.5 Case Manager

Chicago Public Schools

Chicago (IL)

On-site

USD 85,000 - 100,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Vision plan

Behavioral health & EAP

Wellness program

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Pension plans

FSAs

Pet insurance

Job summary

Chicago Public Schools seeks an experienced district representative for IDEA/504 coordination in special education. You will chair IEP/504 conferences and ensure timely evaluations and parent communications, working with administrators, staff, students, and families.

The role requires a Bachelor’s or Master’s in special education (or M.Ed. in educational administration), valid PEL in Special Education, and 2+ years of experience in special education.

Qualifications

Expertise in special education curriculum and service provision.
Knowledge of general education curriculum.
Demonstrated understanding of the needs of students with disabilities from diverse linguistic/cultural backgrounds.
Strong knowledge of federal and state laws and regulations for special education and related services.
Knowledge of CPS resources.
Knowledge of MTSS/RTI.

Responsibilities

Serve as the local school district representative at required IDEA meetings and 504 coordination.
Chair IEP and 504 conferences and act as District Representative.
Ensure IDEA and 504 timelines are met and parental notices are provided.
Coordinate referrals for FIEs and related evaluations within 60 school days.
Assist with programming students with disabilities in line with IEPs and 504 plans.

Skills

Special education expertise

Curriculum knowledge

MTSS/RTI familiarity

Laws & compliance (IDEA/504)

Stakeholder communication

Data-driven problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in special ed

Master’s in educational administration

Job description

The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has set ambitious goals to ensure that every child—in every school and every neighborhood—has access to a world‑class learning experience from birth, resulting in graduation from high school college‑and‑career‑ready. In alignment with the mission of the Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services (ODLSS), our schools strive to provide high quality and specially designed instructional supports and services for all students with disabilities within their least restrictive environment. We work collaboratively with the goal of improving the academic achievement of all students with disabilities by ensuring they receive meaningful and relevant access to grade level core instruction within their school.

Responsibilities

Serving as the local school district representative at all required meetings under the IDEA and as the 504 Coordinator for all meetings under Section 504
Fulfilling all the Roles & Responsibilities delineated in the ODLSS Procedural Manual for the local school district representative
Ensuring all IDEA and Section 504 timelines are met
Ensuring that all parental notices and consents for Full and Individual Evaluations and placements are processed and provided in the native language where feasible and placed in the student temporary files
Sending parents/guardians copy of draft IEP materials and if applicable paraprofessional, ESY, and Learning Environment Intervention forms, along with copies of all other conducted evaluations and any other collected data at least five school days prior to the meeting
Ensuring an interpreter is invited to all IEP and 504 conferences (including initial and reevaluation eligibility determination meetings, and annual reviews) for parents who are limited English proficient
Coordinating all referrals for a Full and Individual Evaluation (FIE) to ensure that all required components are addressed and that the process is completed within 60 school days after receiving signed parental consent, including but not limited to referrals for Assistive Technology/Alternative‑Augmentative Communication evaluations or functional behavioral assessments (FBAs)
Convening and chairing IEP and 504 conferences (including initial and reevaluation eligibility determination meetings, and annual reviews) and acting as the District Representative
Ensuring that IEP teams are utilizing qualitative and quantitative data when making service decisions in the development of an IEP
Finalizing each student’s IEP or 504 Plan in the SSM at the meeting and providing the student’s parents/guardians with a copy
Ensuring that all relevant student data is entered into SSM in a timely manner
Arranging special education and related services for a student within the school in accordance with the students IEP and contacting ODLSS to arrange assignment in another school if necessary to implement the IEP
Consulting with the ODLSS District Representative regarding students who require low‑incidence services or regarding problems that develop in the implementation of procedures
In collaboration with the principal, overseeing and ensuring the implementation of all IEPs and 504 Plans for each student with disabilities in the school
Training and supporting school staff regarding the implementation of the IDEA and Section 504 requirements
Attending all ODLSS professional development and meetings targeted at supporting the case manager/local school district representative
Assisting the school’s scheduler/programmer with programming all students with disabilities in accordance with their IEPs
In collaboration with the principal, scheduling paraprofessionals in accordance with students’ IEPs and 504 Plans

Qualifications

Type of Education:
- Completion of a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in special education or a Master’s degree in educational administration
Valid Professional Educator License (PEL):
- Special Education (PK‑Age 21) endorsement or School Support Personnel endorsement with a supervisory endorsement
Experience:
- Two or more years of experience in special education
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Expertise in special education curriculum and service provision
- Knowledge of general education curriculum
- Demonstrated understanding of the individual needs of students with disabilities from a variety of language and cultural backgrounds
- Strong knowledge of federal and state laws and regulations regarding the delivery of special education and related services
- Knowledge and understanding of CPS resources
- Knowledge of intervention and assessment strategies for disabled and non‑disabled students
- Knowledge of multi‑tiered systems of support (MTSS or RTI)
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with administrators, staff, students, parents, governmental and community agencies, and employers
- Ability to problem‑solve, work on a team, use data to guide work, and clearly communicate to multiple stakeholders
- Demonstrated expertise in customer service, consensus building, and use of problem solving skills and strong written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills