K-5 Special Education Teacher for the 2026-2027

K-5 Special Education Teacher for the 2026-2027 Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center Grand Rapids, MI Job Details Full-time | Contract $45,000 - $92,000 a year Benefits Health insurance Dental insurance Tuition reimbursement Paid time off Vision insurance Retirement plan Qualifications CPR Certification Student performance assessment strategies Bachelor's degree in special education Teaching Certification Special education Student performance data analysis Working with children Bachelor's degree Classroom experience Special Education Certification Teaching Full Job Description K-5 Special Education Resource Teacher/Possible MTSS Coordinator

REPORTS TO

Building Leader for Instruction (Pedagogista) and Executive Director

JOB FUNCTION

: The teacher will work with children, families, and general education teachers to provide support, accommodations, adjustments and direct instruction so that children will access the general education curriculum and meet their IEP goals. The teacher serves as case manager for their students.

District Description:

The District has one building, approximately 290 students in grade levels K-5 and is located in the heart of Grand Rapids, MI. Our school enrollment is about 58% white students and 42%, students of color and about 41% of our student population qualifies for Free or Reduced Lunch. About 9% of our total school population receive special education services. We are proud of the diversity in our school within a broad range of demographics. We have a specific focus on racial equity at our school and seek candidates who are also committed to this. The Single Building School District is a Charter School, authorized by the GVSU. Employees are employed by

GRCDC. MUST BRING

Joy, innate respect for all children, deep drive to meet the needs of all children, ability to partner deeply with families, personal responsibility, sense of possibility, commitment to working interdependently with a team, orientation towards connection with others! Candidates should connect to our core values of connection, inspiration, potential, and equity. All candidates should visit our website at childdiscoverycenter.org to learn more about our special school.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Job Responsibilities :

• Comply with timelines, laws, and regulations as it relates to district, state, and federal policies and procedures
• Provide direct and/or supplemental instruction to students on the assigned caseload
• Document student progress on goals, objectives, accommodations, service time, and discipline/suspensions
• Differentiate instruction to meet the needs of the individual
• Function as case coordinator for the Review of Existing Evaluation Data (REED) process
• Work closely with school psychologists in the REED process
• Collaborate with all service providers, general education teachers and other staff to support and provide documentation for the review of existing evaluation data (REED) process
• Serve on school wide committees
• Maintain consistent contact with parents
• Log and maintain monthly Medicaid reports
• Maintain an electronic log to document students' goals and objectives, accommodations, and other IEP related services
• Participate and/or facilitate Student Support Team as appropriate per Principal request
• Collaborate with all service providers, general education teachers and other staff to support students' educational/behavioral needs and provide documentation for the review of existing evaluation data (REED) process
• Provide assistance and positive interventions for students with IEPs experiencing behavioral difficulties
• Participate in Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBAs) and Positive Behavior Intervention Plan
• Provision of educational services for students due to suspensions/expulsions is also part of the job responsibilities, as appropriate.
• Write lessons plans for proactive social/emotional groupings
• Attend KISD and GRCDC professional development/trainings to assist in interventions, reducing suspension, FBAs, BIPs, special education discipline laws and regulations
• Other duties as assigned by building administration

Minimum Qualifications:

• BS or BA in Special Education with endorsement in any area
• Special Education Certification required
• Must be knowledgeable State of Michigan Standards and strategies to meet the academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs of students
• Competency in the administration and interpretation of district assessments and development of behavior support plans
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, peers, parents, and community
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely (oral and written)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Emotional Impairment endorsement
• Learning Disability endorsement

Additional Qualifications:

The GRCDC is seeking a candidate who is committed to leading the systemic reconfiguration of the district at the classroom level, while sustaining the organization's sense of urgency in realizing dramatic improvement in student and teacher performance in a short amount of time. We believe in disrupting the status quo. Qualified candidates should skillfully demonstrate the following turnaround competencies:

• the ability to prioritize student-learning needs over the customs, routines, and established relationships that can stand in the way of necessary change;
• the strong desire to achieve outstanding results in a short amount of time;
• the strong desire and ability to build meaningful, care relationships with students in order to exert academic press and influence;
• the skill and willingness to leverage the student support network to ensure that students' social, emotional, nutritional, and health needs are addressed;
• the ability to collaboratively create and execute clear, logical instructional plans that produce strong results in student learning;
• the capacity to rigorously create and sustain a well-orchestrated system of ongoing data collection and analysis to inform a continuously responsive and adaptive system of tiered instruction attentive to students' specific academic needs;
• the capacity to align curriculum, instruction, and assessments while responding to individual needs of students;
• the ability to seek out knowledgeable peers, coaches, or administrators for instructional support in the never ending quest to deliver the vision of high quality subject-specific instruction in every class period every day.

Preferred:

Previous classroom teaching experience in a comparable district. Demonstrated knowledge of and experience using the Reggio Emilia approach. Crisis Prevention Intervention and CPR/First Aid Certification or the willingness to obtain when offered training.

Work Remotely No Job Types:

Contract, Full-time Pay:

$45,000.00 - $92,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Dental insurance Health insurance Paid time off Retirement plan Tuition reimbursement Vision insurance Application Question(s): Why do you want to work at the Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center?

Experience:

Special education: 1 year (Preferred)

License/Certification:

Michigan Teaching Certification with SpEd Endorsement? (Required)

Work Location:

In person