The Vermont Agency of Education (AOE) is looking for a strategic planning specialist to join our Special Education Division as an Education Programs Manager. This position will focus on strengthening the special education division's capacity to ensure that special education service delivery is designed efficiently and effectively, with a focus on supporting districts with developing locally based continuums of support. The level of autonomy and State-level expertise expected of this position is commensurate with that of an Education Project Manager.
We are seeking candidates with considerable skills and experience in supporting students who qualify for special education to succeed in the general education environment. A strong candidate will demonstrate experience providing evidence-based support to leadership teams in implementing systems to support the inclusion of the whole child into the general education environment.
Responsibilities of this position include:
- Provide guidance on evidence based and scientific best practices for developing and implementing in-district programs for students with intensive special education needs.
- Offer field support to educators in navigating the legal and regulatory requirements forcreating new in-district programs, ensuring compliance with both state and federal law.
- Design and lead professional development sessions for district staff on topics such as developing and implementing high-quality, evidence-based in-district programs, fostering a culture of inclusion and collaboration, and data collection and analysis to inform programmatic decisions.
- Create and disseminate toolkits, guides, and other resources to assist districts in building their own internal capacity.
- Analyze data on the types and frequency of services provided to students in different settings to identify correlations between service models and student needs and to inform program development and demonstrate the effectiveness of in-district services.
- Prepare reports and presentations for legislative committees and other stakeholders on the progress of building in-district capacity and the impact on extraordinary costs.
- Facilitate collaboration between districts and supervisory unions to share resources and plan for regional, in-district programs that may not be feasible for a single district.
- Act as a liaison between the Agency of Education (AOE), school districts, and external partners to ensure a cohesive, statewide approach to special education service delivery.
- Identify and share successful in-district models from other states or within Vermont that could be replicated.
- Regularly consult with the Special Education Advisory Panel and act as AOE liaison for bi-monthly meetings.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The State of Vermont celebrates diversity, and is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect and meaningful inclusion that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The State does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, membership in an employee organization, family medical history or genetic information, or family or parental status. The State’s employment decisions are merit-based. Retaliatory adverse employment actions by the State are forbidden.