Middle School Special Education Department Chair 26/27 SY

WELCOME TO INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS!

At IPS, we believe in the transformative power of education. We work collectively every day to prepare our students for success in the classroom and in life by providing equitable, high-quality educational experiences across our family of schools. IPS is a place to make an impact, grow your career, and ensure every student has access to a high quality education, all while earning a good living in a district on the move. While the work is challenging, it is deeply meaningful and impactful. We seek innovators and trailblazers who bring varying experiences and expertise and share our belief that every child deserves access to an exceptional education. As part of TeamIPS, you’ll create lasting connections, find a sense of belonging, and feel supported to make a meaningful difference in students’ lives.

In return, no matter your role here, we expect a commitment to excellence and accountability. You’ll be held to high standards. Resilience and passion are key—you must be adaptable, handling adversity with flexibility while putting students at the heart of everything you do. Ethical conduct, clear communication, and mutual respect are fundamental. Being a dependable, collaborative team player who builds meaningful relationships is essential.

Together, we are Proving What’s Possible by building a community where everyone belongs and each student has the opportunity to fulfill their potential.

A Career in IPS Offers…

Purpose and Impact:

• Essential Contributions: In every non-teaching and non-leadership role, your work directly supports the success of IPS students and schools. Whether you’re maintaining facilities, providing student services, or managing administrative operations, you play a key part in ensuring an equitable and high-quality educational environment.
• Belonging and Community: IPS is a place where every employee is valued. You’ll join a supportive community that promotes respect, teamwork, and a shared commitment to serving students and families.

Professional and Personal Growth:

• Training and Development Opportunities: IPS offers a variety of training programs to help staff build new skills and grow professionally. This includes access to development opportunities for administrative, technical, and operational roles, as well as pathways to becoming a certified teacher.
• Skill Enhancement: Whether you’re new to your role or seeking to deepen your expertise, IPS provides resources and support for continuous improvement.

Comprehensive Compensation and Benefits:

• Fair Compensation: IPS ensures competitive wages and regularly reviews pay structures to maintain equity.
• Extensive Benefits Package: Employees enjoy comprehensive health coverage, dental and vision plans, life insurance, disability insurance, and retirement plans. Additional financial benefits include flexible spending accounts and eligibility for federal loan forgiveness programs.

Work-Life Balance and Well-being:

• Generous Leave Policies: IPS offers vacation, personal, and sick leave, along with paid holidays. Twelve-month employees benefit from floating holidays, and unused personal leave rolls into the sick leave balance.
• Wellness Programs: IPS prioritizes staff well-being with access to wellness initiatives, including health screenings and an employee assistance program for confidential support and counseling.

What We Expect:

• Professionalism and Reliability: Every role at IPS is vital to the district’s success. We expect staff to demonstrate professionalism, dependability, and a commitment to providing excellent service to students, educators, and families.
• Collaboration and Communication: IPS values teamwork. Working collaboratively with your colleagues ensures a supportive environment for all. Clear communication and mutual respect are key to maintaining this culture.
• Flexibility and Problem-Solving: As a large, dynamic district, IPS needs staff who are adaptable and proactive in solving problems to meet the ever-changing needs of students and schools.

JOIN US!

Indianapolis Public Schools is more than a workplace; it’s a community where purpose, impact, and belonging come together to help Prove What’s Possible – in your career and in your school. If you’re ready to embrace challenges, strive for excellence, and make a meaningful impact, IPS is the place for you.

SUMMARY OF OPPORTUNITY:

TITLE: Middle School Special Education Department Chair

WHO WE ARE:

Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) is a student-focused, innovative educational organization committed to academic excellence. Our mission is to empower and educate all students to think critically, creatively, and responsibly, to embrace diversity, and to pursue their dreams with a purpose. We are a family of excellent public schools in which every student has the opportunity to succeed and the power to create their own future.

Led by forward-thinking leadership and our commitment to prioritizing students, racial equity, and authentic engagement with our families, team members, and communities, our staff have diverse opportunities to develop their careers in a challenging but rewarding environment. We are an organization for people who are passionate about education and who are committed to the Indianapolis community.

SUMMARY OF OPPORTUNITY:

The Unified Student Supports team is looking for a special education administrator who will positively impact student success by facilitating the delivery, monitoring, and assessment of both special education procedures and programming, ensuring that students with disabilities are provided with the curriculum and services appropriate to their needs. As a member of the IPS Team, you will receive excellent benefits, opportunities to grow within your role and the organization, and collaborative and supportive colleagues who put students first.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

The following outlines what your core duties and responsibilities will be for this position and provides a sample overview of what your day-to-day may look like.

Core Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as the first and strongest advocate for racial and ableness equity and student-centered approaches to teaching, learning, service, and support.
• Support student achievement by way of staff development, compliance monitoring, student transitioning, etc.
• Serve as the public agency representative for case conferences.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the school and USS by ensuring systems and processes are seamlessly communicated or cascaded in both directions.
• Participate in and attend USS-designed training and monthly meetings on a regular cadence.
• Ensure all students with disabilities have access to accommodations, materials and technology that ensure an ability to reach their goals, regardless of LRE.
• Monitor and support with student transitions and transition planning.
• Facilitate PLC meetings for special and general educators to ensure SDI, UDL, and similar best practices are taught, practiced, and evaluated.
• Evaluate special education teachers, per building leadership’s expectations or mandates.
• Provide direct managerial support, in partnership with school leaders and Learning Community Directors, to the daily work of special education and student service programming, ensuring adherence to established special education policies, procedures, and standards.
• Monitor the implementation of the district coaching framework for all special education coaches assigned to your building.
• Work in collaboration with the Learning Community Directors/Principals in resolving school-based concerns and problems as they arise with special programming.
• Assist Learning Community staff and school principals in setting and attaining goals for student achievement, as well as all goals and big bets identified by the USS team.
• Facilitate RDA meetings and work collaboratively to support schools to increase student achievement.
• Create and implement a system to provide the school team with a platform to discuss, strategize and problem solve students who are struggling to progress with their current supports provided through their IEP.
• Ensure MTSS is the backbone of all special education programming, intervention planning and monitoring, etc.
• Assist in the coordination and articulation of the district’s special education programs and services across and between grade levels in their Learning Community.
• Provide specific feedback, support, and suggestions to principals to strengthen teaching and learning for students with disabilities, regardless of LRE.
• Provide technical assistance to principals in working with marginal teachers and staff.
• Assist principals with decision-making and problem-solving as it pertains to intensive programming.
• Advocate for and model strong school-family partnerships to ensure students have as few barriers to success as possible.
• Consistently contribute to a positive team culture by being direct and transparent and helpful and collaborative, while prioritizing a customer service orientation
• Other duties as assigned by the USS administrative team or building principal.

“Day In the Life” Overview

On a regular day, as the Middle School Special Education Chair, you might:

• Support principals in special education and student services human resource management, including recruiting, retaining, and developing staff
• PAR a conference and with the assigned coach to strengthen a TORs approach to conference preparation
• Work with principals and other USS Staff to review their data and help them link best practices and materials to standards and Individual Education Plans
• Assist principals in the development of appropriate professional development programs for staff
• Work with Principals to resolve difficult special education situations quickly and effectively between schools and parents that are not resolvable at the school level
• Support with staffing needs and problem solving approaches to staff absences/Vacancies

WHAT YOU’ll BRING: SKILLS AND MINDSETS

As an ideal candidate for this role, you will be able to achieve the following:

• Highly-developed communications skills (written/verbal) and interpersonal savvy
• Results/action-orientation; project management skills
• Racial equity mindset and other critical indicators related to DEI
• Organizational agility; developed negotiation skills
• Unquestionable personal code of ethics, integrity, diversity and trust
• Able to successfully navigate within varying degrees of ambiguity in a fast-paced environment
• Strong strategic analysis skills
• Ability to be creative in developing alternatives to meet students’ instructional needs
• A track record of developing and maintaining strong working relationships with and among a diverse group of actors
• Close attention to detail coupled with the ability to exercise good judgment
• Proactive nature; able to anticipate conflicts before they arise
• Ability to work well independently as well as collaboratively
• Ability to execute meetings, calls and emails with professionalism, courtesy and accuracy
• Personal qualities of maturity, humility, strong work ethic, sense of humor, and diligence
• Ability to effectively allocate and prioritize time to several tasks to ensure completion of all

EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION, AND LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS

• Hold or be eligible for an Indiana administrator and/or director license
• Hold an Indiana Teaching or Professional License, Special Education, or Related Service certification preferred
• Master’s degree in Education Administration, 3 to 5 years of experience as a practitioner and 3 to 5 years of experience as a school assistant principal; or any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities
• Working knowledge of federal and state special education laws, rules, and practices, including IDEA and Article 7

FLSA CLASSIFICATION:

Exempt

ELIGIBILITY FOR REMOTE WORK:

This role is ineligible for remote work.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand and walk. The employee is occasionally required to sit; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

EEOC STATEMENT:

Indianapolis Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, will not discriminate in its programs, facilities, or employment or educational opportunities on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, familial status, domestic violence victim status, homelessness or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations, or ordinances. Indianapolis Public Schools does not tolerate any form of retaliation or bias-based intimidation, threat, or harassment that demeans individuals’ dignity or interferes with their ability to learn or work.

DISCLAIMER:

Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the above representative duties, knowledge, and skills. This job description is illustrative only, and is not a comprehensive list of all essential functions and duties performed by the occupant of this position. Factors such as regular and punctual attendance are not routinely listed in job descriptions, but are an essential function.