Director of Special Education

Servingschools; Saco (ME); On-site; USD 81,000 - 96,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sign-On Bonus ($10,000)

Job summary

Sweetser School in Maine seeks a Special Education Director to lead the Saco campus programs and guide teachers, clinicians, and related services in delivering integrated therapeutic education. The role drives student outcomes within a trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate framework.

Ideal candidates will have a Master’s in education or related field with leadership experience overseeing multidisciplinary teams and ensuring compliance with special education requirements.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in education or related field is required.
• Educational leadership credentials or eligibility preferred.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams in special education.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for overall educational programs and establish high-quality teaching expectations.
• Ensure IEP implementation, accommodations, and behavioral supports across settings.
• Collaborate with clinicians, school psychologists, and related services to support students.

Skills

Leadership

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Communication

Education

Master's degree in education

Educational leadership

Job description

$10,000 Sign-On Bonus! Rate: $80,516-$95,596 based on experience

$10,000 Sign-On Bonus! Rate: $80,516-$95,596 based on experience
Schedule - Monday - Friday
Join an amazing team of special educators at Sweetser. We are looking for a Special Education Director that is passionate about teaching, leading and being part of a positive community. Our team includes special education teachers, ed techs, clinicians, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, psychology, and nursing services. Our campus offers a rich opportunity for a proven educational leader to guide our academic and experiential programs on the Saco campus. We have a full working farm, media program, culinary program, and both a wood and auto shop. There are few settings where a special educator can impact the lives of students through so many learning opportunities. If you want to make a difference in the lives of Maine children then consider Sweetser School.

Essential Functions

• Provides leadership for the overall educational programs and establishes clear expectations for high-quality teaching and learning.
• Promotes instructional practices responsive to students with significant emotional, behavioral, developmental, and behavioral health needs.
• Supports effective implementation of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), accommodations, instructional interventions, and behavioral supports.
• Monitors student academic progress, engagement, attendance, behavioral outcomes, and other measures of student success.
• Partners closely with special education staff, clinicians, school psychologists, related-service providers, and sending school districts as needed.
• Promotes successful transition planning and reintegration to less restrictive educational settings.
• Ensures that educational, clinical, behavioral, and milieu services operate as an integrated therapeutic model.
• Works collaboratively with clinical leadership to support trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate, and evidence-informed approaches.
• Ensures treatment recommendations, behavior support strategies, and educational interventions are coordinated across disciplines.
• Promotes student voice, dignity, strengths, and individualized approaches to care and education.
• Supports effective crisis prevention, de-escalation, safety planning, and post-incident review practices.
• Establishes a school culture characterized by safety, consistency, accountability, belonging, respect, boundaries, and high expectations for both students and staff.
• Maintains clear roles, decision‑making authority, communication pathways, and expectations across multidisciplinary teams.
• Provides visible and accessible leadership within classrooms and throughout the school environments.
• Promotes collaborative problem‑solving while maintaining appropriate leadership accountability and decision‑making.
• Models professional boundaries, respectful communication, ethical decision‑making, and trauma‑informed leadership.
• Addresses performance, culture, communication, and operational concerns promptly and consistently.
• Collaborate with organizational clinical, quality, risk, compliance, and executive leadership regarding significant safety or quality concerns.
• Ensure program operations comply with applicable federal and Maine requirements governing special education, student rights, therapeutic services, licensing/approval, confidentiality, mandated reporting, and health and safety.
• Participate as a member of organizational leadership and contribute to broader children’s services and organizational initiatives.
• Ensure staff receive appropriate orientation, training, supervision, and ongoing professional development.
• Foster interdisciplinary teamwork while maintaining clear professional roles and responsibilities.
• Ensure communication with families and external partners is timely, respectful, and transparent within applicable confidentiality requirements
• Partner with Human Resources and organizational leadership regarding recruitment, retention, performance management, employee development, and corrective action.
• Resolves teacher/parent/student conflicts by collecting and analyzing information and mediating or arbitrating discussions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in education, special education, educational leadership, school psychology, social work, counseling, behavioral health, or a closely related field.
• Maine Department of Education Administrator 030 or Assistant Administrator 035 certification, or eligibility for certification, strongly preferred.

Alternative Clinical Pathway

Education

Candidates who do not possess an educational administrator credential may be considered when they bring significant school‑based leadership experience and hold an appropriate professional credential, such as:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW);
• School Psychologist credential/certification; or
• Another advanced clinical or behavioral health credential relevant to the population served.

Candidates coming through a clinical pathway must demonstrate a strong understanding of educational environments and the ability to effectively partner with appropriately credentialed educational leadership to ensure educational and special education requirements are met.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations Required

• Maine Department of Education Administrator 030 or Assistant Administrator 035 certification, or eligibility for certification, strongly preferred.
• Valid Maine Certification in Director of Special Education
• Maine Certification in Building 040 or Assistant Building Administration 045 preferred.
• Maintain a valid state driver's license.

Experience

• Significant experience working in special education, therapeutic schools, day treatment, alternative education, children's behavioral health, or a comparable setting.
• Demonstrated leadership experience overseeing multidisciplinary teams and complex student needs.