Special Education Teacher - Generalist - Lakeside Middle School - 2026-27 School Year - Charlottesville, Virginia

Special Education Teacher -  · Lakeside Middle School · School Year · Teach · • Lead · • Inspire · Be an educator in Albemarle County Public Schools · Are you looking to work in a school division where students are engaged in authentic, challenging, and relevant learning experi ...

Job description

Special Education Teacher - 

Lakeside Middle School

School Year

Teach
• Lead
• Inspire

Be an educator in Albemarle County Public Schools

Are you looking to work in a school division where students are engaged in authentic, challenging, and relevant learning experiences, becoming lifelong contributors and leaders in our dynamic and diverse society? Then look no further 

In Albemarle County Public Schools, we work together as a team to end the predictive value of race, class, gender, and special capacities for our children's success through high-quality teaching and learning for all. We seek to build relationships with families and communities to ensure that every student succeeds. We will know every student 

We are the first public school division in Virginia, and among the first in the country, to develop and implement an Anti-Racism policy with the expressed purpose of building school communities that share the responsibility to recognize and end racism, eliminate inequitable practices that result in achievement gaps, and support the unique gifts, talents, and interests of every child. In ACPS, "all" really means all.

Who We're Looking For

Teachers and Specialists are essential to achieving our goals of Thriving Students, Affirming and Empowering Communities, and Equitable, Transformative Resources.

 

Our ideal candidates are: 

• Innovative, self-reflective, collaborative, knowledgeable in their content area and instructional practices, and are continually growing and improving
• Passionate about closing equity and achievement gaps
• Prepared to engage with our Culturally Responsive Teaching model in support of our Equity Mission Statement

Why Work in Our Schools

Here are just a few reasons why both new and experienced educators choose to join our team:

• Strong instructional support and mentoring from our building administrators, instructional coaches, learning technology integrators, diversity resource teachers, and equity specialists
• A wide range of professional development opportunities, including our New Teacher Academy and many other learning experiences held throughout the year for new and experienced teachers
• Competitive pay and benefits, including health & dental coverage, retirement, flexible spending accounts, paid time off, wellness program, discounts on gym memberships, and more
• The opportunity to work in a close-knit, supportive community where you can continue to grow as a professional

Be sure to check out our website to learn more about our Division and our Schools. You can read the full job description here. 

Location

Situated around beautiful Charlottesville, Virginia – which is consistently ranked among America's top university towns and best places to live – Albemarle County is nestled in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National Park. Just 100 miles south of Washington, DC and 70 miles west of Richmond, it's only a short trip to the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic beaches, and New York is an easy Amtrak ride away. Whether it's the great outdoors, a vibrant  and diverse arts, food, and culture scene, or small town living with a big city feel, our part of Central Virginia has something for everyone.

The Application Process

Are you ready to join the ACPS Team and engage our learners in becoming lifelong contributors and leaders in our dynamic and diverse society? If so, then follow these steps to apply:

STEP 1: Click Apply for this Position at the top right of this page. This will add your application to the candidate pool for this position.   

STEP 2: You will receive an email invitation to complete a short online assessment to help us learn more about your strengths as an educator. Instructions will be included in the email. If you've already taken this assessment within the past three years, you do not need to complete it again. 

STEP 3: Continue to check our Jobs page frequently as new positions are added throughout the spring and summer. You need to apply for each specific position that you are interested in. Jobs are listed chronologically by posting date, but you can search by categories or by keywords like "teacher" or "counselor", and you can also sign up for weekly email alerts. 

STEP 4: Our school principals and assistant principals will review your application and will contact you directly if they would like to schedule an interview. Time frames vary depending on the position and time of year. 

Qualifications: Candidates for this position must hold or be eligible for a Virginia teaching certificate with endorsement in School Counseling. More information can be found on the VDOE website. 

Questions? Email 

Full Job Description:

General Definition of Work:

The Special Education Teacher - Adapted Curriculum involves working with students with intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, and various other educational disabilities. The assignment for this teacher may include the Special Education Teacher in a C-BASE (Curriculum Focus Building Appropriate Supports with Evidence), Functional Skills, Community Based Instruction, or Post High programs. The students served by this teacher are typically assessed using the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP).

Essential Functions:

• Teach students content to meet the standards outlined in Virginia's Aligned Standards of Learning and the Virginia Standards of Learning using research-based curriculum, strategies & materials correlated with other approved learning activities and adjusted to suit each student's needs;
• Assist children with multiple disabilities, specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairments, intellectual disabilities, emotional disabilities, multiple disabilities, hearing impairments, orthopedic impairments, visual impairments, autism, combined deafness and blindness, traumatic brain injury and other health impairments;
• Implements Individualized Education Plans, as written, for student with disabilities;
• Use various teaching methods to promote learning, including intensive individualized instruction, problem-solving assignments, and small-group work;
• Ensure appropriate accommodations are available in class and when a student needs to access the environment, curriculum and assessments;
• Develop lesson plans and instructional materials and provide individualized and small group instruction;
• Translate lesson plans into learning experiences to best utilize the available time for instruction;
• Provide culturally responsive instruction to students who are linguistically diverse;
• Establishes a caring, loving, and warm yet structured atmosphere for our most complex and at-risk students;
• Modify regular and aligned education curriculum to meet the individual children's needs;
• Provide and maintain a safe and supportive environment in the classroom, on the school campus, and on field or community experiences;
• Establish and maintain standards of pupil behavior needed to achieve a functional learning atmosphere in the classroom and develop an individualized behavioral plan when needed;
• Provides an effective program of instruction;
• Function as Case Manager for students eligible for special education and related services;
• Assist in the identification/child find process to appropriately identify students that require special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act;
• Model professional standards when dealing with students, parents, peers, and community;
• Schedule and facilitate IEP meetings as defined in the Virginia Regulations;
• Utilize strong oral and written communication skills with students, parents, and staff;
• Utilize effective problem solving, organizational, multi-tasking, and time management skills;
• Organize and supervise the work of paraprofessionals that includes and is not limited to developing a schedule of duties, monitoring the fidelity of intervention plans implemented by assistants, guiding and mentoring in the areas of parent communication, data collection, and use of evidenced based practices;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with pupils, parents, school staff, district staff, and patrons;
• Evaluate pupils' academic and social growth, maintain appropriate records, and prepare progress reports;
• Communicate with parents through conferences, telephone calls, e-mails, student planners, school web site, and other means, to discuss the pupils' progress;
• Maintains and upholds school and county policies and procedures;
• Administer and score standardized assessments;
• Establishes / designs, implements and monitors personalized goals for each child;
• Maintain student records as required by the Code of Virginia and Virginia Regulations;
• Assure confidentiality of all students' information;
• Understand and adhere to all laws, Special Education policies and procedures and District policies, and procedures;
• Maintain professional competence through staff development education activities provided by the school district and self-selected professional growth activities;
• Knowledge and use of materials and resources in accordance with the adopted curriculum and consistent with the physical limitations of the location provided;
• Attends and participates in faculty, department, and Division-wide meetings;
• Assists in the selection of books, equipment, and other instructional materials;
• Establishes and maintains cooperative professional relations with others;
• Performs related duties as assigned by the administration in accordance with the school/system policies and practices.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

This professional must possess a strong understanding of the instructional needs of children with significant educational disabilities, as well as a strong understanding of the special education process, strong organizational skills, and the ability to facilitate paraprofessionals in the classroom and community. The teacher in this role must be a team player, energetic, enthusiastic, patient, and willing to work collaboratively with children of any age. Experience teaching students with intellectual disabilities and physical impairments preferred. Possess a belief that all students can learn and are best served when they are included with their peers to the greatest extent possible. Possess an understanding of the state curriculum standards as they apply to students with intellectual disabilities. Knowledgeable in research-based programs. Demonstrates knowledge in implementing positive behavior plans and data collection. Possess an understanding of IDEA, and associated timelines. Possess an understanding of the requirements of the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program.

Education and Experience:

Candidates must possess a current Virginia Special Education endorsement in Adapted Curriculum K-12 (preferred) or Special Education General Curriculum K-12. Those with a Special Education General Curriculum endorsement must be willing to consider working toward the Adapted Curriculum endorsement.

Physical Conditions and Nature of Work Contacts:

Duties performed typically in school settings include: classroom, gym, cafeteria, auditorium, community and recreational areas. Daily personal and close contact with students to provide classroom management and learning environment support is required. Regular contact with other staff members and parents is required. Occasional contact with medical professionals may be required. Frequent contact with parents by phone and in person is necessary. While performing the duties of this job, the teacher is regularly required to speak and/or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and stoop, bend at the knees and / or hips, kneel, or crouch. The teacher is occasionally required to use hands to handle or feel and must occasionally climb or balance. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision and depth perception. The teacher must be able to respond to the unique educational needs of students with disabilities in a stressful setting. This job may emphasize intervention with and management of aggressive and self-abusive students, angry students, emotional students, students with infectious diseases, and personal physical abuse.