Director of Special Education for PreK - 8th Grade

The Lansing School District serves over 10,000 PreK-12 students across 25 school buildings in the increasingly diverse urban community of Lansing, MI. We are unique compared to other districts because of the wide variety of exciting and innovative educational options from which families and staff members can choose. All of Lansing School District’s team members are dedicated to our mission to provide an excellent education to all students in a safe and nurturing environment.

In pursuit of this mission, we are hiring a Director of Special Education to supervise our PreK-8th Grade programming. Directors supervise teachers and assistants in their designated buildings and programs and ensure compliance with all state and federal policies and regulations. They support day-to-day work related to IEPs, program administration, and parent communication. They also collaborate with other Assistant Directors and the Senior Director of Special Education on long term strategic efforts to improve the quality of services provided by the District.

• Master's Degree in Special Education or related field
• Valid Michigan Special Education Supervisor Certificate (if you don't currently have this but are working towards it or believe you're eligible for alternative certification, you may still apply)
• Demonstrated success in special education teaching or related service
• Commitment to the Lansing School District mission and vision

• Valid Michigan Teacher Certificate
• At least five years of successful teaching experience, psychologist experience, social work experience, or speech language pathology experience
• Previous school administrative experience

• Supervise SE Assistant Directors of Early Childhood Special Education and Elementary Programs
• Supervise special education programs for all disabilities including self-contained programs for the assigned grade levels
• Interpret state and federal regulations governing special education and ensures compliance in assigned special education functional areas
• Support data collection systems and advise the building teams in the implementation of data collection systems and analysis of the data to support data-informed decision making and effective instructional practices
• Serve as a resource and advisor to department administrators, principals and teachers regarding assigned special education programs
• Supervise and evaluate the work of special education departmental personnel in assigned areas of responsibilities
• Assist in developing and conducting staff training for special education instructional staff in assigned areas of responsibilities
• Coordinate meetings with specialists, teachers, and administrators and disseminate information regarding current developments and teaching practices in the field
• Provide guidance and training to special education teachers in IEP development, review and revision
• Monitor the development and updating of IEPs, REEDs, MDRs and BIPs by district staff
• Serve as the lead technology coordinator within the special education department
• Coordinate with the assessment department to ensure that state testing accommodations are accurate and that alternative assessments are reported correctly
• Ensures that pupil accounting is accurately reported through Worksheet Bs in collaboration with the SE Project Manager
• Collaborates with school staff to work effectively with the families of student with IEPs
• Acts as a liaison between the district, the community, special education students and their families to develop, direct and/or facilitate appropriate transition activities to address students’ post-secondary employment and training goals
• Model nondiscriminatory practices in all activities
• Assume any other responsibilities as assigned by the Senior Director of Special Education

At Lansing School District, we champion diversity, equity, and inclusion, providing equal opportunities to all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or sexual orientation. We foster a rich environment for professional growth and student experiences by valuing diverse perspectives. As an equal opportunity employer, we invite passionate individuals dedicated to educational excellence to apply for our positions.

We value internal mobility and list "Strong Internal Candidate" when considering an internal candidate before posting a job. We still encourage all candidates to apply.

Complete the attached online application at your earliest convenience. If selected, we will contact you to set up an interview. While we strive to provide prompt feedback, the high volume of applicants may limit our ability to do so. All of our jobs will be posted for at least 10 days (unless otherwise noted), but we will review applications on a rolling basis.

External candidates interested in multiple positions within the same department need only apply to one posting and can indicate other roles of interest in the final question. We will consider your application for various roles based on your qualifications.

Internal candidates should apply using their SSO email address and submit separate applications for each role of interest.

Thank you for your interest in joining our mission-driven team. We look forward to meeting you!

This job description is intended to outline the general responsibilities and qualifications for the position. It is not an exhaustive list of duties, and the Lansing School District reserves the right to modify job responsibilities as needed. Due to the evolving needs of the District, additional job responsibilities may be assigned (depending on funding sources).