State Director of Special Education

at State of Vermont in Montpelier, Vermont, United States

Job Description

The State Director of Special Education provides strategic, statewide leadership for special education systems serving students with disabilities across Vermont. While ensuring rigorous compliance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Vermont law, this role is also focused on at-scale implementation and systems alignment. The Director is responsible for moving beyond regulatory oversight to ensure that special education is a seamless, high-quality component of Vermont’s broader "Instructional Core" and academic excellence strategies.

The Director leads the division in dismantling educational barriers and operationalizing evidence-based practices at a systemic level. This position requires a visionary leader who can align fiscal resources, policy frameworks, and professional learning to ensure "substantially equal" educational quality for all learners across every district in the state.

This position is responsible for:

• Systems Alignment & Strategy: Collaborating with the Chief Academic Officer and agency leadership to integrate special education into the statewide academic mission, ensuring alignment between Act 173 implementation and general education instructional practices.
• At-Scale Implementation: Leading the statewide rollout of evidence-based initiatives to ensure consistent, high-quality intervention and support systems across all Local Education Agencies (LEAs).
• Data-Driven Accountability: Leveraging confidential student data not only for federal reporting but as a tool for continuous improvement and actionable insights to close opportunity gaps.
• Policy & Legislative Leadership: Developing and operationalizing policies and legislative initiatives that shift the focus from mere compliance to student outcomes and system-wide efficacy.
• Strategic Fiscal Management: Managing federal and state grants, contracts, and budgets with a focus on maximizing the impact of resources on student learning and instructional quality.
• Monitoring & Support: Overseeing a monitoring system that pairs rigorous IDEA compliance oversight with technical assistance, ensuring districts have the tools to meet corrective action requirements effectively. 
• Team & Culture Leadership: Supervising and mentoring staff to foster a culture of high expectations, professional learning, and cross-divisional collaboration.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Facilitating robust feedback loops with Special Education Directors, superintendents, and external partners to ensure statewide initiatives are practical and sustainable.

The ideal candidate brings:

• Implementation Expertise: A proven track record of managing large-scale educational systems change or "at-scale" project implementation within a complex regulatory environment.
• Systems Thinking: The ability to see how special education intersects with curriculum, instruction, and accountability, and the skill to align these moving parts into a coherent statewide strategy.
• Regulatory Mastery: Deep knowledge of IDEA, OSEP guidance, and Vermont special education law, with the ability to translate complex regulations into clear, implementable instructional
• guidance.
• Change Management Skills: Experience leading teams through organizational shifts and the ability to build buy-in for new statewide standards and practices.
• Strategic Communication: Excellent skills in navigating high-stakes conversations with district leaders, legislators, and federal partners.
• Commitment to Equity: A steadfast focus on inclusive practices and a belief that the system is responsible for the success of students who struggle.
• Environmental Factors

  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.