SPECIALIST, SPECIAL EDUCATION

Denver Public Schools; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 75,000 - 91,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Time off

Health benefits

PERA Retirement

Job summary

Denver Public Schools seeks a Special Education Specialist to improve student achievement by providing individualized school support and leading district professional learning for teachers and leaders.

Role involves coaching, collaboration, and ensuring compliance with IDEA while promoting culturally responsive education across schools in Colorado. Requires Colorado residency and demonstrated experience in special education leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in special education or related field is required.
• Master's degree in a relevant subject area is preferred.
• Four or more years teaching experience in the relevant subject area with at least two years coaching others.

Responsibilities

• Plans and facilitates professional development for schools on effective specialized instruction and inclusion, providing coaching and advice on curricular materials.
• Provides consultation and direction to schools to meet IDEA expectations and manage services for students with disabilities.
• Develops and facilitates cycles of related professional learning to meet district priorities and improve student outcomes.
• Facilitates learning cycles across schools, sets learning goals, observes, and coaches participants.
• Models culturally sustaining practices for teacher leaders and conducts data meetings and feedback conversations.
• Analyzes district data and classroom observations to inform school support.
• Collaborates on a team to achieve observable results and supports multilingual learners with targeted coaching.
• Supports district curriculum adoption and implementation.

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Special Education or related field

Master's Degree in relevant subject area

Job description

Job Description

Applications will be received until August 28, 2026. If the position is not filled by then, we may consider applications submitted after the deadline. Interested applicants must apply online by visiting the Denver Public Schools job board at careers.dpsk12.org.

About This Job

The Special Education Specialist is responsible for improving student achievement by providing individualized support to schools, leading professional learning communities for teacher leaders and school leaders, designing and leading district professional learning for teachers and partnering with Directors of Schools. Supports effective specialized instruction, infusing District vision for Culturally Responsive Education (CRE). Advises schools around all legal requirements related to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

What DPS Offers You

• A Culture that values Equity, Accountability, Integrity, Collaboration and Fun with a shared vision that Every Learner Thrives.


• Salary Range: $75,457 - $90,548 Annually. Click here for more information on compensation for these roles.


• 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

• Plans and facilitates professional development for schools on effective specialized instruction and inclusion, providing school staff with coaching and advice around curricular materials so that they are able to offer best first instruction and standards-aligned specialized instruction


• Provides consultation, support, and direction to schools and special education teams so that they can meet all school-level Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) expectations and challenges and effectively manage special education services in support of the academic growth of students with disabilities; elevates school-level concerns, ensuring awareness around possible issues with implementation of IDEA that could result in legal risks


• In partnership with the academics team, develops and facilitates cycles of related professional learning for the District and its school teams to ensure schools meet measurable student outcomes tied to district priorites, such as rigorous standards-based instruction, culturally responsive teaching, instructional systems and data-driven instruction


• Facilitates learning cycles across schools, including collaboratively setting learning goals, engaging in observations and coaching participants


• Models exemplar culturally sustaining practices for teacher leaders, such as instructional planning at the unit and lesson level, data meetings and feedback conversations


• Analyzes district local assessment data and classroom observations and uses it to inform school support


• Works collaboratively on a team to achieve actionable and observable results at the student level; contributes to a strong team culture grounded in district values and a commitment to excellence and service to schools


• In collaboration with the multilingual education team, develops professional learning and coaching opportunities for teachers and leaders on best practices for supporting the achievement of multilingual learners


• Supports with district curriculum adoption and implementation


• Other duties as assigned

What You’ll Need

• Bachelor's Degree in Special Education or related field required;


• Master's Degree in relevant subject area preferred


• Four (4+) years teaching experience in relevant subject area with at least two years of experience in coaching other teachers is required


• 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.