ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW: At Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, your knowledge and service in areas such as immigrants and refugees, mental health, social work, employment and adult education, legal and financial services, health care, food assistance, shelter and housing, developmental disabilities and prison outreach can make a profound difference in the lives of many. Through more than 50 programs across the district and five surrounding counties, Catholic Charities is opening doors to help and hope. At CCADW, we continue to build an inclusive culture that celebrates a diverse workforce. We offer so much more than just a job. We offer careers. We take pride in our "promote from within" culture. We offer professional development, a comprehensive benefits package, and a passion for building and motivating world class, high performing teams. Explore your career opportunity with Catholic Charities. Join us in Inspiring Hope and Building Futures.

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington values the safety of our employees, our clients, and our visitors. In support of these values, if you are selected for this job, you must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, except when vaccination is not medically advised or violates your sincerely held religious beliefs. If you are invited to join our team, you must submit proof that you are up to date with your COVID vaccinations, including the booster dose or you must request an exemption from your representative. New employees must either provide proof of vaccination or be granted a medical or religious exemption before working with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington.

Our Benefits:

• Medical, prescriptions, dental and vision insurance
• Retirement savings plan with company match
• Company-paid and supplemental life insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Paid vacation, sick and personal leave
• 11 paid holidays
• Professional development and training
• Tuition reimbursement
• Employee referral bonus program
• Flexible work arrangements
• Clinical supervision for licensed social workers and counselors

JOB SUMMARY: The Certified Teacher will serve as lead instructor for the classroom team in promoting a healthy, positive, safe, stimulating and structured school environment for students with disabilities. The incumbent must establish channels for regular communication with students, parents, teaching staff and others regarding attainment of family and treatment goals. Also, the Certified Teacher will provide support to the overall school environment by assisting in developing, preparing and implementing strategies within the classroom and school-wide plans for positive student outcomes.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Adapts and modifies lesson plans from the school curriculum to support the students in progressing through the curriculum/lessons.
• Regularly collects data to document ongoing progress towards Individual Education Program (IEP) goals, Common Core Standards, and PARCC requirements.
• Regularly meets and collaborates with the Principal and classroom team concerning student goals, student needs, modification of assignments/lessons, etc.
• Supports the staff and Principal in gaining a better understanding of special education practices, conducting and/or arranging in-service trainings for Kennedy School staff.
• Prepares, writes and implements student IEPs utilizing OSSE's electronic system (SEDS).
• Maintains ongoing documentation concerning student participation, achievements, incidents, parental contacts, etc.
• Supports students in both traditional academics and functional academics, in the classroom and in the community (through transition activities such as Job Shadowing and Summer Youth Employment).
• Provides written feedback to the Principal regarding the Classroom Paraprofessional performance as requested.
• Safely transports students to and from the Kennedy School to attend approved field trips, Special Olympics and other educational events in an Agency vehicle as scheduled. Utilizes the agency to also make approved home visits and deliveries.
• Other job-related duties as assigned by the principal.

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum of a bachelor's degree in special education or related fields; master's in special education a preferred.
• Must be certified in Special Education (out of state certification is accepted) And Have passed PRAXIS 1 & 2 (or comparable out of state exams) (Applicants for a District of Columbia educator credential who hold an active full credential or license issued in another US state or territory may qualify for issuance of a DC credential based upon reciprocity, which they must obtain within the school year they are hired).
• Must possess a full, valid local, driver's license and maintain a good driving record.

SKILLS and COMPETENCIES:

• Ability to communicate with a multi-disciplinary team regarding the needs of the children. Ability to communicate issues with parents and assist them in various stages of transition.
• Ability to use SEDS system for inputting, creating, and developing documents for IEP and related meetings, as well as logging communication notes for documentation purposes.