Special Education Teacher

Young World Physical Education; South Hadley (MA); On-site; USD 53,000 - 89,000; Full time

Job summary

South Hadley Public Schools, Michael E. Smith Middle School in South Hadley, Massachusetts, seeks a Special Education Teacher for grades 5-8. The position runs 7:47am to 2:25pm and is full-time.

Responsibilities include designing standards-based instruction, assessing student progress, and collaborating with families and staff. Salary ranges from $53,233 to $89,311 per year, with posting posted until filled.

Qualifications

• Certification/eligibility for certification in appropriate grade level and field.
• Certification and/or licenses as required for individual positions.
• Such alternative to the above qualifications as the Superintendent of Schools may find appropriate and acceptable

Responsibilities

• Knowing the subject matter well, has a good grasp of child development and how students learn, and designs effective and rigorous standards-based units of instruction consisting of well-structured lessons with measurable outcomes
• Uses a variety of informal and formal methods of assessments to measure student learning, growth, and understanding to develop differentiated and enhanced learning experiences and improve future instruction
• Analyzes data from assessments, draws conclusions, and shares them appropriately
• Uses instructional practices that reflect high expectations regarding content and quality of effort and work, engage all students, and are personalized to accommodate diverse learning styles, needs, interests, and levels of readiness
• Creates and maintains a safe and collaborative learning environment that motivates students to take academic risks, challenge themselves, and claim ownership of their learning
• Actively creates and maintains an environment in which students’ diverse backgrounds, identities, strengths, and challenges are respected
• Plans and implements lessons that set clear and high expectations and also make knowledge accessible for all students
• Welcomes and encourages every family to become active participants in the classroom and school community
• Collaborates with families to create and implement strategies for supporting student learning and development both at home and at school
• Engages in regular, two-way, and culturally proficient communication with families about student learning and performance
• Demonstrates the capacity to reflect on and improve the educator’s own practice, using informal means as well as meetings with teams and work groups to gather information, analyze data, examine issues, set meaningful goals, and develop new approaches in order to improve teaching and learning
• Actively pursues professional development and learning opportunities to improve quality of practice or build the expertise and experience to assume different instructional and leadership roles
• Collaborates effectively with colleagues on a wide range of tasks
• Becomes involved in school-wide decision making, and takes an active role in school improvement planning
• Shares responsibility for the performance of all students within the school
• Is ethical and reliable, and meets routine responsibilities consistently

Skills

Certification

Eligibility for certification

Licenses as required

Education

Bachelor degree preferred

Job description

South Hadley Public Schools Michael E. Smith Middle School - South Hadley, Massachusetts

Special Education Teacher

South Hadley Public Schools Michael E. Smith Middle School - South Hadley, Massachusetts

Job Details

Job ID: 5859416

Application Deadline: Posted until filled

Posted: Jul 29, 2026 12:00 AM (UTC)

Starting Date: Aug 24, 2026

Job Description

Michael E. Smith Middle School

7:47am to 2:25pm

Grades 5-8

Special Education Teacher

Job Goals

• To provide each student with the individually tailored help, counsel, and learning experience he or she needs to make progress toward established educational goals
• To create and/or implement a program favorable to learning and student growth

Supervision: Reports to the Building Principal or designee

Experience and Training

• Certification /eligibility for certification in appropriate grade level and field
• Certification and/or licenses as required for individual positions
• Such alternative to the above qualifications as the Superintendent of Schools may find appropriate and acceptable

Performance Responsibilities

Curriculum, Planning & Assessment

• Knowing the subject matter well, has a good grasp of child development and how students learn, and designs effective and rigorous standards-based units of instruction consisting of well-structured lessons with measurable outcomes
• Uses a variety of informal and formal methods of assessments to measure student learning, growth, and understanding to develop differentiated and enhanced learning experiences and improve future instruction
• Analyzes data from assessments, draws conclusions, and shares them appropriately

Teaching All Students

• Uses instructional practices that reflect high expectations regarding content and quality of effort and work, engage all students, and are personalized to accommodate diverse learning styles, needs, interests, and levels of readiness
• Creates and maintains a safe and collaborative learning environment that motivates students to take academic risks, challenge themselves, and claim ownership of their learning
• Actively creates and maintains an environment in which students’ diverse backgrounds, identities, strengths, and challenges are respected
• Plans and implements lessons that set clear and high expectations and also make knowledge accessible for all students

Family and Community Engagement

• Welcomes and encourages every family to become active participants in the classroom and school community
• Collaborates with families to create and implement strategies for supporting student learning and development both at home and at school
• Engages in regular, two-way, and culturally proficient communication with families about student learning and performance

Professional Culture

• Demonstrates the capacity to reflect on and improve the educator’s own practice, using informal means as well as meetings with teams and work groups to gather information, analyze data, examine issues, set meaningful goals, and develop new approaches in order to improve teaching and learning
• Actively pursues professional development and learning opportunities to improve quality of practice or build the expertise and experience to assume different instructional and leadership roles
• Collaborates effectively with colleagues on a wide range of tasks
• Becomes involved in school-wide decision making, and takes an active role in school improvement planning
• Shares responsibility for the performance of all students within the school
• Is ethical and reliable, and meets routine responsibilities consistently

Terms of Employment: As agreed upon through the negotiated union contract

Evaluation: Performance of the job will be evaluated on a yearly basis by the Building Principal or designee consistent with the requirements and expectations of Massachusetts Educator Evaluation regulations, 603 CMR 35.00, and locally developed procedures.

Physical Requirements: This position requires a moderate amount of walking, standing, sitting, climbing stairs and step stool whenever necessary. Activities also include moderate physical exertion in body movement, such as reaching, bending, twisting, grasping, pushing and pulling objects. The position requires lifting objects of 20 pounds on a frequent basis and over 20 pounds occasionally. There is a frequent requirement of fine motor manipulation associated with the use of a computer, keyboard, calculator and other business machines.

Environmental Conditions: Duties are performed indoors and sometimes outdoors. The regular chemical solvents are toners and cleaning fluids.

Position Type: Full-time

Salary: $53,233 to $89,311 Per Year

Job Categories

Special Education > General Special Education

Job Requirements

• Bachelor degree preferred.
• Citizenship, residency or work visa required

Contact Information

• Beth Cooke , Director of Student Services
• 116 Main Street
• South Hadley, Massachusetts 01075
• Phone: [phone]
• Email: [e-mail]