Sy24-25 Sezp Senior Administrator Of Student Support & Services

Location: School-based (1 or more locations)
Full Time Start Date: July 1, 2024 (anticipated)
Salary: $120,000-$150,000, commensurate with experience
About the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership:
While Massachusetts is consistently ranked as one of the top states for education results in the country, we have one of the highest and most persistent opportunity gaps. The Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership (SEZP) - established in 2015 as a collaboration between Springfield Public Schools (SPS), the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and the Springfield Education Association (SEA) - seeks to improve the longitudinal life outcomes of the more than 5,000 students in our 16 middle and high schools.
As a "zone" of schools within the city of Springfield, SEZP's approach draws on a deep and embedded partnership with the school district and local teachers' union, while harnessing the flexibility and innovation found in autonomous school models. As a result, each school within SEZP is accorded significant school-based autonomies - in curriculum, talent, calendar, schedule, and budget - while being held accountable for realizing achievement gains for historically marginalized students. In all of our work, SEZP is in pursuit of equity and anti-racism acknowledging the systemic oppression our students and families encounter daily and working to disrupt these provision gaps urgently and courageously.
Job Details
The Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership (SEZP) is committed to building anti-racist schools by ensuring the work of equity is fully inclusive of our students with disabilities and their families across all schools. Ensuring maximum equity and high expectations will drive change from within our schools by positioning leaders, special educators, MTSS teams, families, and students as experts, advocates, visionaries, and activists in anti-racism, equity, and empowerment. The SEZP calls upon skilled and passionate special education leaders to support the development and evolution of systems, supports, oversight, and monitoring of Specialized Services.
The Directors of Special Education are critical members of an integrated instructional program and compliance team that work within and across SEZP schools. Each Director reports directly to the SEZP's Chief of Student Support & Services. The Directors of Special Education advise and assist the implementation of instructional services and program models of excellence, observation and assessment of performance indicators for building administrators and instructional staff, IDEA and Section 504-related compliance requirements, building-based data-driven monitoring and decisions, and student placement.
Additionally, the Directors are responsible for all IEP-related activities for students with disabilities within their network of schools, responding to parent inquiries, and assisting schools with mediations and in the resolution of state complaints. Directors will assist in providing leadership and mentoring in the establishment of new programs and initiatives for children with disabilities through professional development to staff and families.
CRITICAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Running all day-to-day operations of special education and Section 504 for all schools within the SEZP.
• At the direction of the Chief of Student Support & Services, assist schools with the implementation of research-based programs and specially designed instruction designed to meet the needs of Students within each building and/or zone.
• Implements procedures and protocols for ensuring IDEA, Section 504, and district mandated compliance requirements and standards within each building and/or zone.
• Supervise the special education process to ensure recommendations are based on consensus to the greatest extent possible, and that parents participate in and are valued members of the IEP team, and all required written correspondence is sent and received in a timely manner. Additionally, monitor the quality of the IEPs written by the chairperson, advise principals of any compliance- or quality-related trends, and assist schools in making continuous improvement in the area of special education.
• In collaboration with principals, student placement, and SEZP, assist in grouping students with disabilities by similarities of needs; using data to make recommendations for locations of programs with a goal of promoting equitable services and distribution of programs, and ensuring that students with disabilities remain in their school of choice/home school to the maximum extent possible.
• Assist schools with behavior interventions and discipline, including the implementation of the district's regulations for disciplining students with disabilities.
• Directors provide significant training and guidance around effective decision-making by consensus, parent participation, writing quality IEPs, and key compliance indicators. Assist buildings within the SEZP with staffing for related services.
• Use data to monitor initial referrals, referrals for more restrictive environments, removals and suspensions, provision of IEP services and programs, instructional outcomes, attendance trends by various sub-groupings (i.e., race/ethnicity; program; classification) of all schools within the zone, and provide support and guidance to principals of schools at risk of not meeting special education-related performance targets.
• Implement all child-find related activities for the public schools within the SEZP, including the supervision and evaluation of child development assistants.
• Review and approve as appropriate all proposed Section 504 plans in accordance with district policies and procedures.
• Monitor the assignment of all one-to-one paraprofessionals, taking into consideration available resources in the proposed program, classroom, and building to which the student is assigned.
• Other tasks as requested by the Chief of Student Support & Services

Qualifications

• Three to five years of successful teaching experience in the areas of special education preferred
• Certified as a Special Education Administrator by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education, or ability to become certified required
• Demonstrated knowledge of IDEA 2004 and 603.CMR 28.00 required
• Demonstrated knowledge in best practices in meeting the needs of all children with disabilities required
• Experience monitoring and evaluating progress and response to interventions/services for students with disabilities and significant provision gaps preferred
• Experience as an active anti-racist or advocate for equity preferred
• Hold a Master's Degree in the field of Special Education or a Master's Degree in Educational Administration and Supervision with an endorsement in the field of Special Education preferred
• Master's degree required
• Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred
• Demonstrate an understanding of how to expand inclusive opportunities in an urban district; preferred

If you meet some of the qualifications above, we encourage you to apply or reach out for more information. We know that historically marginalized groups - including people of color, women, people from working class backgrounds, and people who identify as LGBTQ - are less likely to apply unless and until they meet every requirement for a job. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from educators with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities.
We encourage you to reach out to SEZPs Chief of Student Support & Services, Kisha Morgan at kmorgan@sezp.org if you have questions about the role or your qualifications. We are happy to help you feel ready to apply!
Benefits
Selection as a Senior Administrator of Student Support& Services recognizes an individual for their outstanding vision, leadership capacity, and commitment to anti-racist school communities. The salary range will be between $120,000 - $150,000, commensurate with experience.
Application Process
The positions will be filled on a rolling basis and applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. Please contact Kisha (kmorgan@sezp.org) or info@springfieldempowerment.org with any questions.
Nondiscrimination Statement
The Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, age, disability or military service or marital status. The Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate in admission to, access or treatment in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation, disability or homelessness.
Title IX Notice of Nondiscrimination
Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex in admission, administration of its educational programs or activities or employment. Springfield Public Schools is required by Title IX and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 106 not to discrimination on the basis of sex in admission, administration of its educational programs or activities or employment. The Senior Administrator of Human Resources, Kathleen O'Sullivan, Springfield Public Schools, 1550 Main St. Springfield MA, 011103, 413-787-7100, ext. 55428, has been designated as the employee responsible for coordinating Springfield Public Schools efforts to comply with and carry out its responsibilities under Title IX. Inquiries concerning the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 106 to Springfield Public Schools may be referred to Kathleen O'Sullivan or to U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 400 Maryland Ave., SW Washington, DC 20202-1100, telephone 800-421-3481.