Associate Director, Integrated Special Education

At Rocketship Public Schools, we believe in the infinite possibility of human potential. We believe that every student deserves the right to dream, to discover, and to develop their unique potential and it is our responsibility and our privilege to unleash the potential inside every Rocketeer we serve. Our non-profit network of public elementary charter schools propels student achievement, develops exceptional educators, and partners with parents who enable high-quality public schools to thrive in their community. We are a collective of parents, teachers, leaders, and students working together to transform the future for underserved communities across our country. At Rocketship Public Schools, we are unleashing potential.
Position DescriptionReporting to the Senior Director of Integrated Special Education (ISE), the Associate Director of ISE  is an organizational leader responsible for driving forward the quality of and vision for Integrated Special Education within Rocketship.  This leader will further establish Rocketship as the premier national model for meaningful inclusion among charter schools and traditional districts.  By partnering with other organizational leaders, supporting vision implementation, coaching a high-performing team, and ensuring excellence in compliance, this leader will have a profound impact on the nearly 10,000 Rocketeers in our network, including approximately 10% of students currently receiving special education services. This role is D.C., TN, or MKE/Chicago based supporting across regions. 
The following are essential functions related to the position:

Implement vision and Instructional Model for Integrated Special Education:

• Implement Rocketship’s vision and approach to Integrated Special Education in collaboration with all key stakeholders; ensure high-quality outcomes for students with unique learning and behavioral needs within present and envisioned future scale of the network; fortify Rocketship Education’s continued presence as the premier national model of meaningful inclusion and leader in the field for effective, efficient and high-quality services for students with special needs.
• Develop an effective approach to curriculum, instruction, and assessment which leads to rapid growth for students with disabilities; ensure exceptional outcomes for students with unique learning and behavioral needs; model and sustain a culture of high performance and service orientation among team members.
• Serve as a trusted strategic partner to the Sr Director of ISE, providing support to maintain the high achievement levels of all Rocketeers.
• Serve as an ambassador of Rocketship Public Schools internally and externally – from school directors to funders to authorizers; create deep partnership by communicating proactively, knowledgeably and passionately about Rocketship Education’s mission and core characteristics, as well as Rocketship’s vision for inclusive special education and services.
• Maintain a close working relationship with other members of the Network Support Team (NeST—Rocketship’s centralized office that operates in support of its schools and regions), school directors, and all school staff (teachers, school leaders, support staff, etc.) to ensure exchange of best practices, coordination of efforts, data driven decision-making, and general support for the special education department.

Support a High-Performing Team:

• Support and coach regional special education leaders to ensure successful implementation 
• Design and execute professional development opportunities related to special education for a range of audiences (school leaders, special education teachers, general education teachers, paraprofessionals, etc.); design and lead regular team meetings and routines, which inspire team leaders to support the vision for these services in Rocketship schools; facilitate learning and sharing of best practices related to special education across Rocketship’s regional teams.

Ensure Excellence in Compliance and Operations

• Create, enforce, and maintain policies, systems and procedures across the network that meet the highest standards of compliance; stay abreast of current special education policies and best practices for all regions and demographics; ensure all internal special education policies and procedures meet and exceed federal, state, local authorizers; and, meet LEA guidelines and recommendations; provide on-site support to schools regarding any compliance matters pertaining to students, authorizers or otherwise.

Required Qualifications

• A deep belief in the mission and educational model of Rocketship Public Schools and our inclusive approach to serving students with disabilities with the ability to work in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, flexible and autonomous environment;
• A minimum of 3 years of