Brayton Elementary School is seeking a Special Education Teacher. This position is subject to the North Adams Teachers Association contract.

Job Goal:To provide each special education student with a program that will enable the student to reach his/her fullest physical, emotional, psychological, and behavioral potential.

Supervision:Reports to the Building Principal.

Performance Responsibilities:

1.Provides a basic core program for special education students, consistent with state education code requirements.
2.Acts as a system oriented resource teacher in his/her building.
3.Ensures that appropriate services are developed and implemented for each child with special needs within the framework of an inclusive setting.
4.Provides direct services to specific children with special needs.
5.Provides academic testing for specific children.
6.Coordinates and supervises work experience and job-training programs involving the special education students.
7.Works cooperatively with classroom teachers who have special education students in regular classes, interpreting the abilities and disabilities of these students to the entire staff and assisting the special education students with regular class assignments.
8.Develops specific learning strategies and behavioral interventions for children with special needs cooperatively with other personnel.
9.Assists in adapting curriculum content and materials for children with special needs.
10.Provides ongoing modeling and support to general education teachers, specialists, classroom tutors, assistants, and paraprofessionals through regularly scheduled classroom time.
11.Confers frequently with parents and professional staff members regarding the educational, social, and personal problems of such special education students.
12.Assists other professional staff members in resolving the unique psychological or disciplinary problems of each special education student.
13.Assists in screening, evaluating, and recommending placements of applicants in the schools’ special education program.
14.Counsels individuals and groups of special education students with educational, occupational, and personal problems.
15.Assists special education students in making realistic assessments of their abilities, and in establishing educational and occupational goals in keeping with these abilities.
16.Provides motivation to special education students who may have a short attention span.
17.Undertakes continuing professional study in the psychology of the special education student in teaching methods related to this field.
18.Participates in in-service workshops as requested.
19.Keeps attendance records and all other records pertinent to the special education program for state reports.
20.Participates in transition planning and preparation for adult life experiences.
21.Takes responsibility for professional growth and development.
22.Writes I.E.P’s, acts as liaison, and attends TEAM meetings within the appropriate time frame, as well as chairs teams for students.
23.Consults and works closely with individual parents and teachers as determined through TEAM meetings.
24.Attends other relevant meetings (healthcare providers, D.S.S., evaluation teams, etc.) and disseminates information as appropriate.
25.Assists in crisis intervention situations as requested by the building principal, and within one school day provide a written report of any such incident to the Office of Pupil Services.
26.Helps develop and maintain a “resource room” (library) of curriculum materials in his/her building, and obtains alternative teaching materials for children with special needs.
27.Recognizes his/her role as an integral part of the Special Education TEAM, shares information on a regular and as-needed basis with the building principal, special education coordinators, and central office administrators.
28.Any other related duties as may be assigned by Administration.


The Committee's policy of nondiscrimination will extend to students, staff, the general public, and individuals with whom it does business; No person shall be excluded from or discriminated against in admission to a public school of any town or in obtaining the advantages, privileges, and courses of study of such public school on account of age, race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability or homelessness.

MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION LICENSURE AS A TEACHER OF STUDENTS WITH MODERATE DISABILITIES (PRE-K-8; 5-12)

Physical Requirements:The position requires a moderate amount of walking, standing, sitting and climbing stairs and step stool whenever necessary. Activities also include moderate physical exertion in body movement such as reaching, bending, twisting, grasping, pushing, and pulling of objects. The position requires lifting objects of 20 pounds on a frequent basis, and over 20 pounds occasionally. There is a frequent requirement of fine manipulation associated with the required use of a computer, typewriter, keyboard, calculator, and other business machines. The applicant may be required to restrain special education students.

Environmental Conditions: The occupant is required to work indoors. The regular chemical solvents are toners, inks, and cleaning fluids. The occupant may come into contact with medical and/or bodily fluids.