2024-25 Special Education Staffing Chair

Mission

Vega Collegiate Academy is more than a school. Vega Collegiate Academy is a mission. Our mission is to be a high-quality public school that prepares students with the knowledge, skills, and character to go on to college and to have a successful, happy life. We fulfill this mission by being focused on the needs of our students, by building a real community that shares core values and supports each other, and by using every minute of the day to help our students achieve academically and personally.  We fulfill our mission through our organizational beliefs.

Job Description

The special education staffing chair is a key stakeholder on the Special Education team and is a champion for children with disabilities. This individual will be the leader of the Exceptional Student Services team and will have administrative and leadership responsibilities, while also serving as case-manager and special education provider for a caseload of students with disabilities. As a leader, this individual will foster the development and growth of special education teachers through weekly coaching sessions, proofreading and providing feedback for all reports and written work, and leading professional developments. This person will be responsible for holding others accountable and ensuring all Special Education programming meets state and federal compliance requirements. This person will also be responsible for facilitating cross-content collaboration across departments, including Special Education, General Education, English Language Development, MTSS, and Social-Wellness. Deep knowledge of special education law and Aurora Public Schools Exceptional Student Services policy is required. This person will be directly supervised by the Director of Operations and academy Principals. 

Job Responsibilities

• Liaise and collaborate with Aurora Public Schools and other organizations as necessary
• Implement Individualized Education Plans, Behavior Improvement Plans, and individualized support plans with absolute fidelity
• Participate in IEP meetings and Special Education evaluations
• Support in the design of individualized support plans
• Proof read all reports written by any Special Education provider and provide feedback around compliance and quality of every report
• Onboard new special education providers and support new teachers’ as they write IEPs and navigate the Special Education evaluation process
• Schedule all special education services with all providers, across K-8
• Track and monitor all student services
• Track and collect student data on an on-going basis
• Develop collaborative systems between school departments to support students
• Regularly communicate with families, special service providers, and Vega staff
• Engage in and lead on-going professional development to increase knowledge and skills related child development and disabilities

Essential Job Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Special Education Certification through CDE (or willingness to obtain prior to position start date)
• Resolute belief in high expectations for all students
• Unwavering belief in all children’s ability to grow and learn
• Deep knowledge and understanding of special education laws and regulations
• Emotional resilience
• Strong communication skills, particularly across cultural differences 
• Strong problem solving skills
• Ability to lead collaboration and communicate with multiple teams and agencies (e.g. Child Protective Services, Colorado BrainSTEPS, Children’s Hospital, etc.) 
• Keen attention to detail
• Excellent written communication skills
• Data analysis and root-cause analysis abilities 

Ideal Qualifications (preferred, not required)

• Second language skills 
• Leadership experience in urban, public schools

Salary and Benefits

Vega Collegiate Academy offers a competitive salary and comprehensive health benefits package.  The salary range for this role is $52,000 - $90,000. 

Start Date

Vega Collegiate Academy staff will begin training and orientation on July 15, 2024.

Commitment to Diversity

As an equal opportunity employer, Vega Collegiate Academy hires without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other protected category.