Special Education Teacher

Job DescriptionJob Description

Future Foundations Academy - Public school for students ages 11 to 21 with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Position Purpose

- Under the general supervision of the School Principal, to maximize the learning experience of students with special needs, in academics, interpersonal skills and activities of daily living by implementing district approved curriculum; documenting teaching and student progress/activities, outcomes; addressing students' specific needs; providing a safe and optimal learning environment.

Essential Functions

- Conducts assessments, testing and diagnostic examinations of students for the purpose of identifying learning issues, and recommending courses of action or corrective procedures to overcome issues and maximize learning.

- Participates in PPT's and assists in developing Individual Educational Plans ("IEP") for students.

- Assists students and teaching staff in implementing students' IEP's and behavior management plans.

- Coordinates with outside agencies, organizations and institutions, including state and federal authorities as needed.

- Coordinates with administrators and other teaching staff members to ascertain individual student's abilities and needs, including students with special needs, and to familiarize stakeholders with social work services.

- Serves as ready resource to students and parents to provide counseling that will lead each student to increased personal growth, self-understanding, and behavioral management; serves as liaison between home and school.

- Continues to acquire professional knowledge and learn of current developments in the educational field by attending seminars, workshops or professional meetings, or by conducting research, and by maintaining professional relationships with members of institutions of higher learning and the business community.

- Organizes and maintains a system for accurate and complete record-keeping and providing student information to prospective colleges and employers, as required by district procedures and applicable laws.

- Encourages parental involvement in students' education and ensures effective communication with students and parents.

- Assists in the orientation of new teachers, and provides in-service training in guidance.

- Selects and requisitions appropriate books, aids and other supplies and equipment and maintains inventory records.

Additional Duties

- Performs other related tasks as assigned by the Principal and other central office administrators as designated by the Superintendent.

Note: The above description is illustrative of tasks and responsibilities. It is not meant to be all inclusive of every task or responsibility.

Equipment

- Uses standard office equipment such as personal computers, printer, copy and fax machines, and telephone.

Travel Requirements

- Travels to school district buildings and professional meetings as required.

Skills, Knowledge, Abilities

- Knowledge of Special Education principles, theories, testing, methods, etc. as well as proven methods of maximizing the educational experience of students with special needs.

- Knowledge of differentiated instruction based upon student learning styles.

- Knowledge of data information systems, data analysis and the formulation of action plans.

- Knowledge of applicable federal and state laws regarding education and students.

- Ability to use computer network system and software applications as needed.

- Ability to organize and coordinate work.

- Ability to communicate effectively with students and parents.

- Ability to engage in self-evaluation with regard to performance and professional growth.

- Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with others contacted in the course of work.

Physical and Mental Demands, Work Hazards

- Works in standard office and school building environments.

Note: Also see the Summary of Physical, Sensory and Environmental Requirements Needed to Perform Essential Functions for this position.

Qualifications Profile

Certification/License:

- State Certification as a Special Education Teacher.

- Motor Vehicle Operator's License or ability to provide own transportation.

Education:

- Bachelors from an accredited college or university in education discipline applicable to teaching assignment.

- Masters Degree in Special Education.

Experience:

- Successful prior special education teaching experience for the appropriate grade level preferred.

FLSA Status: Exempt

Company DescriptionSince our founding in 1977, The Educational Services Commission of New Jersey (ESCNJ) has evolved to become the largest Educational Services Commission in New Jersey, providing educational and business services to over 700 school districts and municipalities throughout the state. The ESCNJ’s budget has grown from approximately $17 million to nearly $115 million as of 2018.
The ESCNJ was founded as the Middlesex County Educational Services Commission in 1977, providing support services to a handful of Middlesex County school districts. By 2005, we had established shared services relationships with 75 school districts in 11 counties, prompting the board at that time to request and receive unanimous State Board of Education approval to change our name to the Middlesex Regional Educational Services Commission. Further expansion led to a presence in all 21 counties, and the MRESC’s Board of Directors requested a name change to The Educational Services Commission of New Jersey in 2016, which was unanimously approved by the State Board of Education.
As the state’s largest service provider, the ESCNJ offers cost effective educational and business services to over 700 school districts and government agencies. The ESCNJ operates six of its own schools for student’s ages 3-21 with autism, multiple disabilities, and at-risk behaviors, including two with onsite clinical support services. The ESCNJ also coordinates statewide transportation for approximately 14,000 students, and manages a Cooperative Pricing System with over 1,500 members, the state’s largest cooperative buying program.
In addition to the programs and services the ESCNJ provides other districts, we: operate six of our own schools, educate approximately 800 students a year in these schools; manage a Coordinated Transportation Service transporting about 14,000 special education, public, nonpublic and vocational-technical educational students via over 700 bus routes across the state; administer a Co-op Purchasing System, the largest in the state, providing over 1,500 members opportunities to purchase commodities ranging from natural gas and electricity, to vehicles, computers, playground equipment, and custodial supplies, at reduced costs; run a Professional Development Academy, offering staff development and community programs at our PDA Academy in Piscataway; administer our Department of Nonpublic School Services, offering specialized, auxiliary, and remedial Chapter 192 and 193 services to eligible students with over 6,000 services provided.
The enactment of Public Law 192-193, passed by the New Jersey State Legislature in 1977, was the primary reason for establishing our organization. The law required local public schools to budget for textbook and transportation services to 20,000 non-public students residing in Middlesex County, including Middlesex County residents attending nonpublic schools in other counties. This mandate, coupled with the doctrine of separation of church and state, made a compelling case for establishing a county-wide educational services commission based on the belief that the required services could be offered more efficiently and effectively through a county-wide cooperative effort.
While some districts were already participating informally in cooperative relationships, Middlesex County officials believed that creation of a county Educational Services Commission would provide districts with a “legally-constituted,” means to “efficiently provide required services, resulting in individual districts [receiving] a much needed savings opportunity in their current expense budgets.” Although districts were encouraged to support the creation of an Educational Services Commission, it was stipulated that districts could contract for services at its own discretion and no membership fee be assessed.
“Each district will be billed only for those services that it opts to join, and presumably it would only participate in a cooperative effort when it felt there were advantages in terms of economy or effectiveness,” wrote Middlesex County Superintendent of Schools Rita J. Carney at that time.
The New Jersey State Board of Education, at its December 7, 1977 meeting voted unanimously to approve the proposal to establish the Middlesex County Educational Services Commission (MCESC), a vote that was subsequently approved by the New Jersey Department of Education. As previously noted, the approval stipulated the voluntary nature of participation with the MCESC, a practice which continues to this day, to encourage school districts to maintain local autonomy and offer services with local personnel whenever possible.

The History of the ESCNJ - The Growth of the Cooperative
While the founding of the MCESC and its Department of Nonpublic School Services was designed to help public schools meet the needs of nonpublic schools attended by its residents, the potential for additional services was already envisioned. Expansion ideas included programs like “computer services,” sharing “special consultants” for educational and support programs, managing transportation needs, consolidating printing, equipment and maintenance services, and sharing teacher services for “specialized courses.”
The vision of expanded services for MCESC proved accurate, to say the least. The MCESC began operating in February 1978, and within six years, it had opened the Central Valley School (1982), and Regional Day School at Piscataway (1984), two county-based special education schools for severely handicapped and emotionally disturbed students.
By December 1988, the Board of Directors had developed an ambitious Plan For The Future, which included:
•\tSecuring centralized building space to meet the needs of nonpublic school services programs and central office personnel.
•\tCoordinating linkage with county-based programs providing varied education treatment counseling, and support services for students with substance abuse problems.
•\tSecuring a permanent facility for Central Valley School so the MCESC could continue meeting the county-wide needs of public school districts in their legal requirement to provide services for severely emotionally disturbed students.
•\tEstablishing a special education school for neurologically impaired, emotionally disturbed, perceptually impaired and communication handicapped students in Middlesex County in response to the needs identified by school districts.
The History of the ESCNJ - Current Day
In 2010, the Board of Directors revised the Mission Statement to read: The mission of the then, Middlesex Regional Educational Services Commission is to provide educational excellence to students in partnership with New Jersey school districts and coordinate cost efficient purchasing opportunities for educational institutions and municipalities to limit the tax burden on New Jersey residents.
The ESCNJ remains committed to utilizing all available resources to assure that mandated federal and state educational programs and services are available to New Jersey students registered in public, nonpublic and charter schools. Additionally, we continue identifying ways to leverage the collective buying power of schools, businesses, and municipalities to realize cost savings.Company DescriptionSince our founding in 1977, The Educational Services Commission of New Jersey (ESCNJ) has evolved to become the largest Educational Services Commission in New Jersey, providing educational and business services to over 700 school districts and municipalities throughout the state. The ESCNJ’s budget has grown from approximately $17 million to nearly $115 million as of 2018.\r\nThe ESCNJ was founded as the Middlesex County Educational Services Commission in 1977, providing support services to a handful of Middlesex County school districts. By 2005, we had established shared services relationships with 75 school districts in 11 counties, prompting the board at that time to request and receive unanimous State Board of Education approval to change our name to the Middlesex Regional Educational Services Commission. Further expansion led to a presence in all 21 counties, and the MRESC’s Board of Directors requested a name change to The Educational Services Commission of New Jersey in 2016, which was unanimously approved by the State Board of Education.\r\nAs the state’s largest service provider, the ESCNJ offers cost effective educational and business services to over 700 school districts and government agencies. The ESCNJ operates six of its own schools for student’s ages 3-21 with autism, multiple disabilities, and at-risk behaviors, including two with onsite clinical support services. The ESCNJ also coordinates statewide transportation for approximately 14,000 students, and manages a Cooperative Pricing System with over 1,500 members, the state’s largest cooperative buying program.\r\nIn addition to the programs and services the ESCNJ provides other districts, we: operate six of our own schools, educate approximately 800 students a year in these schools; manage a Coordinated Transportation Service transporting about 14,000 special education, public, nonpublic and vocational-technical educational students via over 700 bus routes across the state; administer a Co-op Purchasing System, the largest in the state, providing over 1,500 members opportunities to purchase commodities ranging from natural gas and electricity, to vehicles, computers, playground equipment, and custodial supplies, at reduced costs; run a Professional Development Academy, offering staff development and community programs at our PDA Academy in Piscataway; administer our Department of Nonpublic School Services, offering specialized, auxiliary, and remedial Chapter 192 and 193 services to eligible students with over 6,000 services provided.\r\nThe enactment of Public Law 192-193, passed by the New Jersey State Legislature in 1977, was the primary reason for establishing our organization. The law required local public schools to budget for textbook and transportation services to 20,000 non-public students residing in Middlesex County, including Middlesex County residents attending nonpublic schools in other counties. This mandate, coupled with the doctrine of separation of church and state, made a compelling case for establishing a county-wide educational services commission based on the belief that the required services could be offered more efficiently and effectively through a county-wide cooperative effort.\r\nWhile some districts were already participating informally in cooperative relationships, Middlesex County officials believed that creation of a county Educational Services Commission would provide districts with a “legally-constituted,” means to “efficiently provide required services, resulting in individual districts [receiving] a much needed savings opportunity in their current expense budgets.” Although districts were encouraged to support the creation of an Educational Services Commission, it was stipulated that districts could contract for services at its own discretion and no membership fee be assessed.\r\n“Each district will be billed only for those services that it opts to join, and presumably it would only participate in a cooperative effort when it felt there were advantages in terms of economy or effectiveness,” wrote Middlesex County Superintendent of Schools Rita J. Carney at that time.\r\nThe New Jersey State Board of Education, at its December 7, 1977 meeting voted unanimously to approve the proposal to establish the Middlesex County Educational Services Commission (MCESC), a vote that was subsequently approved by the New Jersey Department of Education. As previously noted, the approval stipulated the voluntary nature of participation with the MCESC, a practice which continues to this day, to encourage school districts to maintain local autonomy and offer services with local personnel whenever possible.\r\n\r\nThe History of the ESCNJ - The Growth of the Cooperative\r\nWhile the founding of the MCESC and its Department of Nonpublic School Services was designed to help public schools meet the needs of nonpublic schools attended by its residents, the potential for additional services was already envisioned. Expansion ideas included programs like “computer services,” sharing “special consultants” for educational and support programs, managing transportation needs, consolidating printing, equipment and maintenance services, and sharing teacher services for “specialized courses.”\r\nThe vision of expanded services for MCESC proved accurate, to say the least. The MCESC began operating in February 1978, and within six years, it had opened the Central Valley School (1982), and Regional Day School at Piscataway (1984), two county-based special education schools for severely handicapped and emotionally disturbed students.\r\nBy December 1988, the Board of Directors had developed an ambitious Plan For The Future, which included:\r\n•\tSecuring centralized building space to meet the needs of nonpublic school services programs and central office personnel.\r\n•\tCoordinating linkage with county-based programs providing varied education treatment counseling, and support services for students with substance abuse problems.\r\n•\tSecuring a permanent facility for Central Valley School so the MCESC could continue meeting the county-wide needs of public school districts in their legal requirement to provide services for severely emotionally disturbed students.\r\n•\tEstablishing a special education school for neurologically impaired, emotionally disturbed, perceptually impaired and communication handicapped students in Middlesex County in response to the needs identified by school districts.\r\nThe History of the ESCNJ - Current Day\r\nIn 2010, the Board of Directors revised the Mission Statement to read: The mission of the then, Middlesex Regional Educational Services Commission is to provide educational excellence to students in partnership with New Jersey school districts and coordinate cost efficient purchasing opportunities for educational institutions and municipalities to limit the tax burden on New Jersey residents.\r\nThe ESCNJ remains committed to utilizing all available resources to assure that mandated federal and state educational programs and services are available to New Jersey students registered in public, nonpublic and charter schools. Additionally, we continue identifying ways to leverage the collective buying power of schools, businesses, and municipalities to realize cost savings.

Location: Piscataway, NJ, US

Posted Date: 11/1/2024