Special Education Teacher (K-5)

@ Freedom Preparatory Academy Charter Schools
Freedom Preparatory Academy Charter Schoolsfreedompreparatoryacademycharterschools.com

Special Education Teacher (K-5)

Posted 3 months ago

This job is still taking applications, but it's been up a while.

About the job

Freedom Prep, a network of high-quality charter schools in Memphis and Birmingham, aims to prepare students for college and life through rigorous, values-driven education.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's Degree required
  • Experience with diverse learners
  • Strong computer skills
  • Ability to lift 30 pounds
  • Urban teaching experience preferred

Qualifications

  • Valid Alabama teaching license
  • Master's degree preferred
  • Ability to work with multiple learning levels
  • Strong communication skills
  • Positive classroom attitude

Full job description

About Us:

Freedom Preparatory Academy Charter Schools (www.freedomprep.org) is a network of PreK-12 free public charter schools serving students in Memphis, TN, and Birmingham, AL. Our mission is to prepare all students in grades PreK-12 to excel in college and in life. Since our founding in 2009, we have grown from a class of 96 sixth grade students to now serving over 1950 students across multiple campuses. In 2024, we expanded into Birmingham, AL, starting with grades K-1, with plans to grow to a K-5 campus. 

At Freedom Prep, we are committed to transforming education for students across the South, ensuring they have access to high-quality educational opportunities that empower them to thrive. Over the past 15 years, our students have consistently exceeded both local and state averages in math and have surpassed local benchmarks in English Language Arts on state assessments. Our mission is guided by three core beliefs: every child deserves the right to a high-quality public education, character development is essential to student success, and exposure to diverse opportunities builds the confidence and skills needed to excel in college and in life.


At Freedom Prep, we cultivate a structured, academically rigorous environment that fosters excellence in core subjects, promotes advanced academic skills, and encourages students to embody the core values of Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Excellence, and Community.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Freedom Preparatory Academy seeks Special Education teachers specializing in Kindergarten through Fifth Grade for our growing network of charter schools. As a teacher at Freedom Prep Academy, you will be expected to both introduce and help students develop mastery of concepts as measured through assessments administered consistently throughout the year. These skills and concepts will be presented in a variety of ways that convey a thorough understanding and execution of the content. Teachers will work closely with other teachers to ensure cross curricula and thematic alignment of curriculum.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Freedom Preparatory Academy welcomes teachers who are relentless in their aim to see student growth and who want to hone their skills as effective teachers in the classroom. We are also seeking applicants who have a demonstrated commitment to the educational mission, vision, and goals of Freedom Prep Academy.

Below are some of the tasks required of special education teachers:

  • Embodies and models the network’s core values of respect, responsibility, integrity, community, and excellence for our students, families, and colleagues
  • Upholds the school culture of high academic and behavioral expectations through continuous reflection, flexibility, and growth
  • Fosters students’ positive view of self and supports children’s learning through social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development; must believe in the tenet that “all students can learn” and be fully prepared to achieve it through integrative teaching strategies
  • Communicates effectively and maintains strong relationships with students, families, and colleagues
  • Creates and maintains positive community by assisting with student arrival/departure, transitions between class periods and lunch
  • Reinforces school-wide rules and expectations in the classroom, including lesson planning, curriculum development, assignment creation, and other curricular materialsUses detailed data analysis of student performance to inform best practices
  • Schedules students for small group services only on an as-needed basis
  • Maintains a log of all students on IEPs and 504s and follow all mandated timelines
  • Ensures compliance with all administrative, district, state and federal special education requirements through accurate, complete and correct record keeping and systems mainetenance
  • Documents all syllabi, lesson plans, assignments, and other curricular materialsReviews student IEPs with general classroom teachers and offer detailed recommendations on successful techniques for meeting accommodations
  • Reviews and follow intake assessments of new students through RTI Confers with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, and professionals to develop IEPs designed to promote students’ academic, physical, and social development
  • Employs special education strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of various learners and disabilities
  • Meets with parents and guardians to discuss their children’s progress and to determine their priorities for their children and needs
  • Works an extended school day to allow for collaboration, professional development, and ample communication with parents and other staff members
  • Works closely with the Director of Special Education, Head of School, Assistant Head of School, and Dean of Students to develop and implement strategies for all students to reach success
  • Completes other tasks as assigned by the Head of School, Assistant Head of School, or other School Based Administrative employees. 
QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:   


  • Bachelor's Degree required (Master's Degree strongly preferred)
  • Certification: Valid Alabama teaching license and endorsement(s) in the hired content area -OR-Valid teaching license from a state that offers reciprocity with AL -OR-Enrollment in a certification program with eligibility for a recommendation of licensure by the program or district
  • Eligibility for Alabama teaching license required
Experience:    

  • Two to four years of urban teaching and educational leadership experience is preferred
  • Ability to work with a variety of learning abilities, including those with low skill levels in a heterogeneously grouped classroom setting
  • Strong computer skills including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
  • Physical: Stand, walk or bend over, kneel, crouch, reach overhead, grasp, push, and pull. 
  • Move, lift and/or carry up to 30 pounds to shoulder height
  • Repetitive use of hands (i.e. fine manipulation, simple grasping, and power grasping)
  • Sitting, walking or standing for extended periods of time

We are excited that you are inspired or called to learn more about our mission, values, and potential opportunities. We’d encourage you to explore a few additional resources about us, the recent investmentfor what’s possible, and why you should consider our communityas a place for you to become a part of. We are one of the few networks that centers the whole person and their needs to thrive and support themselves and their families in the South.

BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION: At Freedom Prep, we prioritize transparency in everything we do. We believe that open communication fosters trust and collaboration. As part of this commitment, we make our salary scales available online for you to view, ensuring clarity and fairness in our compensation practices. You can view our compensation scales on our website. Please click HEREto be redirected.

Check out some of the unique and rare benefits here, including but not limited to: 

-Paying higher, scaffolded teacher salaries from Year 1 to retirement stage

-Zero dollar monthly premium options, including holistic options such as chiropractic or acupuncture care (TN ONLY)

-Focus on staff well-being and collective care through our Adult Social-Emotional Learning

-Support in obtaining licensure

OUR COMMITMENT: Freedom Preparatory Academy is actively seeking to build an experienced team of educators. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, handicap, age, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin. We are an equal opportunity employer.

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