Flex Special Education Co-Teacher - IDEA Travis (Immediate Opening)

Role Mission: IDEA Flex Special Education Co-Teachers are full time, additional Special Education para-professional staff hired by IDEA Public Schools with the intent of eventually filling a permanent Special Education co-teaching (para-professional) role on a campus when an aligned vacancy arises. This allows IDEA to put a qualified Special Education co-teacher into the classroom immediately after a vacancy is determined and minimizes the number of days that students miss out on valuable instruction by a qualified co-teacher.

Once hired by IDEA, our Flex Special Education Co-Teachers are assigned to a "home-campus" to fulfill various educator responsibilities as outlined below. When a permanent Special Education co-teaching vacancy arises either at the “home-campus” or other campuses in the region, our Flex Special Education Co-teachers participate in a matching interview with a campus leadership team for a permanent co-teaching placement. Vacancies may arise before or after the start of school year.  

Many of our Special Education Co-Teachers instruct students in our RISE classroom. RISE stands for Reaching Independence through Student Education. IDEA Special Education RISE Co-Teachers work with students with significant cognitive and/or pervasive developmental disabilities. The needs of these students require a functional curriculum focused on the acquisition of daily living and vocational skills leading to a successful transition to adult life within the community. These K-12 classrooms provide instruction in practical academics, communication, community, domestic, leisure/recreation, and vocational skills utilizing a functional curriculum in a general education school building. The classrooms emphasize communication, maximum independence, and opportunities to generalize skills in natural settings as well as participation in general education activities with typical peers. IDEA Special Education RISE Co-Teachers support the Special Education-RISE classroom in the Academy (K-5) or College Prep (6-12) as they work with high-needs students in lower student-teacher ratios (often 1 to 3) to support their academic needs.

What You’ll Do -- Accountabilities

Responsibilities of Flex Special Education Co-Teachers:

• Report to the “home-campus” daily.
• Report to temporary co-teaching assignments determined by the regional staffing team that are not at the “home-campus”
• Participate in matching interviews when there is a permanent co-teaching position available at one of your top 4 site locations.
• Shadow a great teacher or co-teacher on the “home-campus"
• Work with a small group of students on the “home-campus”
• Substitute for a daily absence 
• Cover an extended absence/FMLA
• Other instructional duties as assigned by the “home-campus” or regional staffing team.
• Additional responsibilities may include: after-school tutoring or Saturday school and are based on the needs of our scholars

Responsibilities of all IDEA Special Education Co-Teachers:

• Assist in the educational and social development of students under the direction and guidance of the facilitator and classroom teachers
• Assist in the implementation of Individual Education Plans for the students and monitor their progress
• Provide support for individual students inside and outside of the classroom to enable them to fully participate in activities
• Work with other professionals, such as speech therapist, social worker, occupational and physical therapists
• Assist classroom teachers with maintaining student records
• Support students with emotional or behavior concerns and assist them in developing appropriate social skills
• Assistance of daily living may include feeding, lifting and/or toileting in the Life Skills Unit 
• At some campuses, school bus riding to accompany students may be needed before or after school

We look for Team and Family who embody the following values and characteristics: 

• Believes and is committed to our mission and being an agent of change: that all students are capable of getting to and through college  
• Has demonstrated effective outcomes and results, and wants to be held accountable for them 
• Has a propensity for action, willing to make mistakes by doing in order to learn and improve quickly 
• Works with urgency and purpose to drive student outcomes 
• Thrives in an entrepreneurial, high-growth environment; is comfortable with ambiguity and change 
• Seeks and responds well to feedback, which is shared often and freely across all levels of the organization 
• Works through silos and forges strong cross-departmental relationships in order to achieve outcomes 
• We believe in education as a profession and hold ourselves to high level of conduct, professionalism and behaviors as models for our colleagues and students 

What You Bring -- Competencies

Qualifications:

• High School Diploma
• Must have 48 college hours
• Experience in a classroom setting is preferred
• Proven track record of success in a professional setting

Knowledge and Skills:

• Capable of physically assisting students with special needs as required (positioning, lifting, transferring, restraining) in the RISE Unit 

What We Offer

Compensation: 

• Compensation for this role is set at an hourly rate ranging between $16.83 for 0 years of experience and $23.00
• Hourly co-teachers earnings are paid out over a 12-month period

Other Benefits:

We offer a comprehensive benefits plan, covering the majority of the employee premium for the base medical plan and subsidizing the majority of costs for a spouse/domestic partner and children. Other benefits include dental and vision plans, disability, life insurance, parenting benefits, flexible spending account options, generous vacation time, com‐muter benefits, referral bonuses, professional development, and a 403(b) plan. We also offer an inclusive environment where staff are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work every day. IDEA may offer a relocation stipend to defray the cost of moving for this role, if applicable.

To Apply

Please submit your application online through Jobvite. It’s in your best interest to apply as soon as possible.

About IDEA Public Schools 

At IDEA Public Schools, we believe each and every child can go to college. Since 2000, IDEA Public Schools has grown from a small school with 150 students to the fastest-growing network of tuition-free, Pre-K-12 public charter schools in the United States.   

IDEA Public Schools boasts national rankings on The Washington Post and U.S. News & World Report’s top high schools lists. IDEA serves nearly 75,000 college-bound students in 137 schools across Texas, Southern Louisiana and Florida and is on-track to maintain its legacy of sending 100% of its graduates to college. Be on the lookout for IDEA schools opening near you—with new launches in Jacksonville, FL (2022). Cincinnati, OH (2022), and Arkansas (2023)!    

When you choose to work at IDEA, you are part of our IDEA Team and Family. You will work alongside team members who set and reach ambitious goals every day, are excited to continue to grow with IDEA, and work relentlessly to make college for all a reality.