FLAGSTAFF UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT #1
Program Specialist (.50 FTE)/Special Education Resource Teacher (.50 FTE)
Sechrist Elementary School
2025-2026 School Year
JOB TITLE: Program Specialist (.50)/Special Education Resource Teacher (.50)
SITE: Sechrist Elementary School
REPORTS TO: Site Administrator and Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Support
1.0 FTE; Benefits offered; Start date: 07/29/2025 or, if new to the district, 07/23/2025.
Program Specialist SUMMARY OF FUNCTION Assist the site administrator and Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Support in the implementation and coordination of special education programs.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Elementary and Secondary - Provide support for dual-cert, site-based resource, and specialized program teachers.
- Ensure compliance with federal (IDEA), state, and district laws, procedures, and policies.
- Assist school teams in facilitating student’s placement along the continuum of services, ensuring placement in the least-restrictive environment and promoting inclusive practices.
- Support teachers in writing Individual Education Plans (IEP)
- Monitor Medicaid compliance by reviewing students’ annual IEPs.
- Serve as the LEA representative at special education meetings.
- Facilitate schedules for paraprofessionals at their site, move as needed to fill daily vacancies.
- Provide appropriate training as needed for special education staff to promote student success in special and general education settings and ensure compliance.
- Help coordinate state/district testing and student accommodations.
- Administer gifted testing.
Elementary Only - Support the Instructional Specialist’s implementation of tiered interventions.
- Provide resources for gifted instruction and assist in school-wide gifted plans.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS - Valid Arizona certificate in special education or license in a related field
- Elementary only - General education certification, K-8 (preferred)
- Minimum of four years working in the field of special education
- Skilled at working with others in a professional learning environment
- Accurate and effective working knowledge of IDEA and state regulation
- Supervisory experience and ability to multi-task
- Ability to organize ideas and communicate them with clarity and conciseness in a variety of settings
- Experience with curriculum accommodations, modification or adaptation, instruction, and assessments
COMPENSATION - Placement on the certified salary schedule
- Additional $7,000 stipend is issued for the following reasons:
- Ineligibility for 301 allocation and teacher-related increases
- Extra time after contract hours (attending IEP meetings, reviewing applications and interviewing candidates, etc.)
- Evaluations (teachers and paraprofessionals)
- School-wide behavior intervention/support
- Fielding parent questions and concerns
- Requirement of supervisory experience and administrative duties
- Lack of opportunity to pick up extra paid duties
- Substitute for specialized program teachers on occasion
- LEA representative at IEP meeting Create and maintain paraprofessional schedules
- Provide ongoing professional development
- New teacher mentoring and support
Resource Teacher SUMMARY OF FUNCTION To plan, organize and implement an excelling learning environment that guides and encourages students to meet their educational potential. At FUSD, teaching and learning is centered on student’s diverse needs while ensuring a high level of student achievement. In our classrooms, diversity is understood, appreciated, and leveraged as an asset. We work collaboratively as teams to plan instruction that ensures vertical and horizontal alignment. Demonstration of commitment to learning, a growth mindset, and embracing a culture of innovation is expected.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE RESPONSIBILITIES Responsible for scheduling, planning, and implementing instruction for students with disabilities, in conjunction with the general education classroom teacher. The instruction could occur either in a pull-out resource setting, or as an inclusion model in the regular education classroom. Other responsibilities may include: monitoring student progress, writing IEPs, and scheduling and training of paraprofessionals. Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) may be required, depending on site and student population.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS Instructional Planning - Plans instruction from the Arizona State Standards to meet classroom and student-based objectives.
- Assess students’ skills to determine proficiency and classroom supports
- States objectives compatible with department/grade/school goals in performance outcomes, including lesson plans; documents procedures to achieve outcomes.
- Organizes and makes available the time, space, materials, and equipment needed before instruction.
- Plans relevant classroom activities and work to reinforce lessons through active student engagement.
Instructional Strategies - Utilizes effective instructional strategies.
- Implements procedures involving students with the maximum time on task.
- Uses effective and innovative techniques to motivate student interest/enthusiasm for subject.
- Facilitates retention of learning.
- Adjusts instruction to facilitate student mastery.
- Provides prompt and specific feedback to students on both their work and behavior.
- Provides opportunities for all students to apply knowledge or practice skills.
Instruction - Presents subject matter in a clear, precise, coherent, and logical way.
- Communicates objectives, purpose, value and relevance of lessons as appropriate.
- Communicates appropriate, competent knowledge of subject matter with confidence and accuracy.
- Gives clear directions and explanations related to lesson content and/or learning activity.
- Frequently asks questions of relevance, clarity, and variety.
- Frames questions at different cognitive levels/differentiates instruction.
- Provides appropriate responses, equitable response opportunities.
- Promotes positive relationships among students by modeling.
Instructional Environment - Provides a learning environment that is positive, provides a growth mindset, promotes diversity, and allows for innovation and successful failures.
- Communicates enthusiasm for learning and teaching. Interacts with all students, regardless of ability level, disability, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. Will embrace all students with empathy and enthusiasm.
- Articulates and maintains classroom behavior system conductive to learning.
- Models professional courtesy and respect in manner and dress.
- Encourages students to deal with varying degrees of success, failure, self-control, and responsibility.
Professional Responsibilities - Meets professional responsibilities outlined in policy.
- Engages in professional self-development.
- Is accessible to students and parents.
- Maintains and communicates accurate records of grades, attendance, and special reports.
- Works cooperatively to plan curriculum and improve instruction.
- Demonstrates ethical and professional practices in working with students, parents, colleagues, and student records.
- Refers students with special needs to counselors, specialists, or school nurse as appropriate.
- Makes use of school resources and takes care of all school property and equipment.
- Maintains a safe and health classroom environment.
- Is open to change, growth and innovation in the classroom and work environment.
Goal Setting and Professional Experience - Works toward achievement of school and District goals.
- Knows school and district goals for the current year.
- Follows guidelines and procedures recommended for achieving goals.
- Works with building administration to individualize goals by identifying objectives, activities and criteria.
- Supports administration in governing student conduct.
- Knows school expectations for behavior and attendance.
- Enforces school policies, rules, and procedures in the classroom, on campus, and at school-related activities.
- Develops and communicates expectations and consequences for student conduct in the classroom.
- Complies with Arizona Revised Statutes, District policies, federal laws and regulations, and administrative guidelines.
- Is informed and follows District policies, procedures and guidelines.
- Performs other duties as assigned by the building administration or Superintendent.
QUALIFICATIONS - Bachelor’s degree
- Valid Arizona Department of Education Special Education K-12 certification with English content area required.
- Valid IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card.
MENTAL TASKS Communicates verbally and in writing. Reads. Analyze and evaluate student progress and course curriculum. Develop, implement and evaluate plans. Manages classroom. Promotes learning and ensures safety. Perform functions from written and oral instruction and from observing and listening to others. Evaluate written materials to include written assignment and tests.
PHYSICAL TASKS Work involves the performance of duties where physical exertion and movement is required to perform the aspects of the job. Assistance is available as required to perform physically demanding tasks. Work involves sitting and moving for extended periods of time, requires moving from one location to another, reaching, bending, stooping (moving to eye level of the student), hold and grasping objects. Verbal communication ability required.
EQUIPMENT, AIDS, TOOLS, MATERIALS Uses blackboards, whiteboard, easel, bulletin board, computers, video projectors, chalk, markers, and office or instructional equipment. FUSD recognizes that ever changing development of technology but expects all staff to keep abreast of changing technology opportunities and use tools and devices provided to them.
WORKING CONDITIONS Indoor – classroom environment. Outdoor – all weather conditions and temperatures. Playground environment. Contact with public, employees, children and parents. Exposure to noise, dusts, gas and fumes.
CONTROL AND SUPERVISION Monitor control of students, communicates with families frequently about strengths and areas for growth, volunteers and/or assistant aides and paraprofessionals in the classroom, field trips, lunchroom, library, school buses and other areas.