Student Services Director - Fort Myers, United States - Optima Classical Academy at Gladiolus

Description

Job Description

About the company:

At Optima Classical Academy, we are dedicated to providing unparalleled educational experiences with a strong emphasis on character development. We aspire to instill in our students a love for learning, a sense of moral responsibility, and the intellectual prowess to navigate the complexities of the world. We embrace the classical education model, a time-tested approach that has proven to produce well-rounded, critical thinkers throughout history. Our curriculum emphasizes the trivium – grammar, logic, and rhetoric – guiding students through a journey of intellectual development that sharpens their minds, refines their communication skills, and nurtures a deep appreciation for the wisdom of the past. At Optima Classical Academy, education should not only enrich the mind but also cultivate virtues like courage, self-government, courtesy, service, honesty, responsibility, and perseverance. Our students are encouraged to embody these virtues, fostering a positive and respectful community within our school.

This is a salaried, exempt position with a 10-month work schedule (12-month pay schedule) and base standard hours of 7:30 am to 4:00 pm daily. Salary will be set annually on a performance-based schedule. Teachers will report to the Head of School.

Major Function

Serves in an educator capacity in the teaching, instruction and guidance of students enrolled in various academic courses within the appropriate grade or academic level, using the general education curriculum, or modifying it, to meet the child's individual needs. Serves as case manager for students with disabilities ensuring implementation of special education and related services including, but not limited to, IEP, 504, ELL, BSP, and EP plans. This includes identifying scholars' needs, testing, scheduling, and entering data into student information systems.

The student services director's essential duties and responsibilities are as follows:

• Adheres to established standards regarding curriculum delivery and requirements as established by the school and applicable educational systems appropriate to the specified course of discipline.
• Provides professional instruction and teaching to students with disabilities as appropriate to the specified course or discipline and academic level, using various techniques, including individualized and small group instruction, to promote learning.
• Oversees appropriate Individual Educational Plans (IEPs), Gifted Educational Plans (EPs) or Academic Improvement Plans (AIPs), English Language Learner Plans (ELL), and Behavior Success Plans (BSPs), including determining present levels of performance, annual goals, and benchmarks or short-term objectives.
• Schedules and prepares for IEP meetings annually (and/or more frequently if needed) describing the student's present level of functioning and proposes measurable IEP goals and objectives for team consideration.
• Understands the continuum of programming options that can be used to meet the individual needs of the student to provide an appropriate education.
• Develops individualized educational plans for the provision of specially designed instruction.
• Participates in the review of the individualized education plan with the student's parents, school administrators, and often, the student's general education teacher.
• Coordinates meetings with the student intervention team for students with academic and behavioral issues to provide guidance and offer school support for student achievement.
• Organizes meetings with the student intervention team for students with academic and behavioral issues to provide recommendations on alternative schooling, credit recovery, and retention.
• Collects, documents, and analyzes the student's current progress on his/her individualized educational plan, working closely with parents to inform them of their child's progress and suggest techniques to promote learning at home.
• Organizes and effectively communicates class/course objectives, standards, and requirements for successful achievement, e.g., syllabi, tests, specific tasks.
• Provides guidance and assistance to students as needed to ensure appropriate assimilation of the class/course content to support student success and achievement.
• Ensures all appropriate measures, including special accommodations, are in effect for students with disabilities.
• Administers tests and conducts evaluations and grading as applicable to the students' specific assignment.
• Calculates student scores and grades and submits students' final class/course grade(s).
• Helps general education teachers adapt curriculum materials and teaching techniques to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
• Works with students with disabilities in a variety of settings, to include working in one's own classroom teaching only special education students; work as a special education resource teacher and offering individualized help to students in general education classrooms; teach together with general education teachers in classes composed of both general and special education students; or working with special education students for several hours a day in a resource room, separate from their general education classroom. Considerably fewer special education teachers work in homebound or hospitalized environments.
• Uses specialized equipment such as computers with synthesized speech, interactive educational software programs, and audio systems to assist children.
• Refers advanced disciplinary issues to appropriate staff/personnel.
• Functions as part of the problem-solving team(s) at assigned school(s) when appropriate.
• Any other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• The minimum requirements for this job are as follows: Florida Teacher Certification in Special Education

Computer Skills

• To perform this job successfully an individual must have knowledge of spreadsheet software and word processing software.

Additional Qualifications

• Ability to demonstrate, uphold, and promote in daily interactions a commitment to the school's mission and vision, and the moral character and civic virtue the school embodies.

The organization is an equal opportunity employer. The organization is committed to providing equal opportunity for all individuals in all areas of recruitment, selection, placement, training, assignment, transfer, compensation, benefits, discipline, retention, and promotion. The board commits itself to the policy that there shall be no unlawful discrimination against any person because of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin or disability. All decisions with regard to employment shall be in compliance with applicable state and federal laws.