Job Description

**We are currently hiring for the 2025-2026 school year**

Job Description

Title: Special Education Teacher

Division: School-Wide

Reports to: Director of Special Education

Status: Full-time, Exempt, CalSTRS Retirement Eligible (During the Academic Year)

Salary: Special Education Faculty Scale plus $12,000 Temporary Cost of Living Allowance and MWA Benefits

Position Summary
The role of the Special Education Teacher is to develop and implement effective instruction for the courses they teach that engage all students with special needs while creating and maintaining a safe, supportive, and rigorous learning environment within the classroom.  Making Waves Academy (MWA) teachers are expected to collaborate with colleagues and develop lesson and unit plans that help students meet and exceed proficiency in IEP goals and grade-level standards.   Teachers are also expected to actively facilitate and participate in culture building within and beyond the classroom, including but not limited to, during lunch, at recess and/or break supervision, and in hallways, consistently reinforcing school-wide norms and expectations. MWA teachers invest and engage in the work of developing a results-oriented, data-informed, and team-oriented approach to the work.

As a Special Education Teacher , you focus on providing specialized academic instruction to students with IEPs. SAI is provided to support students through small group, targeted reading/writing/math/academic support intervention. Your roles include collaborating with general education teachers to determine how to best accommodate and modify lessons based on each student’s individual needs in the general education classroom environment, working with your students to enable them to learn at their own pace, and communicating progress and challenges to parents. MWA students with IEPs are included in the general education environment for most of the school day and have meaningful access to grade-level work with accommodations and/or modifications. 

The typical teaching assignment at MWA involves the following components:

• Number of SAI classes: 1-2
• Number of SAI flex periods: 4 Mon-Thursday 50-60 minutes
• Number of prep periods: 1 per day, or 5-6 per week on average
• Average number of students per class: 10

About the Interview Process
Making Waves Academy's recruitment process is thorough and methodically designed to identify exceptional talent perfectly suited to support our community. As an applicant, you can anticipate an inclusive process that encompasses various stages, including but not limited to an initial recruiter screening, hiring exercise, hiring manager interview, final panel interview, and reference checks. We are committed to selecting the best individuals to join our team and contribute to our shared mission.

Primary Responsibilities 

Instruction

• Teachers are expected to submit weekly WAAGS (week-at-a-glance), syllabi, unit plans, and scope and sequence aligned with Common Core and California State curricular standards; these plans should be differentiated and designed to engage and challenge students.
• Execute a formalized student management plan aligned with the MWA student management system. 
• Create and revise culturally relevant, standards-based lesson plans for students, integrating literacy and writing instruction. 
• Differentiate instruction according to varied learning styles, including child cognitive and social development.
• Engage actively in mandatory morning meetings, SPED department meetings, and professional development sessions to enhance your understanding of effective classroom instruction practices and expectations.
• Provide targeted specialized academic intervention to support students’ progress toward IEP goals through pull-out SAI instruction- primarily in the areas of reading, writing, math, and academic support.
• Implement and maintain a positive behavior support program using appropriate techniques that complement treatment for the students.
• Participate in collaborative meetings with the SPED department and grade-level general education teachers to support the caseload of students with IEPs. 

SPED Case Management

• Complete required compliance documentation for IEPs, assessments, amendments, and IEP goal progress reports on time. 
• Communicate with outside SPED stakeholders and providers to support students' progress toward IEP goals and other SPED-related services. 
• Communicate on a regular basis with parents/guardians on caseload of students' progress at school.
• Collaborate and manage SPED instructional aide/staff to effectively support student achievement and learning in GE and SPED SAI. 
• Write high-quality, effective IEPs, IEP goals, and IEP progress reports. 

Assessment

• Design a wide range of performance assessments to measure student progress with lesson plans, academic achievement growth, instruction, IEP goals, and California state standards. 
• Administer, analyze, and reflect upon quantitative and qualitative student data (IEP progress data, school-wide benchmark data, and classroom data) to inform instructional practice. 
• Administer academic assessments as part of education specialist duties pertaining to IEP evaluations (initial and triennial assessments). 
• Administer and assess students' IEP goal formal progress on a trimesterly basis and informally on a weekly-monthly basis.

Classroom Management and Communication 

• Establish and maintain a well-organized and structured classroom environment conducive to learning.
• Manage classroom behavior with interventions as defined in the MTSS framework and ensure a respectful and inclusive atmosphere among students, including communicating effectively with students, parents, and school staff to inform them about students' progress and classroom activities.
• Manage implementation of students' behavior intervention plans in SPED and GE in collaboration with SPED aide, GE teachers, and/or student support services team as appropriate based on student BIP/behavioral needs. 
• Enforce school policies and procedures to maintain discipline and safety.
• Employ classroom management techniques in alignment with Making Waves Academy culture, policies, and service model expectations.
• As a Mandated Reporter, supervise students to ensure their safety.
• Communicate effectively with students, parents, and school staff to inform them about students' progress and classroom activities.

Additional Responsibilities and Expectations

Mission Alignment

• Communicate and build relationships with staff, faculty, students, and their families in the culturally and linguistically diverse MWA community. 
• Commitment to become an active participant in the school community – attend weekly division-specific professional development sessions, school performances, school assemblies, extracurricular activities, and field trips if needed. 

Other

• In addition to the core class, instruct students with foundational coursework in an alternate class setting (“Flex Period”) and advise a group of students (“Advisory”/ “Homeroom”)—responsibilities including, but not limited to, 1-1 check-ins, instruction in social-emotional-based curriculum, advisor family conferences, test preparation lessons, and post-secondary exploration and planning support, as applicable.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Work Environment
This job operates in a classroom environment. This role routinely uses standard classroom equipment such as laptop computers, photocopiers, whiteboards, and Chromebooks.

Physical Demands
While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to adhere to the following:

• May frequently walk across the middle and/or upper school campus.
• Participate in campus supervision duty each week – Monday through Friday. The frequency may vary based on the supervision assignment each semester.
• Lift files, open filing cabinets, bend or stand on a stool as necessary, and sit for long periods.

Travel
Some travel is required for MWA-related events, such as workshops or conferences.

Qualifications

Experience

• Teaching experience is desirable, but related work experience may be considered
• Knowledge of child cognitive development and different learning styles
• Experience working with students and families from historically underserved communities 
• Dedication, commitment, and resilience to succeed in an urban public school
• Ability to create lesson plans
• Familiarity with reading and analyzing data 
• Previous mentorship experience is desirable
• Understanding and ability to implement restorative justice practices  
• Strong understanding of California’s A-G college readiness requirements

Skills

• Highly effective communication skills 
• Skills in designing and revising authentic, culturally relevant, standards-based lesson plans
• Ability to adapt and align with school-related initiatives
• Highly organized, goal-oriented, and focused on outcomes
• Ability to communicate with, teach, and build relationships with students and their families in the culturally and linguistically diverse MWA community
• Demonstrate an understanding of technology and literacy learning platforms (PowerSchool, Canvas, Blackboard, Google Drive and Calendar, Khan Academy, Newsela, Zinc/Springboard, etc.)
• Professional orientation – appearance, communication, organization, and attitude

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree required
• California Education Specialist Instruction Credential (Mild/Moderate) is required
• English Learner (EL) Authorization Certificate
• RICA Certificate
• Applicants without credentials or an EL designation, as well as those who are eligible or currently enrolled in a CTC-approved program, will also be considered
• Satisfactory completion of  CBEST requirement and demonstration of  Subject Matter Proficiency

Preferred but not required

• Advanced Degree in Education or a related field preferred
• Spanish language proficiency is preferred but not required

Licenses or Certificates Needed

• Employment eligibility will include fingerprints, tuberculosis, and/or other employment clearanc
• California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Certificate of Clearance (COC) required (or ability to obtain a COC if not already in possession of one)

Reasonable Accommodation
Consistent with its obligations under the law, MWA will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of his or her job.

Equal Employment Opportunity Is Our Policy

Making Waves Academy is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the School to afford equal employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to their perceived or identified: race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and hairstyle, including but not limited to braids, locks, and twists); color; gender, (including gender identity, gender expression, and transgender identity, whether or not the employee is transitioning or has transitioned); sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and medical conditions related to such); religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices); marital/registered domestic partner status; age (forty (40) and over); national origin or ancestry (including native language spoken and possession of a driver’s license issued to persons unable to prove their presence in the U.S. is authorized by federal law); physical or mental disability (including HIV and AIDS); medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics); taking of a leave of absence pursuant to the Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), Pregnancy Disability Leave (“PDL”) law, Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), California Family Rights Act (“CFRA”), the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”), or laws related to domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking laws; genetic information; sexual orientation; military and veteran status; or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy extends to all job applicants and employees and to all aspects of the employment relationship, including the hiring of new employees and the training, transfer, promotion, discipline, termination, compensation and benefits of existing employees. For a full copy of our non-discrimination policy, visit:

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