EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHING - POOLED 2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR

Denver Public Schools; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 52,000 - 82,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Time off

Health and wellness benefits

PERA Retirement

Job summary

Denver Public Schools seeks an Early Childhood SPED Teacher to support preschoolers with identified disabilities in an inclusive ECE setting. The role leads IEP development, instruction, and collaboration with paras and specialists to meet academic and social-emotional goals.

Responsibilities include managing caseloads, scheduling IEP meetings, and ensuring compliance with state and federal laws, while promoting equity and high expectations for every learner.

Qualifications

• Hold a Bachelor’s degree in Education or related field.
• A Master’s Degree in Deaf Education is preferred for certain roles.
• Hold a valid Colorado Department of Education teaching license (CDE).
• ELA-S Only: bilingual in Spanish and English; SLP exam or Praxis II acceptable.
• Experience with young students with exceptional needs and families preferred.
• Experience developing and implementing IEPs and BIPs.
• Experience co-teaching and collaborating in core subjects.
• Must live and work in Colorado and meet physical demands.

Responsibilities

• Instruct students using varied teaching techniques to meet needs.
• Create, monitor, and implement IEPs for caseload.
• Schedule IEP meetings and manage IEP process for compliance.
• Assess progress and provide feedback to students and families.
• Promote respectful classroom environment and inclusive instruction.
• Prepare lesson plans and adapt materials to diverse needs.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to students’ disabilities and learning styles.
• Set high expectations for all students and monitor growth.
• Complete Medicaid logging for reimbursement of services when applicable.
• Manage and teach socio-emotional behavior and safety.

Skills

IEP development experience

Co-teaching in core subjects

Bilingual Spanish & English

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Education

Master’s Degree in Deaf Education

Job description

About This Job

Early Childhood Special Education (SPED) Teachers provide services to students with all identified educational disabilities. ECE Model 1 is an inclusive ECE program that supports children ages 3-5 who require a higher level of specialized instruction and related service support. It is staffed by an Early Childhood Special Educator as the lead teacher and two paraprofessionals. Model 1 (ECE) programs range from ages 3-5. Special education teachers are responsible for managing a caseload, monitoring student growth, and developing and implementing Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). They are also responsible for modifying or adapting curriculum to best meet students' needs while providing access to Common Core State Standards.

What DPS Offers You

• A Culture that values Equity, Accountability, Integrity, Collaboration and Fun with a shared vision that Every Learner Thrives.
• Competitive Teacher Compensation and Procomp Incentive plan, click here for the DCTA Teacher and SSP Salary Schedule. Click here for more information on compensation for these roles. Please note: You must submit all relevant documentation via onboarding before the deadline (15 days after receiving your offer letter) for salary setting purposes.
• In addition to competitive compensation, DPS has other Total Reward offerings such as; time off , health and wellness benefits , and PERA Retirement .

What You'll Do

• Instruct students in academic subjects using a variety of techniques to meet students’ varying needs.
• Create, write, monitor, and facilitate IEPs for students on the caseload to ensure that students' individualized academic and social-emotional needs are met.
• Oversee the scheduling of IEP meetings and the IEP process for students assigned to caseload to ensure compliance with state and federal law.
• Assess student progress towards objectives, expectations, and/or goals to provide feedback to students, parents, and administration.
• Promote student respect for the rights of others in the classroom to create and maintain a positive learning environment.
• Prepare lesson plans and materials according to curriculum guidelines, adapting teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests; establishes and communicates clear objectives for lessons, units, and projects; and instructs students individually and in groups using various teaching methods.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to students' physical, medical, and varying learning styles to their identified disabilities to support students.
• Set high expectations for all students to demonstrate a deep belief that every learner thrives.
• Complete Medicaid logging for reimbursement of services when applicable.
• Manage and teach socially appropriate behavior to promote self-regulation and safety.
• May participate in extra-duty activities as outlined in the teachers' collective bargaining agreement (this is for coaching, tutoring, or summer programs, etc. for Dept. of Labor laws).

What You’ll Need

• Hold a Bachelor’s degree in Education or related field required. A Master's Degree is only required for Concurrent Enrollment positions.
• Hold a Master’s Degree in Deaf Education, preferred.
• Have a valid Colorado Department of Education (CDE) teaching license. Click here for additional information regarding specific requirements and qualifications for the various subject areas (DPS does accept a CDE Application Receipt for 90 days.)
• ELA-S Only (teaching in both Spanish and English) positions, candidates are required to take the Spanish language proficiency (SLP) exam, proctored by Berlitz Testing. Click here for more information. Additionally, if a teacher has taken, or choses to take, the Praxis II - Spanish: World Language 5195 exam, it will also work at DPS as an appropriate SLP exam, as long as the candidate scores 163 or higher on the Praxis II (#5195) exam.
• ELA-S Only: Must be Bilingual in Spanish and English Required.
• Experience working with young students with exceptional needs and their parents preferred.
• Experience developing and implementing IEPs and BIPs.
• Experience co-teaching in core academic subjects and thrives in a collaborative team approach preferred.
• Experience working or teaching a diverse student population.
• Lead for racial and educational excellence and work to dismantle systems of oppression and inequity in our community, along with believing in and supporting all students so they feel seen and heard with access to high quality education.
• Live and work with a permanent home address in Colorado while working with us.
• Have the ability with or without accommodations to meet the physical demands of the position.

Denver Public Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender expression, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or any other status protected by law or regulations. It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors.

Students First . Integrity . Equity. Collaboration . Accountability . Fun

About Us

Denver Public Schools is committed to meeting the educational needs of every student with great schools in every neighborhood. Our goal is to provide every child in Denver with rigorous, enriching educational opportunities from preschool through high school graduation. DPS is comprised of nearly 200 schools including traditional, magnet, charter and alternative pathways schools, with an enrollment of more than 90,000 students. DPS has become the fastest-growing school district in the country in terms of enrollment and the fastest-growing large school district in the state in terms of student academic growth. Learn more at dpsk12.org.