ESS Teacher - Vision Impaired | DEPARTMENT: Exceptional Student Services | SALARY SCHEDULE: Certified |
| LOCATION: Districtwide | WORK YEAR: 9 months |
The Phoenix Union High School District is proud to serve a diverse population of 28,000 students and 4,000 employees in Arizona's capital city. With a portfolio of comprehensive schools, small specialty schools, support schools, micro schools, magnet programs, and extensive Career & Technical Education (CTE) offerings,
PXU's schools of opportunity welcome, love, and inspire all students to go places and do things that matter. SUMMARY: The itinerant teacher for students with visual impairments travels to the students' assigned schools to provide direct and/or consultative exceptional student services related to vision loss. The teacher draws upon their knowledge of exceptionalities, specifically regarding Vision Impairment to promote independence and self advocacy of students on caseload to enable student to learn/participate in a variety of settings. The teacher is responsible for performing Functional Vision Assessments and Learning Media Assessments to determine the student's functional vision, sensory preference and cognitive ability identifying the best format for learning materials. The teacher maintains a positive and appropriate educational environment that meets the intellectual and emotional needs of the student. The cognitive levels of the students may range from significant cognitive variabilities educating in specialized programs to students gifted and talented fully included in the general education setting.
The teacher will monitor academic progress of students on their caseload. They will be responsible for attending and providing input to conferences, Individual Education Programs (IEP), Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team (MET), 504 meetings based on their area of expertise. As case manager, they are responsible for ensuring a student's individualized ESS services are implemented according to district policy. Focused efforts on increasing student self-advocacy, preparing for transition to career, college and life and understanding community resources specifically for people who are blind or visually impaired.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS - Collaborates with other professionals on how to implement accommodations and modifications based on IEPs for students with vision.
- Participates in MET meetings and the development of IEP for students with visual impairments.
- Provides and delivers specially designed instruction, aligned to the expanded core curriculum, consistent with student's IEP goals and objectives using strategies and methods appropriate to student's abilities in accordance to Arizona State Standards.
- Collaborates with Campus ESS facilitator to assist in articulation between feeder schools for incoming students with visual impairments. This includes securing necessary technology, placement, and interpreting existing paperwork.
- Assists in determining and procuring classroom equipment and materials required for the student with visual impairment to learn. As well as implementing room modification and lighting changes necessary for student to participate in academic tasks.
- Provides Braille, recorded/enlarged materials and tactual symbols for students as needed.
- Provides the classroom teacher with information regarding the specialized strategies needed to teach a student with visual impairments.
- Coordinates with other certified and classified staff, such as but not limited to, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, nurses, Orientation and Mobility specialist, and instructional aides to ensure that related services are provided in accordance to an IEP for students with visual impairments.
- Writes appropriate goals and objectives for students with visual impairments that are standards-based, stated and include methods of assessments to measure student performance.
- Conducts Functional Vision Assessments and Learning Media Assessments
- Communicates with low-vision specialists, ophthalmologists and optometrists concerning exams and updates stakeholder on developments which may impact learning.
- Utilizes and helps maintain an updated list of District assistive equipment and current location within the district.
- Ensures students receive appropriate accommodations when taking a district or state assessment and uses district and state assessment data to improve instruction and place students in appropriate instructional and intervention programs advocating for the least restrictive environment.
- Keeps and maintains required records, such as progress reports, parent/student communication logs, and IEP paperwork by deadlines.
- Reviews caseload to ensure that federal and state requirements are met in accordance to timelines for annual IEP meetings, quarterly progress notes, Extended School Year decisions and implementation of transition services.
- Acts in accordance with PXU core values to communicate regularly with parents regarding student progress.
- Documents and resolves issues related to student behavior problems and attendance.
- Follows meeting agenda to lead the annual IEP meetings for students on their caseload.
- Attends ongoing professional development and be willing to apply new evidence-based strategies to their teaching practices.
- Commits to be an active participant in a professional learning community (PLC) to collaboratively review data, engage in new strategies, and address needs identified by the group.
- Assumes legal responsibility for the supervision of students on school property or in attendance at school-sponsored events.
- Other duties as assigned.