Special Education Instructor

Galapagos Rockford Charter School; Rockford (IL); On-site; USD 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental benefits

Life insurance

Paid vacation time

Intensive coaching and professional development

Laptop and internet access

Signing bonus up to $5,000 for experienced educators

Job summary

A charter school in Rockford seeks a Special Educator committed to providing individualized instruction and supporting student growth from Kindergarten to 8th grade. Ideal candidates are driven, with a Bachelor's degree and relevant Illinois certification. The role involves lesson planning, assessment, and fostering a positive learning environment. A starting salary that reflects experience and eligibility for benefits are part of the compensation package.

Qualifications

• Minimum of one year of teaching experience in an urban public or charter school setting preferred.
• Must have an Illinois Special Education Type 10 teaching certificate.
• Belief in and alignment with Galapagos’ educational philosophy is essential.

Responsibilities

• Maximize time on task in lessons aligned to standards.
• Participate in collaborative curriculum development.
• Design and implement daily lesson plans and assessments.

Skills

Drive to stay focused on scholar achievement

Solution-focused grit

Growth mindset

Self-motivation

Team player

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Illinois Special Education Type 10 teaching certificate

Job description

Overview

Special Educators work in resource classrooms providing both push in (co-teaching) and pull out (resource room) minutes to scholars in Kindergarten through 8th Grade. Galapagos typically assigns Special Educators to a specific grade band (K-4 or 5-8), but this may change based on annual caseload. We welcome educators who are open to working with scholars in all grades K-8 and who can do case management.

Who are we looking for?

Galapagos is looking for driven educators who believe in the ability of all children to succeed at the highest levels. Our staff delivers rigorous, individualized, data-driven and explicit instruction to our scholars. Instructors spend significant time planning units, assessments, and lessons aligned with the Common Core Standards while meeting individual needs. We value growth over perfection and strive to be the absolute best. Instructors are central to scholars’ success and we seek those committed to learning and growing personally and professionally, continually revising and improving curriculum, assessments, and instruction as part of the Galapagos team.

Instructor Responsibilities

• Maximize time on task by ensuring that all classroom lessons and activities are directly tied to standards
• Participate in collaborative curriculum development, frequent professional development, and feedback/coaching meetings
• Design and implement targeted daily whole group and small group lesson plans, as well as assessments that measure progress toward academic standards
• Use assessment data to refine curriculum and inform instructional practices
• Be accountable for scholars’ mastery of academic standards
• Ensure a structured, orderly, and calm classroom environment through the use of Teach Like a Champion, Calm Classroom, and Responsive Classroom techniques

Instructor Qualifications

• Drive to stay focused on scholar achievement and growth even when it is difficult
• Grit to be solution-focused and persist until desired results are achieved
• Growth mindset to view failures and setbacks as challenges to learn from
• Self-motivation and willingness to be a team player
• Bachelor’s degree required
• Minimum of one year of teaching experience in an urban public school or charter school setting preferred, but not required
• Must have an Illinois Special Education Type 10 teaching certificate or LSBI and be willing to do case management
• Belief in and alignment with Galapagos’ core beliefs and educational philosophy is non-negotiable

Compensation

Starting salary offers are based on relevant experience, potential for growth, and overall fit. Instructors are eligible for medical and dental benefits, life insurance, flex spending plans, and paid vacation time. Certified staff members also receive matching contributions to the teacher pension fund. All staff members receive the tools needed to succeed, including intensive coaching and professional development, a laptop computer, e-mail, high-speed internet access, and all necessary supplies.

Experienced Special Educators can earn up to a $5,000 signing bonus.

Application steps

Create a Job Alert. If you are interested in building your career at Galapagos Rockford Charter School, request future opportunities to be sent to your email.

Required documents

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf.

Salary expectations and licensure

What are your salary expectations for this position? *

Do you hold or anticipate a professional licensure?

• Illinois Professional Educator License (Elementary K-9)
• Illinois Professional Educator License (Middle Grades 5-8)
• Illinois Professional Educator License (Secondary 6-12)
• National Board Certification
• School Counselor
• School Nurse
• School Social Worker
• Director of Special Education
• Out-of-State Teaching License
• Out-of-State Administrator License

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is voluntary and will not influence hiring decisions. Any information provided will be kept confidential.

As set forth in Galapagos Rockford Charter School’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of protected status under applicable law.

Voluntary self-identification of veteran status and disability information is requested under VEVRAA and OFCCP requirements. This information helps measure the effectiveness of outreach and recruitment efforts. Providing this information is voluntary and confidential.

Disability Status and examples of disabilities are provided for informational purposes only and do not imply any obligation to disclose. See the form for details.

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.