Assistant Dean, SPED Clinical Experience

Location: Flexible within the US

Type: Full-time

Team: Teacher Preparation

Start Date: August 11, 2025

Priority Application Review Deadline: June, 16th 2025

Summary:

Relay Graduate School of Education (Relay) is an accredited not-for-profit institution of higher education serving thousands of educators from across the country, from pre-service teachers to system-level leaders. Our mission is to ensure that all students are taught by excellent educators, in order to build a more just world where every student has a clear path to a fulfilling life.

The Teacher Preparation Instructional Team at Relay Graduate School of Education is dedicated to fostering pedagogical excellence and providing comprehensive student support for both pre-service and in-service teachers. The division oversees academic programs, faculty, and student support across all licensure- and degree-granting components. 

The Assistant Dean, SPED Clinical Experience is a key leader on the Teacher Preparation team, responsible for driving excellence across Relay’s General Special Education, Early Childhood Special Education, and Advanced Certificate programs. Reporting to the Dean of Teacher Programs, this role ensures programs are supported by innovative systems, curricula, and policies that integrate seamlessly with clinical experiences and prepare educators to meet diverse learning needs. The Assistant Dean collaborates cross-functionally and engages internal and external stakeholders to advance Relay’s mission of educational equity.

This position requires a visionary educator who can balance strategic leadership with hands-on faculty responsibilities. The Assistant Dean will manage a multi-tiered team and make data-informed decisions to improve student outcomes across SPED programs. We seek a candidate with demonstrated expertise in special education and culturally responsive, inclusive pedagogy—and exceptional people and project management skills. The ideal candidate will bring adaptive leadership skills, a commitment to continuous improvement, and the ability to empower faculty and students toward holistic growth and achievement for all learners.

Role’s Contributions (Duties and Responsibilities): 

The essential responsibilities of this position, while not limited to the following, will include: 

Cross-Program Leadership (45%)

• Programmatic Design:
• Lead cross-program planning efforts related to programmatic design and effectiveness.
• Inform the vision and strategy for the Early Childhood Special Education, Special Education, and Advanced Certificate in Special Education programs
• Evaluate and refine programmatic elements continuously based on data and best practices
• Curriculum Design:
• Drive innovation across Early Childhood Special Education, Special Education, and Clinical Practice Special Education curricula through systematic review and revision processes
• Develop coherent learning progressions to develop critical knowledge and skills within and across programs, ensuring seamless student development.
• Lead collaborative design processes aligned to institutional and team priorities
• Regulatory Compliance:
• Support accreditation and regulatory reporting by organizing evidence, synthesizing data, and drafting documentation under the Dean’s guidance.
• Ensure multi-program alignment with evolving state standards through proactive interpretation and implementation strategies.
• Identify and mitigate risks to program quality, faculty development, compliance, and student outcomes.
• Strategic Planning
• Design and execute change management frameworks that drive successful adoption of new processes, systems, courses, and policies within and across programs.
• Manage cross-program projects to achieve strategic goals.

Faculty Development & Management (35%)

• Manage and develop Professors, Design, Clinical Practice/Teaching Exceptional Learners to ensure high-quality coursework design
• Manage and develop Professors, Clinical Practice/Teaching Exceptional Learners to support consistent and high-quality instruction, student support, and management of adjunct and field supervision faculty
• Provide coaching, professional development, performance reviews to faculty in the Clinical Practice/Teaching Exceptional Learners department

Teaching & Design Responsibilities (15%)

• Teach 1-3 courses at least once per academic year, delivering engaging and effective instruction to classes of approximately 50 students.
• Provide culturally responsive, inclusive, actiona