Director of Special Education - Immediate Vacancy
Vista College Preparatory
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Vista College Prep in Phoenix is seeking a Director of Special Education to lead the vision, strategy, and execution of SPED programming across campuses, ensuring students with disabilities receive high-quality instruction and compliant services. The role reports to the Chief People Officer.
You will build a high-performing team, partner with principals, families, and school leaders, and use data to drive continuous improvement while ensuring compliance with IDEA and state requirements.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree or higher required.
- Arizona Special Education Teaching Certificate.
- Two+ years of leadership experience preferred.
- Strong coaching and people leadership skills.
- Ability to lead through change with transparency and good judgment.
Responsibilities
- Lead, manage, and develop special education team members and contracted service providers.
- Provide targeted coaching and professional development to strengthen instructional practice and service delivery.
- Build the capacity of general education staff and campus leaders to support students with disabilities and implement IEPs.
- Establish clear roles, responsibilities, performance expectations, and accountability systems across the team.
- Develop internal talent and leadership pipelines to strengthen team effectiveness and sustainability.
- Translate Vista's vision for special education into priorities, plans, and scalable systems.
Skills
Education
Job description
Job Details: Job Location: VCP Network Office - Phoenix, AZ 85013, Salary Range: $90,000.00 Salary, Why Vista?
Vista College Prep empowers all children to aim higher and go further by providing them with access to a top quality education that prepares them for competitive high schools, colleges, and the world beyond. At Vista, we blend excellence, joy, community, and transparency to create a unique educational experience. We cultivate an environment where children love to learn together, teachers love teaching, and leaders love leading.
As a team at Vista, we are deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness. We are especially committed to attracting and developing individuals who share the life experiences of our students because we believe the best work we do is grounded in the realities and experiences of our students and families. We believe that diversity is crucial for effecting lasting change, is one of our greatest strengths, and is a critical element of reaching the full potential of our team and community. Join us!
The Director of Special Education will lead the vision, strategy, and execution of special education programming across Vista College Prep's campuses, ensuring that students with disabilities receive exceptional instruction, effective services, and the support they need to achieve ambitious outcomes. The Director will ensure strong special education compliance while leading a broader commitment to student outcomes, instructional excellence, and continuous improvement. This role reports to the Chief People Officer.
- Lead, manage, and develop special education team members and contracted service providers, directly or through other team leaders.
- Provide targeted coaching, feedback, and professional development to strengthen instructional practice, case management, and service delivery.
- Build the capacity of general education teachers and campus leaders to effectively support students with disabilities and implement IEPs.
- Establish clear roles, responsibilities, performance expectations, and systems of accountability across the special education team.
- Develop internal talent and leadership pipelines that strengthen team effectiveness and long-term organizational sustainability.
- Serve as a trusted partner to Principals and campus teams, proactively collaborating to address student needs and strengthen special education services.
- Foster transparent, timely, and solutions-oriented communication with school and network leaders, teachers, families, and external stakeholders.
- Support teams in navigating complex student needs and challenging situations with sound judgment, empathy, and a commitment to shared problem-solving.
- Build systems and practices that strengthen family engagement and trust throughout the special education process.
- Translate Vista's vision for special education into clear priorities, actionable plans, and systems that support consistent execution across campuses.
- Develop proactive, reliable systems for tracking student services, IEP and MET timelines, documentation, progress monitoring, and compliance requirements.
- Use accurate, accessible data to identify trends, prioritize improvements, and inform decisions about student services, staffing, and programming.
- Lead change thoughtfully by engaging stakeholders, communicating transparently, and building shared ownership of improvements.
- Strengthen organizational structures, workflows, and decision-making processes to reduce reactive problem-solving and support sustainable operations.
- Set and execute a network-wide vision for special education that prioritizes student growth, achievement, inclusion, and access to rigorous instruction.
- Oversee the development, implementation, and evaluation of high-quality special education programming, including specially designed instruction, accommodations, modifications, and related services.
- Partner with campus leaders and teachers to ensure students with disabilities are meaningfully included in the academic program and experience high expectations and joyful learning.
- Use student achievement, progress monitoring, and service delivery data to evaluate program effectiveness and drive continuous improvement.
- Oversee the full special education process, including Child Find, evaluations, eligibility determinations, IEP development and implementation, annual reviews, and reevaluations.
- Ensure compliance with applicable federal and Arizona special education requirements, including IDEA, FAPE, procedural safeguards, and required timelines.
- Lead special education audits, monitoring, reporting, and corrective action planning, coordinating with external technical experts as needed.
- Oversee special education placements, related services, and complex student cases, partnering with school leaders and families to identify appropriate, student-centered solutions.
- Develop and manage special education staffing models, budgets, and external service partnerships aligned with student needs and organizational resources.
- Competitive base salaries reflective of our local market plus candidate experience and education level
- Robust healthcare plans for full-time staff, with health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance plans at very low cost in monthly premiums and $0 copays, plus confidential, 24/7, no-cost mental health resources and a healthcare concierge service to support your overall experience using your plans
- Retirement benefits through a 401k with John Hancock and up to a 3% employer match
- 12 days of PTO, parental leave, and a school calendar with paid holidays and Wellness Fridays built in strategically to support the sustainability of our work
- All the tools needed to succeed, including all curricular materials, quality professional development, classroom supplies, laptop computers for staff and 1:1 devices for students
- Opportunities for leadership, growth, and advancement on our team
- Deep commitment to Vista's mission and belief in the ability of all students, including students with disabilities, to achieve at high levels.
- Demonstrated ability to build trusting, collaborative relationships with educators, school leaders, families, and other stakeholders.
- Strong coaching and people leadership skills, including the ability to develop others through clear expectations, actionable feedback, and ongoing support.
- Experience developing or improving systems that strengthen organizational effectiveness, accountability, and student outcomes.
- Ability to lead through change with transparency, sound judgment, adaptability, and a solutions-oriented mindset.
- Strong understanding of effective special education instruction and programming, with familiarity with federal and Arizona special education compliance requirements.
- Excellent organizational, analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills, with a track record of translating complex priorities into consistent execution.
- Bachelor's degree required.
- Valid Arizona Special Education Teaching Certificate with appropriate K–8 certification or endorsement.
- Two or more years of relevant leadership experience preferred.
- Valid IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card.
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