Special Populations Liaison
Illinois Institute of Technology is part of the Chicago Public School High School Transformation (HST) project which is focused on building capacity for powerful classroom instruction in science classrooms. The strategy centers on teacher improvement by building a holistic “Instructional Development System (IDS)” that is focused on a comprehensive curriculum design and facilitated by expert, flexible coaching. IIT seeks to add a Special Populations Liaison to our IDS team to work with coaches, teachers and the IDS manager. The Liaison will ensure that appropriate modifications and development are made to the curriculum and coaching process in response to students with special needs, which are, most often, but not exclusively struggling readers.
Role of the Special Populations Liaison:
Each Special Populations Liaison will work directly for the IIT IDS to ensure quality instruction to students with special needs in a variety of ways. The Specialist will enable a highly targeted teacher development process that responds to needs in specific classroom situations and recognizes the personal aspects of instructional improvement, including but not limited to the following:
- Collaborate with IDS coaches to plan professional development in response to teacher needs, with close attention to content area literacy and students with special needs
- Ensure the IDS professional development sessions are accessible to and utilized by special education teachers
- Support the development of the IDS coaches’ instructional repertoire with regard to:
- Maximizing the effectiveness of the Co-Teaching with Special Education Teachers structure
- Identifying opportunities for modifications of instructional practices
- Examine the existing curriculum in detail for opportunities for modifications and thereafter making appropriate modifications
- Ensure coaching routines address the needs of striving readers
Qualifications: The ideal candidate for the Special Populations Liaison will have a balanced combination of most, if not all of the following characteristics:
- Core belief that change is possible and hard work and commitment will transform our struggling high schools system into a high-performing one.
- Reading Specialist Certification, grades 9-12
- Special Education Endorsement, preferred
- Measurably successful experience as a teacher in an urban high school
- Content area certification for the IDS content area of interest
- Strong repertoire of successful teaching strategies, student learning processes, instructional design, and classroom management
- Strong content knowledge
- Experience conducting professional development sessions for special and regular education teachers in the areas of special education and/or low literacy.
- Ability to collaborate with educators of varying levels of proficiency to problem solve
- Instructional coaching experience
- Master’s degree in a related field required. Ph.D or post-graduate course work in literacy or special education preferred.
For additional information or to send a cover letter and resume please contact:
Maria Alvelo-Santiago, IDS Lead Manager
Illinois Institute of Technology
Mathematics and Science Education Department
3424 S. State St., Rm 4007
Chicago, IL 60616
312-567-3661 (p), 312-567-3659 (f), santiago@iit.edu (email)
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