State Director of Special Education

at State of Vermont in Montpelier, Vermont, United States

Job Description

The State Director of Special Education provides administrative oversight and leadership for training, technical assistance and monitoring of all fiscal and programmatic requirements provided by the US Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and VT Special Education Laws. The position is responsible for collaborating with local, state and federal partners to ensure the successful implementation of federal and state statutes and regulations governing the education of students with disabilities.

This position:

• Develops implementation plans for assigned team focus areas
• Develops, defends, explains, promotes and/or implements policy and legislation when appropriate
• Works with staff to develop individual work plans and conducts individual staff evaluations to advance the Agency's core mission
• Works with the Chief Academic Officer (CAO) and finance staff to develop and manage budgets for assigned projects
• Manages grants and contracts for assigned work
• Communicates the Agency's core mission to staff and supports them in advancing this work
• Develops and follows a work plan developed with the CAO that supports Agency and team policies, expectations, standards of quality, and staff responsibilities
• Serves as the designated Subject Matter Expert for complex issues related to special education, not just at the Agency of Education but throughout Vermont state government

Additionally, the ideal candidate will possess extensive knowledge of state and federal law and be responsible monitoring for compliance of local education agencies. Compliance responsibilities are significant and the state's role is to oversee the data and measures for monitoring and compliance. The State Director of Special Education is responsible for ensuring confidential student data is reported in a timely manner and used to compile monitoring reports and that all corrective actions are completed within given timeframes.

Normal office working conditions generally prevail. Incumbents must be able to interact, work, and deal with Agency staff, school personnel, and state, federal, and local officials. Regular field monitoring is required. Evening and weekend work may be required. Travel will be a regular part of the work.