Special Education Teacher (SY26-27, Middle School)

What You’ll Do
As a Special Education Teacher at Veritas Prep, you’ll provide special education services and accommodations to one grade level of students, including in-class and small-group support. You’ll collaborate with the general education teachers at that grade level to ensure students are successful access to the curriculum in all subjects. You’ll also collaborate with the Student Support Team, which includes the Dean of Student Services, school counselors, related service providers, school culture staff, and other Special Education Teachers, to ensure students with special education needs can access grade-level curriculum.

Specifically, you will: 

• Deliver student services, including: 
• Understand, internalize, and use IEP goals and objectives for students on your caseload as a guide towards specialized instruction. 
• Collaborate with general education teachers to plan for student support services in daily blocks that meet the needs of the student for the given lesson. 
• Co-teach or push-into academic classes throughout the day.
• Plan and lead small group and/or individual pull-out daily according to student IEPs and current academic data. 
• Develop and deliver modified curriculum that is aligned to grade-level standards as necessary according to IEPs.
• Internalize and provide testing accommodations to students in your grade level. 

• Meet legal requirements for IEPs in MA
• Attend IEP meetings for students on your caseload and be prepared to report out on student progress towards goals and objectives. 
• Write goals and objectives after initial, annual, and re-evaluation meetings. 
• Regularly collect and record data on student progress towards goals and objectives. 
• Write comments on student goals and objectives for bi-annual progress reports
• Be an active member of the student support team and the broader VPCS community.
• Run advisory programming for a small group of students. 
• Participate actively in weekly student support meetings and content level planning meetings
• Participate in weekly or bi-weekly coaching meetings, incorporating feedback into daily teaching and planning practices

• Build positive, meaningful relationships with colleagues, students, parents, and families
• Engage in learning about racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion in education and be a champion for anti-racist education
• Actively engage in professional development and coaching to continually improve your practice
• Other duties as assigned. 

Requirements

What You’ll Need (Qualifications)

• An unwavering belief that all students can achieve amazing things
• A passion for continuous growth as an educator
• Relentless pursuit of a classroom that centers students and continuously improves learning outcomes  

• A dedication to fighting racism in our educational institutions and in daily life, and knowledge of the history of race and racism, as well as the systems of oppression our students face

• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing
• Ability to report to work on a regular and punctual basis

• One to two years of teaching experience (preferred)
• Bachelor’s degree
• Have or be eligible for a MA teaching license in Moderate Disabilities, 5-12 OR have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Special Education
• Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) endorsement within one year of hire
• Current authorization to work in the United States – a candidate must have such authorization by his or her first day of employment
• Alignment with our Values of
• Students First: We make decisions with our students in mind and know our actions model the way.
• Grow Together: We are role models of growth mindset, teamwork, and collaboration.
• One Team, One Mission: We cheer for, lean on, and support each other as we play unique roles in support of the same mission.

Think you don’t quite meet all the qualifications listed above? Apply anyway! We are looking for a truly diverse team of educators, and research shows that historically marginalized groups are less likely to apply if they do not meet every requirement. We are working to become an anti-racist organization and want to recruit and support diverse staff, to understand the history of inequity in education, and to ensure students see teachers, staff, and leaders who look like them working in our school.

Want to learn more? Set up a call with a recruiter by emailing recruitment@vpcs.org.

Veritas Prep is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against employees or qualified job applicants on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran or military status, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity or expression, or any other status or condition protected by applicable law. This policy extends to, but is not limited to, recruitment, selection, compensation, benefits, promotion, training, and termination.

Benefits

Veritas Prep offers competitive salaries and comprehensive benefit packages that include the following:

• Salary Range for this position is $50,000 - $90,000, exclusive of fringe benefits.
• If hired, your final base salary will be determined based on factors such as skills, education, and/or experience.
• In addition to those factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team members as part of any final offer.
• Keep in mind, the above range is the full base salary range for this position. Hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical in order to allow for future and continued salary growth.
• We also offer a generous benefits package for full-time staff that includes, but not limited to the following:
• Health, Vision and Dental Insurance Plans
• Paid Family/Medical Leave Insurance (private and meets state requirements)
• Long-Term Disability and Life Insurance (100% employer paid)
• Enrollment in Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement System (teacher pension program)
• Employee Assistance Program (100% employer paid)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Health Reimbursement Account (HRA), and more...

About Veritas Prep

Veritas Prep is a public, tuition-free school in Springfield that prepares students in grades 5 through 12 to compete, achieve, and succeed in college and beyond. Veritas Prep accelerates every student’s path to college and career by helping them set a strong academic foundation in middle school and guaranteeing access to college classes and college prep support in our wall-to-wall Early College high school. 

At Veritas Prep, we are not only breaking down barriers to college access but also providing the tools students need to persist through college and prepare for a successful career. Our middle school program has been serving students in Springfield since 2012 and our scholars are supported by skilled, dedicated, and diverse teachers. Scholars learn important academic habits and are challenged to achieve at high levels academically, socially, and emotionally, setting them up for success as they enter our high school. 

Our Early College high school program, in partnership with STCC and Worcester State University, prepares students to earn high-impact college degrees, saving students up to two years’ time in college and thousands of dollars. Students can earn up to an associate degree for free, and the general studies associate degree from STCC means students enter as JUNIORS at any Massachusetts public college or university after high school graduation.

Students at Veritas Prep benefit from high academic standards and robust support, an exceptional learning environment, a diverse staff of high-quality educators, a strong commitment to social/emotional and practical skill development, and an inclusive, anti-racist community that values the identities and backgrounds of all students.