ORGANIZATION

KIPP — the largest nonprofit network of college-preparatory, public charter schools in the nation—has demonstrated, at scale, that all children have the potential to excel academically regardless of race or zip code. KIPP currently serves over 120,000 students in 270 schools across the country, including Indianapolis. KIPP Indy Public Schools (KIPP Indy) was founded in 2004 with one class of fifth grade students and has grown to serve 1,300 students across three schools. Of the students that attend KIPP Indy, 93% qualify for free and reduced lunch, 95% are African American or LatinX, 12% receive special education services, and 8% are designated as Emerging Bilinguals. As we continue to grow, our mission remains the same: to create joyful, academically excellent schools in which teachers, students, and families are all united around the same goal of preparing students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose —college, career, and beyond— so they can lead fulfilling lives and create a more just world. 

KIPP Indy Public Schools is seeking a Director of Special Education. The overarching goals for this position are to improve student achievement for all learners, to disseminate best practices for working with students with special needs, and to lead staff professional development to ensure school-based provision of tier I-III supports, and to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal guidelines. An ideal candidate will be knowledgeable of and respectful for the culture of the community served, support and advocate for students and families, and collaborates effectively with a variety of stakeholders in supporting students.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Uphold clear vision and direction for special education services across within the school
• Foster collaboration with school based SPED teachers, and leaders
• Meet regularly with Regional Director of Special Education to ensure alignment on requirements for compliance.
• Perform comprehensive annual special education audit for KIPP Indy Public
• Represent KIPP Indy for external Special Education department purposes and serve as the point person for stakeholder requests
• Uphold systems for monitoring and reporting compliance with the timeliness associated with every special education and requests (IEP, RTI, and evaluation)  
• Consult with the school-based leadership team to develop comprehensive supports and interventions
• Communicate with students, families, and staff and respond to family concerns promptly and effectively
• Participate in team meetings, racial equity professional development, and other school wide events
• Display the highest ethical and professional behavior and confidentiality when cultivating, managing, and evaluating relationships with external support providers.
• Lead professional development opportunities for school teams that ensure best practices with content differentiation, modification, accommodation, and execution.  

Competencies

• Expresses belief in all student’s potential to complete college and succeed in life
• Articulates and teaches the organization’s vision, mission, values, and goals
• Demonstrates knowledge of the cultures of our community while creating an inclusive environment that values diversity and differences
• Focuses on results
• Holds themselves and others accountable to achieving planned milestones
• Takes responsibility for mistakes and learns from successes and failure
• Perseveres through significant challenges to reach goals
• Demonstrates flexibility when plans or situations change unexpectedly and adjust plans
• Manages time and resources effectively
• Demonstrate effective oral and written communication in working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities and colleagues

• Minimum of two to five years working with special education students and students with exceptional needs
• Experience in working within a school environment or extensive work with children, teenagers, and young adults
• Demonstrates a strong work ethic, extensive knowledge of child and adolescent development, and a documented track record of personal and professional success
• Strong record of helping students from communities that have been largely under-resourced achieve academic success
• Experience in analyzing student data and using data to inform instruction
• Unquestioned integrity and commitment to the KIPP Indy mission and community
• Possess a strong knowledge of content area and have met all required educator standards for their content area
• Pass a criminal background check, as required by law

COMPENSATION
Salary is competitive, commensurate with experience, and includes benefits. Teachers are also eligible for performance-based bonuses.

KIPP Indy Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.