Chairperson of Special Education/ Supervisor

Location

Jersey City, NJ | United States

Job description

Empowerment Academy Charter School is seeking to add a Special Education Chairperson to our Leadership Team. This person would report directly to our Special Education Coordinator. We are looking for a Chairperson to oversee our High School Campus (Grades 9-10 next school year, but adding 11th and 12th grade in the years that follow.) Certified Special Education Staff is eligible for a $3,000 bonus next year. 

INITIAL BASE SALARY: $71,000-$86,000

POTENTIAL TOTAL COMPENSATION: $87,000-$102,000

The candidate hired will be required to work with us for a number of weeks this summer to prepare for a strong September 2024 kickoff to the school year -- and should even consider coming on board with us this Spring (if possible) to provide some special education instruction, get to know our school and students, become familiar with our curriculum for the grade levels they will oversee, and assist in the hiring of Special Education Department peers for SY24-25.

OUR SCHOOL

Empowerment Academy is a dynamic and successful charter school that truly supports its teachers and staff. Empowerment has 3 of its own campuses, and BelovED is our “sister school.” We serve a mix of students that are among the most diverse in America while enjoying the cultural vibrance of Jersey City, Hoboken and New York City. Our staff is a dedicated group of individuals passionate about closing the achievement gap and providing a quality educational program. 

WE VALUE OUR FACULTY

At Empowerment Academy, we emphasize teamwork and community and truly value our faculty:

• Evidencing this, compared to those with similar experience, OUR FACULTY MEMBERS ARE AMONG THE HIGHEST PAID IN NEW JERSEY;
• Moreover, we seek to achieve academic success without burning out teachers by meshing an effective education program with effective teacher support and professional development.

POSITION OVERVIEW

• Summer Work – The Dean will be expected to work approximately four weeks this coming summer to ensure a strong start to the 2024-2025 school year. (Some summer work will also be required in the future as we add additional high school grade levels.) In SY24-25, the stipend for this work will be $2,000/week. It is expected that this work will relate to:
• Curriculum Scope and Sequence – Helping our department chairs in academic subject areas plan the differentiated instruction appropriate for learners with diverse needs.
• Curricular Materials – Augmenting planned curricular materials as appropriate to meet the needs of our diverse students.
• Scholar Assessment – Refining the assessments to be used to identify the masteries and weaknesses of scholars with diverse needs, guide instruction, and benchmark scholar learning progress.
• Thru-Year Responsibilities – The Dean will have reduced teaching responsibilities, but will still be expected to teach some Special Education sections. In exchange, the Dean will be expected to assist with the professional development of their department peers by providing:
• Teacher Training – Both during our late August “Summer Institute” and periodically throughout the school year on Professional Development days.
• Teacher Coaching - Including observation and feedback, “real time coaching” and instructional modeling, as well as periodic review and feedback on teacher lesson plans.
• Assessment Data Analysis –Conducting “test-in-hand” data analysis during Professional Learning Community meetings with department teachers that move beyond what scholars got wrong and facilitate teachers taking ownership of why scholars got it wrong.
• Continual Program Improvement – Using assessment data to facilitate continual special education program improvements (curriculum, assessment and instruction). 

The Chairperson should also be prepared to periodically stay late for an hour to provide fellow teachers extra support (coaching, mentoring, technique modeling) as needed, for which they will receive additional stipend compensation.

Requirements

• Candidates MUST hold a New Jersey Department of Education Standard Teacher of Special Education Certificate (a Supervisor’s Certificate is preferred.) 
• Have at least 5 years of effective teaching experience. 
• Experience working in a High School.
• Candidates should also have experience coaching teachers and leading data-driven professional learning community meetings.

Benefits

Charter schools ARE public schools. Our teachers are part of the New Jersey Teachers’ Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF), same as teachers at traditional public schools, and can transfer their pension credits from a traditional public school to our school and vice versa. Additional benefits include:

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Training & Development

As an equal opportunity employer, Empowerment Academy hires without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or disability.

INDINSTRUCTION

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