Special Education Teacher - Specialized Academic Center - 2026-27 School Year Only

Young World Physical Education; Charlottesville (VA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

Albemarle County Public Schools is seeking a Special Education Teacher for the Specialized Academic Center in Charlottesville, VA for the 2026-27 school year. The role focuses on students with complex behavioral and communication needs, with a low teacher-to-pupil ratio and a dedicated behavioral team on-site.

Responsibilities include implementing IEPs, delivering adapted curriculum, and collaborating with a multidisciplinary team to support student growth and progress within Virginia standards.

Qualifications

• Must hold or be eligible for a Virginia teaching certificate with endorsement in School Counseling.
• Experience with students with intellectual and physical disabilities preferred.
• Ability to manage paraprofessionals and coordinate behavior plans.
• Strong communication with parents and staff.

Responsibilities

• Teach content aligned to Virginia's Standards of Learning using evidence-based materials.
• Implement IEPs and conduct IEP meetings as defined by regulations.
• Coordinate with on-site Behavior Specialist and BCBA.
• Supervise paraprofessionals and manage classroom operations.
• Maintain student records and progress reports.

Skills

Special Education

Adapted Curriculum

IEP Meetings

Paraprofessional supervision

Behavior management

Education

Virginia teaching certificate

Job description

Special Education Teacher - Specialized Academic Center - 2026-27 School Year Only

Albemarle County Public Schools Specialized Academic Center - Charlottesville, Virginia Open in Google Maps

This job is also posted in Albemarle County Public Schools

Job Details

Job ID: 5885459

Application Deadline: Posted until filled

Posted: Aug 13, 2026 4:00 AM (UTC)

Starting Date: Immediately

Job Description

Special Education Teacher

Specialized Academic Center

2026-27 School Year Only

Teach Lead Inspire

Join the Team at the Specialized Academic Center!

Are you a Special Education professional looking for an environment where you can focus on students? The Specialized Academic Center (SAC) at Trailhead Learning Center is looking for dedicated educators to join our highly supportive, clinical-instructional team. Support is built into the infrastructure of your classroom. With a low teacher-to-pupil ratio and a dedicated behavioral team on-site, you'll have the resources you need to make a genuine impact on students with complex behavioral and communication needs.

At the Specialized Academic Center, we understand that teaching students with behavioral and communication disabilities requires more than just a lesson plan; it requires a village. We offer:

• Unrivaled Support: You aren’t on an island. We provide consistent, on-site assistance from a Behavior Specialist and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) to help navigate complex classroom dynamics.
• Small Group Focus: Our low student-to-teacher ratio ensures that you can provide the individualized, high-quality instruction our students deserve.
• Collaborative Environment: Work within the Trailhead Learning Community, a space designed for innovation, empathy, and professional growth

Location

Situated around beautiful Charlottesville, Virginia – which is consistently ranked among America's top university towns and best places to live – Albemarle County is nestled in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National Park. Just 100 miles south of Washington, DC and 70 miles west of Richmond, it’s only a short trip to the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic beaches, and New York is an easy Amtrak ride away. Whether it’s the great outdoors, a vibrant and diverse arts, food, and culture scene, or small town living with a big city feel, our part of Central Virginia has something for everyone.

Qualifications: Candidates for this position must hold or be eligible for a Virginia teaching certificate with endorsement in School Counseling. More information can be found on theVDOE website.

Questions? [e-mail]

Full Job Description:

General Definition of Work: The Special Education Teacher - Adapted Curriculum involves working with students with intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, and various other educational disabilities. The assignment for this teacher may include the Special Education Teacher in a C-BASE (Curriculum Focus Building Appropriate Supports with Evidence), Functional Skills, Community Based Instruction, or Post High programs. The students served by this teacher are typically assessed using the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP).

Essential Functions:

• Teach students content to meet the standards outlined in Virginia's Aligned Standards of Learning and the Virginia Standards of Learning using research-based curriculum, strategies & materials correlated with other approved learning activities and adjusted to suit each student's needs;
• Assist children with multiple disabilities, specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairments, intellectual disabilities, emotional disabilities, multiple disabilities, hearing impairments, orthopedic impairments, visual impairments, autism, combined deafness and blindness, traumatic brain injury and other health impairments;
• Implements Individualized Education Plans, as written, for student with disabilities;
• Use various teaching methods to promote learning, including intensive individualized instruction, problem-solving assignments, and small-group work;
• Ensure appropriate accommodations are available in class and when a student needs to access the environment, curriculum and assessments;
• Develop lesson plans and instructional materials and provide individualized and small group instruction;
• Translate lesson plans into learning experiences to best utilize the available time for instruction;
• Provide culturally responsive instruction to students who are linguistically diverse;
• Establishes a caring, loving, and warm yet structured atmosphere for our most complex and at-risk students;
• Modify regular and aligned education curriculum to meet the individual children's needs;
• Provide and maintain a safe and supportive environment in the classroom, on the school campus, and on field or community experiences;
• Establish and maintain standards of pupil behavior needed to achieve a functional learning atmosphere in the classroom and develop an individualized behavioral plan when needed;
• Provides an effective program of instruction;
• Function as Case Manager for students eligible for special education and related services;
• Assist in the identification/child find process to appropriately identify students that require special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act;
• Model professional standards when dealing with students, parents, peers, and community;
• Schedule and facilitate IEP meetings as defined in the Virginia Regulations;
• Utilize strong oral and written communication skills with students, parents, and staff;
• Utilize effective problem solving, organizational, multi-tasking, and time management skills;
• Organize and supervise the work of paraprofessionals that includes and is not limited to developing a schedule of duties, monitoring the fidelity of intervention plans implemented by assistants, guiding and mentoring in the areas of parent communication, data collection, and use of evidenced based practices;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with pupils, parents, school staff, district staff, and patrons;
• Evaluate pupils' academic and social growth, maintain appropriate records, and prepare progress reports;
• Communicate with parents through conferences, telephone calls, e-mails, student planners, school web site, and other means, to discuss the pupils' progress;
• Maintains and upholds school and county policies and procedures;
• Administer and score standardized assessments;
• Establishes / designs, implements and monitors personalized goals for each child;
• Maintain student records as required by the Code of Virginia and Virginia Regulations;
• Assure confidentiality of all students' information;
• Understand and adhere to all laws, Special Education policies and procedures and District policies, and procedures;
• Maintain professional competence through staff development education activities provided by the school district and self-selected professional growth activities;
• Knowledge and use of materials and resources in accordance with the adopted curriculum and consistent with the physical limitations of the location provided;
• Attends and participates in faculty, department, and Division-wide meetings;
• Assists in the selection of books, equipment, and other instructional materials;
• Establishes and maintains cooperative professional relations with others;
• Performs related duties as assigned by the administration in accordance with the school/system policies and practices.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: This professional must possess a strong understanding of the instructional needs of children with significant educational disabilities, as well as a strong understanding of the special education process, strong organizational skills, and the ability to facilitate paraprofessionals in the classroom and community. The teacher in this role must be a team player, energetic, enthusiastic, patient, and willing to work collaboratively with children of any age. Experience teaching students with intellectual disabilities and physical impairments preferred. Possess a belief that all students can learn and are best served when they are included with their peers to the greatest extent possible. Possess an understanding of the state curriculum standards as they apply to students with intellectual disabilities. Knowledgeable in research-based programs. Demonstrates knowledge in implementing positive behavior plans and data collection. Possess an understanding of IDEA, and associated timelines. Possess an understanding of the requirements of the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program.

Education and Experience: Candidates must possess a current Virginia Special Education endorsement in Adapted Curriculum K-12 (preferred) or Special Education General Curriculum K-12. Those with a Special Education General Curriculum endorsement must be willing to consider working toward the Adapted Curriculum endorsement.

Physical Conditions and Nature of Work Contacts: Duties performed typically in school settings include: classroom, gym, cafeteria, auditorium, community and recreational areas. Daily personal and close contact with students to provide classroom management and learning environment support is required. Regular contact with other staff members and parents is required. Occasional contact with medical professionals may be required. Frequent contact with parents by phone and in person is necessary. While performing the duties of this job, the teacher is regularly required to speak and/or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and stoop, bend at the knees and / or hips, kneel, or crouch. The teacher is occasionally required to use hands to handle or feel and must occasionally climb or balance. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision and depth perception. The teacher must be able to respond to the unique educational needs of students with disabilities in a stressful setting. This job may emphasize intervention with and management of aggressive and self-abusive students, angry students, emotional students, students with infectious diseases, and personal physical abuse.

Position Type: Full-Time

Job Categories: Student Services > School/Guidance Counselor

Job Requirements

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