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Elementary Teacher

Revised: July 2025

• The ideal team member in District 97 is a visionary and equity-centered leader who inspires excellence and fosters collective responsibility for student success. This individual:

   

  • Champions the district's vision and drives forward-thinking, innovative practices that anticipate future educational needs.

  • Stewards public trust and resources with fiscal responsibility and ethical transparency.

  • Demonstrates relentless commitment to student success, ensuring that every decision supports equitable opportunities and outcomes for all learners.

  • Organizes and empowers teams to work collaboratively toward shared goals, recognizing the interdependence of roles across departments and schools.

  • Fosters a culture of care, learning, and service, grounded in authentic engagement with students, families, staff, and community members.

  • Models integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality, serving as a role model for ethical and respectful conduct at all levels.

  • Thrives in a culturally, racially, and linguistically diverse environment, showing a deep passion for inclusive practices and building belonging for all team members.

  • Seeks and embraces feedback, especially when it challenges them to grow and improve in service of students and colleagues.

  • Understands the powerful intersection of leadership, learning, and equity, and aligns their work to dismantle systemic barriers.

  • Courageously addresses unprofessional behavior, holding self and others accountable to high standards in service to the community and students.

About This Role

The Special Education Teacher supports student learning by playing a vital role in shaping the success of students with diverse learning needs. As a key member of the district's special education department, through evidence-based instructional strategies and adapting the general education curriculum, you will develop personalized program planning to ensure students have equitable access to learning and reach their full potential.  With expertise in assessment, progress monitoring, and Individualized Education Program (IEP) implementation, you will provide targeted support and track student growth. Collaboration will be key in building strong partnerships with your students, families, fellow educators, and administration to foster an inclusive and supportive learning environment. Your commitment to maintaining accurate records and ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations will reinforce D97 best practices in special education. The Special Education Teacher Position position will ensure that equity is at the center of the district's special education services to positively impact student learning and employee practices as expressed in  Board Policy 7:12: Ensuring Racial and Educational Equity. 

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Instruction and Program Planning:

•  Employ special educational strategies, including but not limited to scientific or evidence-based instruction, and techniques to improve the development of sensory and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory. 

• Employ educational strategies and techniques to reinforce learning and meet the diverse needs of students.

• Modify and/or accommodate the general education curriculum based on specific instructional techniques and technologies identified as best practices.

• Plan and conduct activities that create a balanced program of instruction.

• In-depth knowledge of child guidance principles and practices specific to children with special education needs.

• Familiarity with classroom procedures and the ability to manage appropriate student conduct.

• Understanding of problems and concerns commonly faced by students with special needs.

• Proficient in research methods and adept at obtaining and providing instructional materials for special education services.

• Coordinate integration of students with special needs into the general education environment.

Assessment and Progress Monitoring:

• Establish and follow each student’s Individual Education Program (IEP) to promote educational, physical, social, and emotional development.

• Prepare progress reports and report card grades as appropriate.

• Maintain accurate and complete student records and prepare reports on child progress.

• Observe, evaluate, collect, and analyze data of students’ educational performance (academic, behavioral, communication).

• Administer identified district and state-required assessments and utilize and interpret student performance data to adjust instruction.

1. Communication and Collaboration:

    

   • Collaborate and confer with parents, administrators, general education teachers, related service providers, and other school professionals and paraprofessionals.

   • Serve as an informational resource for students, parents, and district personnel.

   • Respond to inquiries and provide information, recommendations, and interpretation of student educational and social-emotional needs.

   • Attend and actively participate in team meetings to discuss individual students’ needs and progress. Employ a problem-solving process to determine a course of intervention as prescribed by the district’s tiered interventions

   • Confer with parents, administrators, and educational team members to develop individual educational plans designed to promote students’ educational, physical, and social/emotional development.

2. Administrative Responsibilities:

    

   • Prepare and maintain a variety of records and reports related to assigned activities and student progress and behavior.

   • Provide official records for parents and District personnel as requested.

   • Coordinate and conduct various team meetings and implement team recommendations as assigned.

   • Skillful in record-keeping, data collection, and report preparation techniques.

3. Professional Development and Compliance:

    

   • Provide instruction that meets state and federal laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.

   • Prepare data for local, state, and federal reports.

   • Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to learn, improve and maintain instructional best practices as a special education teacher.

4. Supervision and Training:

    

   • Train and provide work direction and guidance to assigned personnel.

   • Organize and conduct in-services for parents or staff as directed.

5. Operational Duties:

    

   • Operate a variety of office and classroom equipment, including a computer and assigned software.

   • Monitor department expenditures as appropriate.

6. Additional Responsibilities:

    

   • May be responsible for assisting students who have toileting and hygiene needs.

   • Perform related duties as assigned.

Content Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Familiarity with applicable laws, codes, regulations, policies, and procedures in the field of special education.

• Effective oral and written communication skills.

• Strong interpersonal skills, utilizing tact, patience, and courtesy.

• Competent in operating standard office and classroom equipment, including computers and assigned software.

• Capability to understand and relate to students with special needs.

• Adherence to District organization, operations, policies, and objectives, as well as department and program goals.

• Skillful interpretation, application, and explanation of policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.

• Effective communication, cooperation, and maintenance of cooperative working relationships with others.

• Accurate analysis of situations and adoption of effective courses of action.

• Ability to prioritize and schedule work efficiently.

• Proficient in maintaining records and preparing reports.

• Consistent, punctual, and regular attendance.

Candidate Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree; one to two years related experience and/or training preferred. 
• Must hold an appropriate valid Illinois Professional Educators License with appropriate LBS1 endorsement.
• Ideal candidates will have experience working with students who have low incidence disabilities.

Physical Requirements: 

This position requires the performance of light work—which requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently to move objects. The position includes close visual acuity, frequent talking, hearing, walking, climbing stairs and standing, occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling, some stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling, and significant fine finger dexterity.  The job is performed in non-hazardous environments and a clean atmosphere.  The position requires indoor and outdoor supervision during varying temperatures and climatic conditions.

Apply through Frontline:

Applications are currently being accepted for this position via our district website.  Please reach out to our human resources department at [email protected], if you have questions about the application process.

We encourage interested applicants to apply, as we continue to uplift our equity policy. Our goal is to recruit, employ, support, and retain racially and linguistically diverse and culturally competent administrative, instructional and support personnel. Oak Park Elementary School District 97 is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.