Professor, Special Education

Location: Flexible within the U.S

Type: Full-time

Start Date: August 26, 2024

Priority Application Review Deadline: June 28, 2024

Summary:

Relay Graduate School of Education (Relay) is an accredited not-for-profit institution of higher education serving thousands of educators from across the country, from pre-service teachers to system-level leaders. Our mission is to ensure that all students are taught by excellent educators, in order to build a more just world where every student has a clear path to a fulfilling life.

The Teacher Preparation team supports pre-service teacher candidates and in-service teachers through a variety of programs to develop their knowledge, skills, mindsets, and dispositions of a culturally responsive and inclusive educator who is well versed in subject matter. As part of that team, the Special Education Department offers courses to Relay students at both foundational and advanced levels. Reporting to the Department Chair, the Professor, Teaching Exceptional Learners will play a key role in the development of teachers of exceptional learners by teaching multiple courses, providing student support and feedback, and managing adjunct faculty through observations and collaboration. This professor will be a passionate teacher of adult learners, who collaborates with a high-performing team to ensure new educators excel and our programs continue to evolve to best serve our students. Additionally integral to the role, the ideal candidate exemplifies cultural responsiveness and inclusivity, teamwork, ability to support faculty development, a commitment to continuous improvement, and deep knowledge of special education.

Role's Contributions (Duties and Responsibilities):

The essential responsibilities of this position, while not limited to the following, will include:

Teaching Responsibilities(50%)

• Internalize courses, designed by our curriculum design faculty, and effectively teach multiple courses (6-12 credits per term) two nights a week and potentially one Saturday a month in Relay's Teaching Exceptional Learners department focusing on special educators.
• Participate in collaborative preparation for teaching to ensure effectiveness (e.g., practicing and score norming with colleagues) and collaborative continuous improvement (e.g., team professional development, observation-feedback cycles with manager and/or peers)
  
  

Student Experience (20%):

• Prioritize exceptional student experience by supporting students throughout the courses to reach their full potential and serve their Birth - Grade 12 students with the knowledge learned within the courses
• Hold regular office hours to provide individualized support for students as needed.
• Model the knowledge, skills, and mindsets of a culturally responsive educator when teaching and supporting students.
• Provide feedback to students on assignments within one to two weeks to support their continuous reflection and improvement.
• Ensure all department courses taught by you and the faculty you manage are mission aligned, student centered, and continuously improving based on student input
  
  

Faculty & Department Management (20%):

• Directly supervise and support the development of adjunct faculty by leading observations and feedback, conducting period performance reviews of goals, and leading collaborative meetings.
• Lead department projects as defined by the department chair and aligned to the department's initiatives and the institutional strategic plan.
  
  

Programmatic & Design Responsibilities (5%):

• Support the design and continuous improvement of the programs and courses offered within the Teaching Exceptional Learners department by providing ongoing feedback on the curriculum design and helping design elements of specific modules within courses
  
  

Institutional Service (5%)

• Serve the institution through committee, working group, and/or board membership.
  
  

QUALIFICATIONS

First and foremost, the Professor, Teaching Exceptional Learners/Special Education must share the Relay community's commitment to working together to improve student growth and achievement through phenomenal teacher preparation grounded in diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. This includes providing teacher preparation programs that set novice teachers up to succeed in the classroom from day one; leadership programs that train new and veteran school and district leaders to best serve their school communities; and teacher-facing professional education that provides ongoing learning to educators. Additionally, for this position we're looking for candidates that possess a combination of the following skills:

• 5 years of classroom teaching experience in Teaching Exceptional Learners/Special Education
• Graduate degree (masters and/or doctorate) in a relevant educational field (i.e. Special Education)
• Demonstrated design and/or teaching experience with online coursework
• Evidence using online modalities to teach adult learners via collegiate courses and/or school based professional development
• Evidence of strong interpersonal skills
• Evidence of developing collegial relationships and work with ethnically, racially, and linguistically diverse individuals and teams
• Evidence observing, coaching, and developing new Birth - Grade 12 teachers
• Availability to teach and/or observe faculty two nights a week and potentially two Saturdays a month
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Evidence of or potential for a deep understanding of educator preparation landscape across the country
• Evidence of or potential for are advancing justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-oppressive initiatives in service of teacher preparation
• Evidence of or potential for, active involvement in national organizations in the field of education
• Evidence of strong project management skills paired with the ability to synthesize information from a variety of sources
  
  

Relay prepares teachers and school leaders to teach students of all identities and backgrounds in order to push toward a time when this country no longer faces stark educational inequities. We recruit, develop, support, and retain a diverse staff, faculty, and graduate student body because we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and actively anti-racist institution. We know, and the data supports, that diversity, equity, and inclusion cultivate an environment in which people of all backgrounds can thrive and this is critical to achieving our mission of educational excellence and equity.

To fulfill that commitment, Relay encourages applicants of all backgrounds and identities to apply for roles that align with their own interests and career trajectory. If you meet a majority of the qualifications and see yourself in this role, we would love to see your application!

COMPENSATION

Relay is committed to creating and maintaining a compensation and benefits system that supports our ability to recruit and retain a diverse and talented team. As we make decisions about compensation, we will be guided by the following values: clarity, consistency, and internal equity. The salary range for this role is $87,057-$105,339. New hires will be offered a salary at the starting point of the range, $87,057 to allow for an equitable starting salary process and continual salary growth during an employee's time at Relay GSE.

To ensure internal pay equity:

• Relay does not currently differentiate starting salary offers based on years of experience,
• All staff salaries will be capped at the salary range maximum, and
• Relay does not negotiate salary offers.
  
  

Relay offers a comprehensive total rewards package. For full-time roles, this includes health insurance benefits, disability and life insurance, retirement plan, professional development, gym reimbursement, adoption assistance, paid time off (PTO), parental leave, etc. To learn more about Relay's benefits, please visit here.

WORK LOCATION POLICY

Employees must have a primary work location within the U.S., where they are legally authorized to work. Relay is a registered employer in the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington State and Washington DC. Please note that Relay Graduate School of Education's headquarters are in New York City. Employees who choose to perform work from states not listed here will be subject to NYC state withholdings.

COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY

Relay highly encourages all employees to be fully vaccinated with an FDA or WHO authorized vaccine. Relay abides by each state's requirements, and acknowledges those may change over time. If moved forward to the phone screen stage, you will have the chance to ask your recruiter more about this policy.

Relay Graduate School of Education provides equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees.