an indication of progression in the recruitment process or an interview opportunity. Written reference letters dated within the last year are also accepted and may be attached to your online application in the Reference Section.
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Attach Required Documents (PDF format recommended)
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Cover Letter / Letter of Intent
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Resume
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Resume must reflect current and past work and accomplishments.
- A resume is to be attached, but does NOT substitute for completing work history, education sections, or the supplemental questions of the employment application.
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Credential
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Valid California Administrative Services Credential is required.
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A copy of your valid California Administrative Services Credential, or equivalent out-of-state administrative credential, MUST be attached to your submitted online application. Important note: preliminary and clear Administrative Services Credentials submitted with an expired date may not be considered. Verify the copy you upload to your online application is current. Certificates of Eligibility for Administrative Services Credentials typically do not have an expiration date.
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Detailed instructions to view and print California credential(s) may be found on the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing website at this LINK. For other states, please visit the state educator license/credential website.
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If you are currently enrolled in an Administrative Services Credential program, you must attach verification of enrollment from the CTC-approved university/ program with the anticipated program completion date.
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If you are currently in the process of obtaining an Administrative Services Credential by achieving a passing score on the California Preliminary Administrative Credential Examination (CPACE), you must attach a copy of the official score report. If you are scheduled to take the CPACE, you must submit a copy of the confirmation of the scheduled exam date(s).
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Additional documents (optional)
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Letters of Recommendation
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Additional documents, if any, must be attached to the online employment application.
For questions regarding this job announcement, including priority consideration, please contact Human Resources Analyst Tina Cano at [email protected].
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
If you have questions about your application, please email [email protected].
The San Diego Unified School District communicates information regarding the hiring process via email. Please be aware that the District is not responsible for messages blocked by your email service. In an effort to allow our emails through your personal spam filter, you can try to add the [email protected] and [email protected] to your safe senders list.
San Diego Unified School District is committed to equal opportunity for all individuals in education. District programs and activities shall be free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying by reason of the following actual or perceived characteristics: age, ancestry, color, mental or physical disability, ethnicity, ethnic group identification, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, immigration status, marital or parental status, medical condition, nationality, national origin, actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, or on the basis of a person's association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.
For more information about equity in employment, contact:
Title II Coordinator & Uniform Complaint Compliance Officer Eric Rico: (619) 725-7225, [email protected] / Title IX Coordinator Anna Ward: (619) 725-7225, [email protected] / 504 Coordinator Eri Nall: (619) 344-6420, [email protected]
