Fairfield County ESC Speech/Language Therapist
2026-2027 Sign-On Bonus for fully licensed Speech‑Language Pathologists, School Psychologists, and Intervention Specialists who are not currently employed in Fairfield County. A sign‑on bonus of $10,000 will be paid in three (3) installments on the first pay of each contract year as follows: FY27: $5,000; FY28: $2,500; FY29: $2,500. Failure to return each contract year will result in forfeiture of the remaining bonus payments.
Reports to: Director of Student Services
Service Locations: Various districts in Fairfield County
Critical Roles
SLPs have integral roles in education and are essential members of school faculties.
- Working Across All Levels: SLPs provide appropriate speech‑language services in Pre‑K, elementary, middle, junior high, and high schools with no school level underserved.
- Serving a Range of Disorders: SLPs work with students exhibiting the full range of communication disorders, including those involving language, articulation, fluency, voice/resonance, and swallowing.
- Ensuring Educational Relevance: SLPs address personal, social/emotional, academic, and vocational needs that impact attainment of educational goals.
- Providing Unique Contributions to Curriculum: SLPs provide a distinct set of roles based on their focused expertise in language and assist in addressing linguistic foundations and other learners at risk.
- Highlighting Language/Literacy: SLPs contribute significantly to the literacy achievement of students with communication disorders and other learners at risk.
- Providing Culturally Competent Services: SLPs ensure that all students receive quality, culturally competent services and accurately identify language disorder versus cultural or linguistic differences.
Range of Responsibilities
- Prevention: SLPs use evidence‑based practice in prevention initiatives such as RTI.
- Assessment: SLPs conduct assessments collaboratively to identify students with communication disorders and inform instruction.
- Intervention: SLPs provide age‑appropriate intervention selected through evidence‑based decision making.
- Program Design: SLPs configure school‑wide programs employing a continuum of service delivery models.
- Data Collection and Analysis: SLPs engage in data‑based decision making for student outcomes and program evaluation.
- Compliance: SLPs meet federal, state, and local mandates including IEP development, Medicaid billing, report writing, and treatment logs.
Collaboration
- With Other School Professionals: SLPs support the instructional program and work collegially with teachers, specialists, and administrators.
- With Universities: SLPs form relationships with universities to share knowledge.
- Within the Community: SLPs partner with physicians, private practitioners, agencies, private schools, and vocational rehabilitation.
- With Families: SLPs engage families in planning, decision‑making, and program implementation.
- With Students: SLPs involve students in goal planning, implementation, monitoring, and self‑advocacy.
Leadership
- Advocacy: SLPs advocate for appropriate programs, workloads, professional development, and influence policies.
- Supervision and Mentorship: SLPs supervise student SLPs, clinical fellows, and paraprofessionals.
- Professional Development: SLPs design and conduct professional development for educators.
- Parent Training: SLPs provide training to parents of students of all ages on communication development.
- Research: SLPs participate in research to support evidence‑based assessment and intervention practices.