TEACHER, SPECIAL EDUCATION CENTER PROGRAM MULTI-INTENSIVE NEEDS, 9TH - 12TH GRADE - ONE YEAR ONY TEMPORARY

Denver Public Schools; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 52,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Health and wellness benefits

PERA Retirement

Job summary

Denver Public Schools is seeking a temporary one-year Special Education teacher for the 2026-2027 school year in Denver, Colorado. You will teach a self-contained classroom for students with autism spectrum disorders and collaborate with teams to develop academics, social-emotional and adaptive behavior skills.

You will prepare individualized lesson plans, administer assessments, manage paraprofessionals, and communicate with families to support student progress in alignment with district

Qualifications

• Hold a Bachelor's degree in Education or related field.
• Valid Colorado teaching license; CDE receipt acceptable for 90 days.
• Current CDE license with Special Education endorsement or qualify for Alternative License with PLACE/Praxis II.
• ELA-S bilingual requirement: Spanish-English; must complete SLP or Praxis II Spanish 5195.
• Must be bilingual in Spanish and English for ELA-S roles.
• Experience with young special needs students and families preferred.
• Experience with diverse district community preferred.
• Commitment to equity and inclusion and to work in Colorado.
• Must have permanent Colorado address and ability to meet physical demands.

Responsibilities

• Assess and develop inclusive settings with peers to support academics, social-emotional, and adaptive skills.
• Supervise classroom paraprofessionals and hospital volunteers; coordinate duties.
• Attend hospital orientation and required staff trainings.
• Develop and execute individualized lesson plans aligned to district standards.
• Administer and interpret IEPs and assess student progress; counsel students.
• Monitor and enforce student behavior per policy; communicate with families.
• Record performance and health data; prepare attendance and activity reports.
• Communicate objectives and instruction clearly to students and groups.

Skills

Teaching

Classroom management

Bilingual Spanish-English

Communication with parents

Education

Bachelor's degree in Education

Master's degree for Concurrent Enrollment (optional)

Tools

PLACE exam

Praxis II Spanish 5195

Alternative License process

CDE teaching license

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.

About This Job

This is a temporary one-year only assignment for the 2026-2027 SY. Teaches and manages a self-contained classroom for students with autism spectrum disorders whose educational needs center on development of academics, social-emotional, and adaptive behavior skills.

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, DCTA Teacher and SSP Salary Schedule. More information on compensation for these roles is available. 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

• Assesses and develops inclusive settings with typical peers to support educational, behavioral, social-emotional, physical, and daily living needs of students throughout the school day; collaborates and integrates the medical, educational, and psychological needs of the students
• Supervises and assigns duties to classroom paraprofessionals and hospital volunteer support
• Attends hospital orientation and other staff training as required
• Develops and executes individualized lesson plans in all subject areas, providing for direct instruction while maintaining a focus on District standards and benchmarks; prepares lesson plans and materials according to curriculum guidelines, adapting teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests
• Administers and interprets both formal and informal individualized educational assessments; develops and maintains Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for identified students; counsels students to encourage and support student achievement
• Monitors, supervises, coordinates, and enforces rule of conduct and behavior of assigned students; reinforces positive student behaviors in accordance with school and District policy
• Observes, evaluates, and records student performance, behavior, social development, and physical health and prepares student, attendance, and activity reports as required by administrators
• Establishes and communicates clear objectives to students for lessons, units, and projects and instructs students individually and in groups using various teaching methods
• Prepares, administers, assigns, and grades tests and assignments to evaluate student progress, reporting grades using District software
• Communicates with parents or guardians, teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve student behavioral and academic problems

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.
• Have a valid Colorado Department of Education (CDE) teaching license. Additional information regarding specific requirements and qualifications for the various subject areas (DPS does accept a CDE Application Receipt for 90 days.)
• Current Colorado Department of Education Teachers License with endorsement in Special Education Early Childhood Special Education OR qualify for Alternative License and passing score on the PLACE or Praxis II
• 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. More information is available. 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 special needs students and their parents preferred.
• Experience working with young special needs children who represent the diversity of the District school community is preferred.
• 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.