Special Education Teacher @ West Valley School District at West Valley School District

Starting Immediately

Core Belief:  We do what’s best for kids.

Mission:  To partner with students, families, and our community to inspire, engage and equip students with the necessary skills to achieve individual potential to become successful citizens.

Position: Special Education Teacher @ West Valley Secondary Schools
Location: Assignment will be housed at West Valley Innovation Center
Directly Responsible to: Secondary Principals and Director of Special Services

Primary Purpose
The primary purpose of this position is to manage an IEP caseload, collaborate with peers, and provide students with instruction which enables them to meet their goals and objectives as described in their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students enrolled in West Valley Virtual Academy and West Valley secondary schools. 

Qualifications: All qualifications are required unless otherwise indicated.
• Valid Washington State teaching certificate with special education endorsement are required.
• Must be able to meet the “highly qualified” standards under NCLB.
• Previous evaluations and strong classroom management skills are required.
• Knowledge of common core state standards and state assessments is required.
• Experience in or willingness to be trained in Safety Care, Right Response, and/or other required programs.
• Demonstrated success with non-traditional learners and at-risk students.
• Proven capability to design and implement specially designed instruction for students with a spectrum of deficits in reading, writing, math, and functional skills, including monitoring and reporting of progress, is required.
• Willingness to work in both online and across multiple buildings using responsive, sustaining education practices.
• Experience teaching multilingual learners and training in best practices to support students in developing English language proficiency.
• Bilingual Preferred

Essential Functions
• Provides equity, personalized learning, and inclusive strategies, including Universal Design for Learning (UDL) techniques that offer students multiple ways to access content, monitor progress, and demonstrate learning.
• Demonstrates strong knowledge of reading instruction, including foundational literacy skills, best practices for dyslexia and other reading disabilities, and uses strategies to make grade-level content comprehensible and accessible for all learners.
• Sets high expectations for student achievement and behavior while maintaining a positive attitude and productive learning environment.
• Adapts curriculum, materials, and teaching techniques to meet individual student needs, ensuring alignment with WVSD adopted curriculum guidelines and Common Core State Standards.
• Support inclusive learning environments by implementing and monitoring research-based strategies that support self-regulation, executive functioning, and social-emotional development, with a deep understanding of the unique needs of students.
• Supports building and district goals and actively participates in special education and building meetings.
• Designs and conducts valid assessments to establish present levels of performance for IEPs
• Develops comprehensive IEPs with input from the IEP team, addressing all domains identified by evaluations (e.g., school psychologist assessments).
• Collects frequent data on all IEP goals, objectives, and behavior plans to monitor and reflect student progress.
• Keeps all paperwork legally compliant and current in accordance with mandated timelines.
• Provides positive behavioral support and effectively writes and implements behavior plans using team input; previous experience writing behavior plans
• Restrains students from harming themselves or others when necessary, maintaining a calm and collected demeanor during difficult or aggressive behaviors.
• Possesses strong classroom management skills and supports colleagues with behavioral strategies to promote learning.
• Remains compliant with professional medical and safety precautions, including positioning and transferring students safely.
• Proactively collaborates with special education staff, general education teachers, and specialists to ensure cohesive instructional and behavioral support.
• Communicates regularly and proactively with parents to share updates on student progress and behavior, and suggests techniques to promote learning at home.
• Demonstrates ethical behavior, confidentiality, and professional conduct at all times.
• Actively engages in co-planning with general education teachers to design and deliver instruction that meets the diverse needs of all students, ensuring alignment with IEP goals and grade-level standards.
• Other duties as assigned

Working Relationships
Communicates regularly with students, parents/guardians, and teaching staff. Required to
deal with a wide range of student behaviors; required to deal with a wide range of physical
and emotional disabilities; may occasionally deal with distraught or difficult students.

Working Conditions
The daily work is performed in a classroom/office setting. The job incumbent is often
required to stand or sit for prolonged periods; be exposed to computer display terminal for
prolonged periods; and meet externally imposed and inflexible deadlines. May be required
to work outdoors in inclement weather; lift, move, and position students and equipment;
supervise the playground, bus loading/unloading; attend to students’ personal hygiene;
may be required to deal with distraught, angry, or hostile individuals; may need to take
precautions to avoid exposure to student bodily fluids and cleaning or disinfecting
compounds; required to work in non-routine positions for extended periods.

Working Environment
The usual and customary methods of performing the job’s functions require the following
physical demands: occasional lifting (able to lift 50 pounds and assisting in lifting over 50
pounds), carrying, pushing, and/or pulling; some stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or
crawling; and significant fine finger dexterity. Generally, the job requires 34% sitting, 33%
walking, and 33% standing.

Continuing Education/Training
• Current CPR and First Aid Certificates are required
• Current Restraint and De-Escalation Certificate is required
• Participation in district and building professional development is required

Healthcare Benefits (SEBB): (All Employees who work 630 hours per school year are eligible.)
• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability

Additional Benefits:
• Washington State Retirement (PERS, SERS & TERS)
• Paid Leave:
- Paid Holiday
- Sick Leave
- Personal Leave
- Vacation (260-day employees only)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)