Position: Senior Director of Inclusive Education

Location: Los Angeles, California (5371 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90036)

Reports to: Executive Director

Fair Labor Standards Act Status: Exempt

Work Class: Classified or Certificated

Capacity: Full-Time

Salary Range: $140,000 - $175,000

The mission of Citizens of the World Los Angeles (CWC LA) is to provide a socio-economically, culturally, and racially diverse community of students in Los Angeles with an intellectually challenging, experiential learning environment that develops each student's confidence, potential, and individual responsibility as citizens of the world. CWC LA schools develop students’ social and emotional skills to prepare them to become citizens of the world, and we promote academic rigor through a constructivist, project-based learning approach, to support and develop children’s natural intellectual curiosity. CWC LA enrolls a diverse student body that reflects the abundant diversity of the communities served by our schools.

On a grown path to serving more than 5,000 students in the coming years, CWC LA operates five charters:

• CWC Hollywood (TK-5th) operating since 2010.

• CWC Silver Lake (TK-8th) operating since 2012.

• CWC Mar Vista (TK-8th) operating since 2013.

• CWC West Valley (TK-4th) operating since 2020.

• CWC East Valley (TK-3rd) operating since 2021.

CWC LAhas a Regional Support Office (RSO) that supports all CWC LA schools. We work with our network partners at Citizens of the World Charter Schools (CWCS), linking the schools in Los Angeles to CWC schools in other parts of the country.

Our core values are embraced by the entire community:

• Excellence:We demand lasting quality.

• Diversity:We are better and stronger because of our differences.

• Authenticity: We are our true selves in this work, and we are candid.

• Community:We care deeply about people. We share and build partnerships. We celebrate, laugh, and seek joy, even in the tough times.

• Change:We welcome the unknown, embracing the unexpected and new. We adapt to meet the ever-changing times. We find new ways.

Job Overview and Summary

CWC LA is seeking a strategic, driven, and reflective leader who will be responsible for managing and leading school-based teams to support inclusive education, including students with special needs, multilingual learners, and students with 504s.  The Senior Director of Inclusive Education will oversee the efforts to continue to define the special services continuum and programs offered across CWC schools (including MTSS).  The job combines refining our vision, developing and refining strong core practices, training school leaders and teachers, and reflecting and acting on data. 

The Senior Director of Inclusive Education will work closely with all of the CWC LA stakeholders, and will have an opportunity to build a long-term strategy and team. A major responsibility will be to create and influence conditions for excellence, alignment, and investment around an exceptional special services program across the region.  The Senior Director of Inclusive Education will work in close collaboration with the Instructional Team, Principals, Assistant Principals, school site special education leaders, and teachers.  The Senior Director of Inclusive Education will be a key member of the CWC LA regional team, will manage at least one staff member, and will report to the Executive Director. This position is based in CWC LA’s regional office, but will also require travel to each of our schools on a regular basis.

Key Responsibilities

The Senior Director of Inclusive Education’s job responsibilities include:

• Passionately advocating for and implementing a comprehensive region-wide continuum of services and interventions that establishes an organization-wide philosophy of least restrictive environment for serving diverse learners

• Applying strong instructional delivery and pedagogical knowledge by regularly co-observing classrooms, analyzing evidence of student outcomes, and advising regional and school-based leaders on the direction of coaching and development for teachers and Special Education practitioners.

• Establishing and monitoring system-wide student achievement metrics of excellence for special services programming (e.g. internal assessment sub-group data monitoring, IEP goal attainment tracking, Special Education exit data, etc.) 

• Supporting the creation and implementation of MTSS systems by ensuring students below triggers receive quality academic and behavioral interventions and are referred when appropriate

• Supporting and supervising the Director of Compliance to ensure IEPs and 504 plans are implemented with fidelity and live authentically as part of a student’s academic experience

• Developing APs of Inclusive Education who are responsible for special services at the school site through bi-weekly check-ins, bi-weekly school visits (focused on development via instructional walkthroughs, co-observations, coaching, etc.) and data reviews

• Providing accountability and support (actionable feedback and coaching) to school principals and communicating clearly (orally and in writing) with the principal to support their  management of the APs of Inclusive Education

• Differentiating support depending on principal and AP of Inclusive Education skill and capacity

• Leading professional learning with network staff and school based staff on Special Education instructional practices, the implementation of MTSS best practices, instructional policy changes, and other pertinent information regarding special populations.

• Developing region-wide staffing plans to ensure coordination, financial efficiency and effectiveness across the region

• Assist in recruiting, screening, and hiring of special education and ELD staff

• Support the definition of a Social Work vision for development

• Support the definition of the Multilingual Learner vision and program

• Serve as the primary point of contact for the Special Education and ELD department for budgeting

• Other duties, as assigned by the Executive Director

Competencies

Requirements and Qualifications 

The ideal candidate will have:

• A Master’s degree in Education or equivalent experience in special education, or administration

• A California teaching credential (admin credential preferred)

• Minimum of three years of administrative leadership within special education (including instructional coaching)

• Understanding of specially designed instruction, Universal Design for Learning, Explicit Instruction, MTSS, and Multilingual Learners

• Experience working with diverse stakeholder groups and collaboratively solving problems

• Track record of exceeding both individual and team goals

• Knowledge of federal and state Special Education and/or English Learner Development (ELD) regulations and effective systems to monitor network-wide compliance; knowledge of California Ed Code (preferred)

• Fluency in a second language (ideally Spanish or Korean) desired

Qualities

The Senior Director of Inclusive Education will have:

• An exhibited ability to work with children and adults in order to create a joyful, caring environment

• Deep understanding of the diverse perspectives of members of the instructional team, principals and other school leaders, and teachers and related service providers and an ability to cultivate collaborative and productive partnerships

• Belief and willingness to ensure that all students can learn and achieve at high levels

• Ability to handle confidential information discretely and professionally

• Outstanding organizational skills and attention to detail

• A strong drive to surpass objectives and take initiative

• Humility and self-reflection as a lifelong learner

• Strong computer and technology skills, including proficiency with Excel, Word and PowerPoint

Physical Requirements 

• Must be able to communicate verbally and in writing effectively. 

• Approximately 50% of time is spent sitting, while frequently required to walk, stand and bend. 

• Occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

• Employees will be required to lift and/or move unassisted up to 25 pounds.

•  Sitting or standing for extended periods and manual dexterity to operate a computer and other various office equipment as needed 

Equal Opportunity Employer 

Citizens of the World Charter Schools (CWC) prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying in educational programs, activities, or employment based on actual or perceived ancestry, age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, parental, pregnancy, family or marital status, military status, immigration status or association with a person or a group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. CWC requires that school personnel take immediate steps to intervene when safe to do so when he or she witnesses an act of discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying. Questions or complaints of alleged discrimination, harassment, intimidation and bullying, equity or Title IX equity and compliance concerns should be directed to: CWC Talent and Human Resources Department at talent-hr@cwclosangeles.org