Special Education Teacher (Supervisory Educator) - The J Arthur Trudeau Memorial Center

About Us

For over 60 years, the Trudeau Center has been at the forefront of transforming the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our programs make an immediate and long-lasting impact on individuals of all ages, lifting them up by providing the support they need to thrive. And we have big plans to continue growing and evolving that work in the months and years to come.

Our Mission, Vision & Values

• Mission: Our mission is to promote an enhanced quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities.
• Vision: We envision a diverse community where all people are valued and treated with dignity and have access to resources to help them lead productive lives.
• Values: We serve all individuals with compassion and respect. We are accessible and responsive and actively seek their input to better serve their needs.

The Role

The Special Education Teacher assists in developing, refining, and maintaining behavior analysis educational and treatment programs under the direction of the program Director, Director of Special Education, or designated Behavior Analyst. Implement and supervise the implementation of such programs by leading behavior technicians and behavior technicians. Assist in training, monitoring of treatment integrity, and program evaluation. Facilitate student transitions into the program, within and from the program to other educational settings. Assists in developing and coordinating Satellite Classrooms in various public school settings and provides consultation and educational opportunities to the community under the direction of a supervisor.

Essential Work Duties and Responsibilities

• Protect the rights and dignities of individuals with developmental disabilities and extend these rights and dignities to family members or guardians.
• Upholds and complies with all safety programs and policies to maintain a safe work environment for students, employees, consumers, family members, and visitors.
• Commits to organizational quality initiatives by participating in programs that assure quality improvements and team processes.
• Provide training and consultation to local educational agencies and families under the direction of supervisors.
• Participate in and conduct staff training to include modeling of best practices.
• Assist the development, modification, and implementation of individual student educational programs (Individualized Education Plans- IEPs) according to state guidelines.
• Contribute to developing behavior intervention plans for individual students and assist the behavior analysts with assessments and observations.
• Assist teachers and behavioral analysts in developing and maintaining behavior analytic measurement systems for individual student goals and objectives in both adaptive skill areas and problem behavior areas.
• Coordinate curriculum development, instruction, and assessment and evaluate the same.
• Study, evaluate, and recommend the adoption of new teaching aids and materials to improve instruction.
• Organize the structure of educational environments.
• Create and use appropriate instructional materials.
• Prepare reports for transition and presentation at IEP meetings and reviews.
• Maintain communication with clinical staff and administration regarding all issues about students.
• Provide coverage in classrooms when the program is understaffed.
• Respond to crises as needed and assist staff in implementing crisis management procedures.
• Assist in implementing inclusion activities in public schools and other school sites.
• Assist in the maintenance of student records.
• Recognize the line of authority, personnel policies and regulations, the limits of responsibility, and the importance of professionally conferring with supervisors and subordinates.
• Maintain positive communication in a professional demeanor with parents/guardians, agency representatives, administration, and colleagues. Document all contacts.
• Supervise and train classroom teaching staff.
• Evaluate classroom Lead Behavior Technicians and Behavior Technicians, conduct employee performance evaluations and improvement plans.
• Mentor teachers who are new to Pathways. Consulting Supervising Teachers will be paired with and meet weekly with mentees to provide personalized orientation and the support necessary for them to understand their professional responsibilities and the contexts in which those responsibilities are completed.

Education, Experience, and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in education and special education and appropriate certification.
• Minimum of two years experience working with young children with autism utilizing applied behavior-analytic teaching methods.
• Skills in effective communication with parents and community-based officials.
• Experience developing individual child curriculum preferred.
• Experience training others to implement behavior-analytic teaching practices and behavioral/educational measurement.

Internal/External Relationships

Internal: frequent— Pathways students and employees, Director of Clinical and Educational Services, Director of Special Education.

External: frequent—public or other community school department officials and families seeking or receiving services.

Working Conditions

The Special Education Teacher's role involves direct interaction with students and staff in office and classroom conditions. This includes teaching self-care skills such as toileting. The job also requires work in public school settings and the community, necessitating transportation to and from such locations. Additionally, the role involves significant work with computers. Candidates should be prepared for these conditions and comfortable with the role's requirements.

Physical and Mental Requirements

The special education teacher must be able to deal with the broad range of needs presented by children with autism, including significant problem behaviors. Work will often include sitting in tiny chairs or on the floor and require rapid movement (sometimes running) to address the safety and teaching needs of the children. The employee must be able to lift up to 50 pounds and work with children in such a way as involves physical contact (particularly when there is a child safety need). Employees must achieve certification in the crisis management system utilized by the program within the timeline established by the program.

Benefits at Trudeau

• 14 Paid Holidays
• Vacation, Sick, and Personal Time
• Medical, Dental & Vision
• Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)
• Employer Paid Life Insurance/Voluntary Life Insurance
• Voluntary Long-term Disability Insurance
• 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid Trainings
• AAA Discount
• Verizon Discount
• Pet Insurance