Under the direction of the Director, Special Education, plan, coordinate and provide special education services in collaboration with other District programs; monitor, administer and implement special education programs and services in accordance with Federal, State, and local guidelines and mandates; provide coordination, program development and evaluation of special education programs and staff.  Deliver high-quality professional development and support to staff at the school and district level.

Representative Duties:

• Deliver high-quality professional development and support to staff at the school and district level on a variety of strategies and materials for staff related to special education on an on-going basis.
• Monitor and calibrate Individualized Education Program (IEP) development and implementation, ensuring appropriate dynamic goals and services for students.
• Provide training and overall direction to special education staff to support teams in developing IEPs based on student needs.
• Provide technical assistance to IEP teams on eligibility, instructional practices, and placement of students with special needs and facilitate site meetings to prepare for complex IEP meetings.
• Attend and facilitate IEP meetings as needed.
• Coordinate and lead work with school site and district staff to address intensive student needs for all students.
• Develop, monitor, and maintain tracking information related to caseloads and staffing for certificated and classified personnel assigned to support special education.
• Meet regularly with special education staff and school site administration to ensure program quality and compliance.
• Facilitate the transition of students with special needs between preschool, elementary, secondary, and the Adult Transition Program.
• Ensure program compliance with laws, education code, and regulations through a variety of reports, including Prior Written Notices, records, and files.
• Participate in alternative dispute resolution, mediations and due process proceedings as needed.
• Organize and provide oversight of Extended School Year (summer) Program.
• Supervise and evaluate certificated and classified special education staff.
• Perform related duties and responsibilities as required.

The duties and responsibilities described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these job functions. 

Required Qualifications:

• Appropriate California Administrative Credential
• Master's degree from an accredited college or university
• Five years successful experience in Special Education
• Administrative experience preferred

Desired Qualifications:

Knowledge of:

• Relevant Federal, State, and local laws, codes, and safety regulations.
• Instructional methodologies, strategies, practices, and supports used to effectively teach students with special education needs.
• Basic operations, services, and activities of special education programs.
• IEP development, implementation, and compliance.
• Effective behavior interventions and strategies.
• Behavior management plan design and data collection tools.

Ability to:

• Assess and evaluate program effectiveness and analyze for compliance.
• Exhibit strong leadership, listening skills, and organizational skills.
• Work well with parents, administrators, other departments, and the community.
• Provide effective, dynamic professional development for staff to support implementation of instructional methodologies, curriculum materials, and current trends within special education.
• Collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team and to foster collaboration between special education and general education staff.
• Communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.

About Newport-Mesa Unified School District

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) includes nearly 59 square miles and is comprised of the cities of Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, and Corona del Mar, California. Located on the beautiful Southern California coast, in Orange County, NMUSD is within 40 miles of Los Angles to the northwest , and within 90 miles of San Diego to the south. Our Superintendent and the seven member governing school board oversees 32 schools and approximately 22,000 students. Our district is comprised of 22 elementary schools, 2 intermediate schools, 2 middle/high schools, 2 high schools, 3 alternative education programs, and 1 adult education program (in partnership with Huntington Beach Adult School.) We employ approximately 1,700 certificated employees and 1,500 classified employees.

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