CLIMB Program Special Education Teacher

TrulyHired; Lewiston (ME); On-site; USD 61,000 - 98,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental, vision, and life insurance

Disability insurance

Flexible spending accounts

MainePERS/403(b) and 457 plans

Paid sick leave and holidays

Tuition reimbursement and professional

Job summary

Lewiston Public Schools seeks a CLIMB Special Education Teacher to support a specialized intensive education program. You will lead a multidisciplinary team, design individualized supports, and collaborate with families to generalize learning across settings.

The role requires a Maine Special Education certificate, TCIS or willingness to obtain, and a commitment to summer services and the program calendar. Strong data usage and communication are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required and Maine Special Education certification.
• TCIS certification or willingness to obtain it.
• Criminal history background check completed as required by Maine law.
• Ability to work year-round including summer services and professional days.
• Knowledge of IEP development, progress monitoring, and Maine regulations.
• Ability to use data to plan instruction and make decisions.
• Strong communication with families and colleagues; coaching paraprofessionals.

Responsibilities

• Assess and evaluate students' academic and social growth using data and measures.
• Develop lesson plans and individualized instruction tailored to each student.
• Create a learning environment promoting independence with evidence-based practices.
• Maintain compliance with assessment, progress monitoring, and IEP reporting.
• Lead Ed Techs and BHPs, coordinate schedules, and collaborate with multidisciplinary team.
• Communicate regularly with families via meetings, newsletters, calls, and notes.
• Supervise classroom staff and coordinate program activities with administration.

Skills

Data-driven planning

Team leadership

Communication with families

Calm under crisis

Collaboration

Classroom coaching

Education

Bachelor's degree

Maine teaching certificate (Special Education 282)

Certification in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Schools (TCIS)

Criminal history record check (fingerprinting)

Availability to work the program calendar including summer

Knowledge of IEP development and Maine regs (MUSER)

Job description

Job Description

CLIMB Special Education Teacher - Intensive Education Program

Lewiston Public Schools

Job Title

CLIMB Special Education Teacher

Department

Special Education

Reports To

Program Director/Director of Special Education

Approved By

J. Langlais, Superintendent

Effective Date

10/02/2026

Status

Full-time, salaried

Salary Range

$60,564 - $97,693 annually

Position Summary

Join an innovative team of educators supporting students with special needs in a specialized setting attached to a community school. To meet the needs of students with complex learning and developmental needs, Lewiston Public Schools has established a multidisciplinary intensive education program. The program provides individualized instruction while encouraging students to benefit from their peers and giving them access to naturalistic teaching settings.

This role is part of a highly supported team that builds on a strong program structure for all classrooms, with opportunities to individualize and innovate. The special educator creates a flexible classroom that promotes learning and personal independence, supports meaningful social interaction with peers, and motivates students to strengthen the social, executive functioning, and foundational learning skills they need to succeed in elementary school. The role offers many opportunities for team collaboration and family outreach to help students generalize their learning across settings.

Essential Requirement: Availability

The employee must be available and able to work five (5) days per week, Monday through Friday, according to the program calendar. This is an essential function of the position, not a preference.

Students in the program depend on consistent teaching and leadership to follow their individualized plans safely. Regular, predictable attendance is therefore required, including the 6 weeks of full-time summer services and scheduled summer professional learning days.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Other duties may be assigned.

Instruction and assessment:

• Assess and evaluate students' academic and social growth using standardized and curriculum-based measures, along with ongoing data collection and analysis.
• Develop lesson plans and instructional materials, and provide individualized and small-group instruction that adapts the curriculum to each student's needs.
• Create a learning environment that encourages student independence, using evidence-based practices and data-based decision making.
• Maintain compliance with all assessment, progress monitoring, and IEP reporting standards.

Team leadership:

• Lead a team of Ed Techs and BHPs by:Providing coaching and modeling on classroom and individualized programming.
• Coordinating schedules within and across days.
• Work with a multidisciplinary team, including the BCBA, clinicians, and related service providers, to design individualized supports.

Family communication:

• Communicate regularly with families through monthly student meetings, newsletters, notes, phone calls, and other outreach.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• The Special Education Teacher supervises the classroom, students, and volunteers, and leads the classroom's Ed Techs and BHPs through coaching, modeling, and scheduling, with assistance, advice, and support from administration.

Schedule and Work Year

• Days: Monday - Friday, 5 days per week
• Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
• Work year: Program-specific calendar aligned to the LPS academic year
• Summer: 6 weeks of full-time summer services, plus additional summer professional learning days

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree
• Valid Maine teaching certificate (Special Education 282)
• Certification in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Schools (TCIS), or willingness to obtain it
• Completed criminal history record check (fingerprinting), as required by Maine law
• Available and able to work the program calendar, including summer services
• Knowledge of IEP development, progress monitoring, and Maine special education regulations (MUSER).
• Ability to use data to plan instruction and make decisions.
• Ability to coach, model for, and lead paraprofessional staff.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills with families and colleagues.
• Ability to stay calm and use sound judgment in unforeseen or crisis situations.
• Ability to perform duties in line with all district requirements and School Committee policies.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $60,564 - $97,693 annually, with placement on the teacher salary schedule based on education and experience. Full-time employees receive a robust benefits package:

• Health insurance, with up to [85]% of the premium paid by the employer
• Dental, vision, and life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• Flexible spending and dependent care accounts
• Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), plus 403(b) and 457 plans
• Paid sick leave and paid holidays
• Tuition reimbursement and professional development

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

The physical demands below are essential functions of the position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform them.

• Stand, walk, and sit for prolonged periods throughout the school day.
• Bend, kneel, crouch, and sit at floor level or in student-sized chairs to work with students.
• Lift and move up to [50] pounds.
• Move quickly to respond to students' safety needs in the classroom, hallways, lunchroom, and playground.
• Perform TCIS-approved behavior response methods, including physical interventions, as trained and certified.
• Use close, distance, and peripheral vision for supervision and reliable data collection.

Work takes place in a specialized classroom attached to a community school, along with general education, cafeteria, and playground settings. The noise level is often loud. The employee is continuously responsible for the safety and well-being of students and may be exposed to challenging or unsafe behavior. Closed-toe shoes are required.

ADA Statement

The information in this job description is provided for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed in this position. Employees in this role may perform additional duties, and additional duties may be assigned.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Lewiston Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer. It provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental disability, age, ancestry, national origin, genetic information, marital or parental status, protected veteran or military status, political affiliation, membership in an employee organization, whistleblower activity, previous assertion of a workers' compensation claim, retaliation, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law, including the Maine Human Rights Act.

This policy covers all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Federal Nondiscrimination Notice

Lewiston Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs, activities, or employment. It provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. This notice is provided in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975.