Falmouth Public Schools is looking for a dynamic and innovative person to be our Director of Special Education. The Director will collaborate with the Superintendent, Director of Learning, and Building Principals, as well as district and building-level special education staff, to ensure that all students in our district have equitable access to the support and services they require to attain academic success, as per the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( IDEA).
The Director will implement strategies to optimize inclusion, high quality instruction, and support strategies that meet students’ specific learning needs. The Director will ensure that highly qualified and certified staff are hired, retained, and provided with ongoing opportunities for appropriate and pertinent professional development. They will ensure effective identification and implementation of research-based interventions designed to address specific needs of the students we serve. They will support the development of the learning environments necessary to meet the needs of the students, and ensure that schools and staff adhere to all state and federal compliance regulations.
Our Ideal candidate will possess:
- Demonstrated interpersonal, collaboration, and communication skills
- Dedication to whole child development and academic excellence
- Demonstrated capability to work collaboratively with administrators, staff, direct-service providers, families, students, and outside partners;
- Demonstrated understanding of how to support students with mild to moderate and moderate to severe disabilities across grade-levels
- Demonstrated ability to assess and address the academic and behavioral needs of students;
- Strong knowledge of evidence-based intervention strategies across grade levels (from early childhood through age-out)
- Ability to effectively communicate how to design rigorous instruction that incorporates engagement methods and access for the diverse needs of FPS classrooms, such as Universal Design for Learning and differentiated instruction as well as interventions;
- Demonstrated knowledge of transitional requirements for students with disabilities;
- Demonstrated expertise in the area of Assistive Technology;
- Experience managing a budget and making sound fiscal decisions;
- Experience monitoring service delivery models and developing accountability systems.
- Comprehensive knowledge of Federal ADA IDEA and Maine’s Chapter 101 Unified Special Education Regulations
- A Master’s Degree in the field of Special Education or Educational Leadership, or related field
- An 030 - Administrator of Special Education endorsement through the Maine Department of Education (or eligibility for this certification)
- 3-5 years of Special Education teaching experience
Pay and Benefits:
- Competetive pay and benefits that include 100% paid family health and dental, long-term disability, State retirement, paid leaves, and a supportive professional development allowance.
Falmouth Public Schools (FPS) are located on a 100-acre K-12 campus in Falmouth Maine, a coastal community bordering the city of Portland. Our campus features extensive fields, trails, gardens and hoop houses, and rich opportunities for collaboration between schools. Over the past several years, each of our three schools in the district has been a recipient of the National Blue Ribbon Award: student achievement is exemplary and the community takes great pride in all academic, co-curricular, and athletic accomplishments.
Equally important is our commitment to ensuring that all members of our community feel known, respected and appreciated as we work to fulfill our District Mission: Navigating Creative Pathways to Courageous, Compassionate, and Fulfilling Lives. Falmouth Public Schools actively promotes diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion on our campus, and we encourage qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.