Counselor

Chicago Public Schools; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent school district in Chicago seeks a Case Manager dedicated to supporting students with disabilities. The role encompasses coordination of educational plans and compliance with IDEA and Section 504 requirements. Candidates must possess a valid Professional Educator License and a degree in special education. Two years of experience in special education is required, along with a strong understanding of regulations and the ability to collaborate with various stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Completion of a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in special education.
• Valid Professional Educator License in Special Education or related area.
• Two or more years of experience in special education.

Responsibilities

• Serve as local school district representative for IDEA and 504 meetings.
• Ensure compliance with IDEA and Section 504 timelines.
• Coordinate referrals for Full and Individual Evaluations.

Skills

Special education curriculum expertise

Knowledge of general education curriculum

Understanding diverse needs of students

Knowledge of federal and state regulations

Assessment strategies knowledge

Multi-tiered systems of support knowledge

Effective relationship building

Problem-solving skills

Customer service experience

Strong communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in special education

Master’s degree in educational administration

Professional Educator License (PEL)

Job description

Primary Location

Far South Side-9928 S Crandon Avenue (Burnham Elem Inclusive Acad)

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.

The Case Manager position is solely committed to fulfilling the responsibilities indicated below. This position differs from a person at the school being assigned the duty/role of Case Manager that allows for the receipt of a stipend. The Case Manager position does not include a stipend.

Responsibilities

• Serving as the local school district representative at all required meetings under the IDEA and serving 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
• A valid Professional Educator License (PEL): in one of the following areas: Special Education (PK-Age 21) endorsement or School Support Personnel endorsement with a supervisory endorsement
• Type of Experience and Number of Years : 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