2025 - 2026: Special Education Teacher $60k Entry Salary and $5,000 Bonus!

Job Description

Job DescriptionSalary: $60,000 - $124,214

MISSION We exist to foster a diverse community of youths and adults striving together for academic, personal, and civic excellence.

VISION Creating inclusive excellence in public education.

Assignment: Mild/Mod Special Education Teacher at Southeast Campus

Reporting directly to Highlines campus principal, our teachers are the heart of our organization - the ones who make the mission come alive for our students. We expect our teachers to be caring about the whole child, great lesson planners, strong and nurturing at classroom management and excellent collaborators with teammates and families. We look for people with good communication skills, dedication to do everything it takes to make a difference for each child, and a growth mindset. Our special education teachers are also expected to be advocates and devotees to inclusion.

Position Schedule: Teachers are paid year round on a salary. Their student contact days (177) and their professional development days and parent conference days adds up to a 195 day work year. However, the work teachers do outside those days planning, reflecting and pursuing professional growth is also an important part of being an excellent teacher. Teachers are expected to be on campus ready for students by 7:30 am and to stay until 4:00 each day school is in session, and to 4:30 on Fridays when we have early release days for students followed by teacher P.D. or planning meetings. There are two weeks of professional development every summer before school begins which is part of the accounted professional development days.

REPORTS TO: Campus Principal

DEPARTMENT: Special Education

SUPERVISES: Assistant Teachers assigned to work in his/her classroom

HIGHLINE OVERVIEW: Highline Academy is a community of diverse youth and adults striving together for academic, civic, and personal excellence. Founded in 2004, Highline is committed to inclusive excellence. In 2013, we launched our second school in Green Valley Ranch. Our students come from fifty countries, speak 26 different languages, represent a full range of socio-economic backgrounds, and previous educational experiences. Our diverse and integrated community has already begun to achieve excellence. Highline students have consistently out-performed district and state averages. Strong faculty and student retention rates are emblematic of the schools positive culture and strong community.

Highline has a commitment to a liberal arts education which includes Art, Music, Spanish and P.E. instruction for our students. We have high expectations for all of our learners, with an understanding that some learners need more or different instruction. We have Performance Group teachers at each grade level which enable us to give smaller group instruction for the core content areas of math and language arts. Additionally, we have a robust intervention program with additional supports available as students show they need them. We are a fully inclusive organization for students with special needs, who are integrated into the general education classrooms. We have a character education program designed by Highline called Reach. This teaches, practices, and celebrates the Reach values of responsibility, empowerment, aspiration, citizenship and honesty. All our students are taught to Reach Out to support and care about their classmates and community, Reach In to learn about themselves and reflect about their learning and Reach Up to their very best academic achievement. We are a students first, growth mindset organization and we expect all of our employees to model these values. All Highline employees are expected to read and follow all policies as written in the employee handbook and to review it annually for updates.

Special Educator Responsibilities:

• Provides research-based specialized instruction to address the instructional goals and objectives contained within each students IEP.
• Assesses student progress and determines the need for additional reinforcement or adjustments to instructional techniques.
• Employs various teaching techniques, methods and principles of learning to enable students to meet their IEP goals.
• Develops and implements annual Individualized Educational Plans for students to include: present levels of educational performance, special education needs, instructional goals and objectives, and the special education and related services required to meet those goals.
• Schedules team meetings and works cooperatively with child study team members and others in developing instructional goals and strategies.
• Coordinates the delivery of special education services in each student's IEP.
• Creates a positive learning experience with emphasis in individualized instruction using appropriate sources including i-pads.
• Serves as primary contact for the parent.
• Conducts special education evaluations and reevaluations.
• Provides direction, supervision and evaluation of educational assistants as directed.
• Complies with School Board policies and all state/federal rules and regulations.
• Completes all district and state reporting requirements.

Other Responsibilities: All Highline teachers must show clear competency and reliable practice of the following indicators:

• Create a Positive Classroom Culture and Climate
• Practice Effective Classroom Management
• Plan and implement Masterful Content Delivery
• Practice High-Impact Instructional Moves
• Demonstrate Essential Knowledge of Students and Use of Data
• Demonstrate Effective Collaboration and Engagement with students and colleagues
• Demonstrate thoughtful reflection, learning and development

All Highline teachers are also expected to demonstrate the Highline Internal Commitments for Professional Practice.

• We will take responsibility for student learning by valuing diversity, needs, learning styles and through shared ownership.
• We will commit to being clear and purposeful in our objectives and instruction while continuing to reflect and revise learning strategies by frequently monitoring student assessment data and ensuring that it is used as a tool for learning.
• We accept and embrace diversity within our community of faculty, students, and parent/guardians by valuing each other for who and where we all are in life as learners and as people, and we commit to providing a safe place for all to succeed.
• We will be direct, intentional, timely, and graceful in giving and receiving communication without judgment and for positive and proactive purposes.
• We will create an environment that empowers faculty, students and parent/guardians to be active participants in student success.
• We will create a focused and sustainable adult community by focusing on what is most essential to student success and staying focused on Highlines goal.
• We will consistently model and enforce Highlines academic and behavioral expectations.

Special Education Teacher Responsibilities:.

Our team of Special Educators work together to manage both the instruction and case management for our students. This person can expect support and collaboration from their four other special education teacher teammates and three TAs who balance autonomy with compliance to serve our students with IEPs. Our special education team partners with strong instructional teachers to practice inclusion in our building. They see a strong level of differentiation across the board, allowing for special educators to be true collaborators and co teachers.

Special Education teachers are expected to provide individualized education to all students on their caseload. Highline Academy embraces an inclusive model; this requires that, as much as is appropriate based on student need, student minutes should be met in the classroom. Special Education teachers are expected to meet with the general education teachers in whose room they support at least once a week to plan co-teaching. Special Education teachers are expected to progress monitor students every two weeks (or more frequently if needed) on progress toward goals. Special Education teachers are expected to use research based, targeted intervention curriculums to address student goals.

Special Education teachers are also responsible for testing any students who have moved through the MTSS process and have been identified for testing, or any student whose parent directly requests testing. Special Education teachers are expected to be up to date on all CDE procedures for testing students and writing IEPs. Special Education teachers are expected to complete all IEPs in ENRICH, or alternate DPS database. Special Education teachers are responsible for communicating with all parties (parents, teachers, and other parties as need) regarding IEPs including setting up meetings, review of goals and accommodations, progress monitoring with current data, and addressing concerns as they arise. Special Education teachers are expected to meet with district support partners, meet with IP cohort team as needed, and participate in school based coaching meeting.

Special Education teachers set the tone with their students each day and set up the community expectations for their students. Intervention teachers are expected to build positive relationships with their students and also hold them to high expectations.Special Education teachers should manage their groups with positive proactive systems and strong rituals and routines.

Special Education teachers are expected to build relationships with families through phone calls and both formal and informal meetings. Special Education teachers should attend parent teacher conferences for the students on their caseload, either with the homeroom teacher or host a conference independently. Special Education teachers are expected to show up for at least three evening or weekend events such as the music performances for their grade level, the Cultural Fair and the Fall festival. Special Education teachers are expected to help plan and lead at least one event for families during the year such as a parent education meeting or a student demonstration of learning.

Qualifications:

• Valid teaching credential for Special Education or Enrolled in Aspire* progressing towards a license
• Teaching experience appropriate to the assignment;
• Demonstrated commitment to and understanding of the Highline mission;
• All teachers will be hired based on being highly qualified per No Child Left Behind (NCLB) specifications.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills

*Highline would be excited to fund your path to a Special Education License through the Aspire Program. While in the program, we are able to use the hard to fill bonus to cover the cost. Then in subsequent years, that bonus goes directly to our educators.

Minimum Physical Requirements

• Be able to walk quickly, bend, kneel, crouch, sit, stand, grab or hold with one or both hands.
• To be able to lift up to 40lbs without difficulty
• To maintain appropriate demeanor and professional classroom behavior when working with children and adults
• The ability to sit for extended periods during group training

Salary Range: $60,000 - $124,214

Salary Scale

Benefits:

Colorado PERA/PERA 401K

Life Insurance

PTO

Short Term Disability

Health

Gap Insurance

Dental

Aflac

Vision

Highline Academy does not discriminate in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment in its services, programs and activities, on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender expression, religious practice, ancestry, athletic performance, special need, proficiency in the English language or a foreign language, or prior academic achievement in accordance with all federal, state and local laws.