Fort Worth Independent School District
Specialist III - Visual Education
Fort Worth Independent School District, Fort Worth, Texas, United States, 76102
Position Type:Leading District Professional
Date Posted:8/10/2023
Location:AI/VI
Closing Date:Open Until FilledSpecialist III - Visual Education
Reports to: Special Education Assistant Director
PC: 20852-4Pay Grade: 204Duty Days: 219Salary Range: $73,584 - 88,656FLSA Status: Exempt
Position Purpose
Delivers rigorous instruction to visually impaired and low vision/blind students in order to promote intellectual, social and physical growth. Ensures that regardless of socioeconomic factors, every student is prepared for accelerated learning in ways that prepares them to compete in a global economy. Creates a safe and supportive learning environment to maximize life-long learning. Provides strategies to help students with Vision Impairments to develop in the areas of orientation, mobility, communication, language acquisition, social and emotional skills development.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONSProvide early intervention services to target child and family outcomes in the family's home or another natural environment.Develop Individual Family Service Plans (IFSPs) with the child's family and Early Childhood Intervention Coordinator.Coach families on how to incorporate the instructional/adaptive supports into daily routines.Conduct ongoing assessment of child's developmental skills and use results to plan for instructional activities.Plan and lead center-based child and parent activities according to IFSP goals.Navigate medical community to ensure families gain optimal knowledge of eye health, services and supports.Maintain paperwork, records and lessons plans for each child on caseload.Provide professional home visits and consultation to families of children who have vision impairments based on IFSPs developed in coordination with ECI.Provide families with information on visual impairments, vision assistive technology, equipment, supportive devices and advocacy.Acts as a positive role model for students and support mission of school district.Submit the necessary paperwork to ECI in a timely fashion and maintain permanent files.Assist families with the enrollment/transition process and verify proper coding.Establish and maintain open lines of communication by conducting conferences with parents, students, principals and teachers.Participate in staff development activities to improve job-related skills to include PLC's.Stay informed of and comply with federal, state, district, school regulations and policies for special education teachers.Attend trainings for Parent Liaison and or Itinerant teachers to stay current on laws, regulations and techniques governing Visual Impairment Services. Attend ARD meetings.Coordinate with other involved agencies/therapists and attend appropriate meetings.Manages, delivers and maintains equipment needed for instructional support.Must be able to work as part of an interagency and interdisciplinary team to provide vision impaired services.
Safety
Performs preventive maintenance on tools and equipment and ensures equipment is in safe operating condition.Follows established safety procedures and techniques to perform job duties including lifting and climbing; operates tools and equipment according to established safety procedures.Corrects unsafe conditions in work area and promptly reports any conditions that are not immediately correctable to supervisor.
Supervisory Responsibilities
None.
Personal Work Relationships
All Fort Worth ISD employees must maintain a commitment to the District's mission, vision, and strategic goals.Exhibits high professionalism, standards of conduct and work ethic.Demonstrates high quality customer service; builds rapport/relationship with the consumer.Demonstrates cultural competence in interactions with others; is respectful of co-workers; communicates and acts as a team player; promotes teamwork; responds and acts appropriately in confrontational situations.
Other Duties as Assigned
Performs all job-related duties as assigned and in accordance to the Board rules, policies and regulations. All employees are expected to comply with lawful directives in rare situations driven by need where a team effort is required.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Ability to use software to access databases, email, create spreadsheets, and do word processing.Ability to organize and coordinate work.Ability to communicate effectively, both oral and written forms.Ability to engage in self-evaluation with regard to performance and professional growth.Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with others contacted in the course of work.Ability to analyze and prepare documents, reports, and correspondence.Ability to process and handle confidential information with discretion.Ability to work with students with physical, emotional, educational, and/or intellectual disabilities.Ability to respect differences and value the diversity of cultures of program participants.Ability to consider academic, social, and emotional needs of students in making decisions about academic settings and accommodations for individual students.Ability to exercise discretion regarding matters of a sensitive or confidential nature.Ability to maintain effective interpersonal relationships.Ability to present information in one-on-one, small group, and large group situations to students, parents, and District staff.Ability to prepare oral or written communications, such as presentations, reports, memoranda, letters, grant proposals, and curriculum documents.Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a team-oriented structure.Knowledge of visual impairment and how it impacts child developmentKnowledge of Admission, Review and Dismissal Committee (ARD) process, Individualized Family Service Plan (IEP) goal setting process and implementationAbility to work with Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) ProvidersAbility to read and interpret testing resultsAbility to administer vision assessments, report and interpret resultsKnowledge of Braille and supporting systemsKnowledge of specialized equipment and assistive technology supporting persons with visual impairmentsKnowledge of special education instructionStrong organizational, communication, public relations and interpersonal skillsExperience working with young children, care givers, and/or familiesKnowledge of child development and early education theories and practices
Travel Requirements
Travels to school district buildings and professional meetings as required.
Physical & Mental Demands, Work Hazards
Tools/Equipment Used:
Standard office equipment, including computer and peripherals.Posture:
Prolonged sitting and standing; occasional stooping, squatting, kneeling, bending, pushing/pulling, and twisting.Motion:
Frequent repetitive hand motions, including keyboarding and use of mouse; occasional reaching.Lifting:
Occasional li Create New Postingght lifting and carrying (less than 15 pounds).Environment:
Works in an office setting; may require occasional irregular and/or prolonged hours.Attendance:
Regular and punctual attendance at the worksite is required for this position.Mental Demands:
Maintains emotional control under stress; works with frequent interruptions.
Minimum Required Qualifications
Education:
Bachelors' Degree from an accredited school required; Masters' Degree preferredCertification/License:
Clear and valid Texas Driver's License required;Valid Texas Certification and/or Professional Educator's Certification (visual Impairments or Special Education with VI Endorsement)Passing score on the Texas Assessment of BrailleEndorsement or certification in Visual Impairment
Experience:
5 years as a certified and practicing teacher of the visually impaired and/or Parent AdvisorLanguage:
Bilingual (English/Spanish) working proficiency preferred in some settings.
This document is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job and is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties that may be assigned or skills that may be required.
Date Posted:8/10/2023
Location:AI/VI
Closing Date:Open Until FilledSpecialist III - Visual Education
Reports to: Special Education Assistant Director
PC: 20852-4Pay Grade: 204Duty Days: 219Salary Range: $73,584 - 88,656FLSA Status: Exempt
Position Purpose
Delivers rigorous instruction to visually impaired and low vision/blind students in order to promote intellectual, social and physical growth. Ensures that regardless of socioeconomic factors, every student is prepared for accelerated learning in ways that prepares them to compete in a global economy. Creates a safe and supportive learning environment to maximize life-long learning. Provides strategies to help students with Vision Impairments to develop in the areas of orientation, mobility, communication, language acquisition, social and emotional skills development.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONSProvide early intervention services to target child and family outcomes in the family's home or another natural environment.Develop Individual Family Service Plans (IFSPs) with the child's family and Early Childhood Intervention Coordinator.Coach families on how to incorporate the instructional/adaptive supports into daily routines.Conduct ongoing assessment of child's developmental skills and use results to plan for instructional activities.Plan and lead center-based child and parent activities according to IFSP goals.Navigate medical community to ensure families gain optimal knowledge of eye health, services and supports.Maintain paperwork, records and lessons plans for each child on caseload.Provide professional home visits and consultation to families of children who have vision impairments based on IFSPs developed in coordination with ECI.Provide families with information on visual impairments, vision assistive technology, equipment, supportive devices and advocacy.Acts as a positive role model for students and support mission of school district.Submit the necessary paperwork to ECI in a timely fashion and maintain permanent files.Assist families with the enrollment/transition process and verify proper coding.Establish and maintain open lines of communication by conducting conferences with parents, students, principals and teachers.Participate in staff development activities to improve job-related skills to include PLC's.Stay informed of and comply with federal, state, district, school regulations and policies for special education teachers.Attend trainings for Parent Liaison and or Itinerant teachers to stay current on laws, regulations and techniques governing Visual Impairment Services. Attend ARD meetings.Coordinate with other involved agencies/therapists and attend appropriate meetings.Manages, delivers and maintains equipment needed for instructional support.Must be able to work as part of an interagency and interdisciplinary team to provide vision impaired services.
Safety
Performs preventive maintenance on tools and equipment and ensures equipment is in safe operating condition.Follows established safety procedures and techniques to perform job duties including lifting and climbing; operates tools and equipment according to established safety procedures.Corrects unsafe conditions in work area and promptly reports any conditions that are not immediately correctable to supervisor.
Supervisory Responsibilities
None.
Personal Work Relationships
All Fort Worth ISD employees must maintain a commitment to the District's mission, vision, and strategic goals.Exhibits high professionalism, standards of conduct and work ethic.Demonstrates high quality customer service; builds rapport/relationship with the consumer.Demonstrates cultural competence in interactions with others; is respectful of co-workers; communicates and acts as a team player; promotes teamwork; responds and acts appropriately in confrontational situations.
Other Duties as Assigned
Performs all job-related duties as assigned and in accordance to the Board rules, policies and regulations. All employees are expected to comply with lawful directives in rare situations driven by need where a team effort is required.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Ability to use software to access databases, email, create spreadsheets, and do word processing.Ability to organize and coordinate work.Ability to communicate effectively, both oral and written forms.Ability to engage in self-evaluation with regard to performance and professional growth.Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with others contacted in the course of work.Ability to analyze and prepare documents, reports, and correspondence.Ability to process and handle confidential information with discretion.Ability to work with students with physical, emotional, educational, and/or intellectual disabilities.Ability to respect differences and value the diversity of cultures of program participants.Ability to consider academic, social, and emotional needs of students in making decisions about academic settings and accommodations for individual students.Ability to exercise discretion regarding matters of a sensitive or confidential nature.Ability to maintain effective interpersonal relationships.Ability to present information in one-on-one, small group, and large group situations to students, parents, and District staff.Ability to prepare oral or written communications, such as presentations, reports, memoranda, letters, grant proposals, and curriculum documents.Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a team-oriented structure.Knowledge of visual impairment and how it impacts child developmentKnowledge of Admission, Review and Dismissal Committee (ARD) process, Individualized Family Service Plan (IEP) goal setting process and implementationAbility to work with Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) ProvidersAbility to read and interpret testing resultsAbility to administer vision assessments, report and interpret resultsKnowledge of Braille and supporting systemsKnowledge of specialized equipment and assistive technology supporting persons with visual impairmentsKnowledge of special education instructionStrong organizational, communication, public relations and interpersonal skillsExperience working with young children, care givers, and/or familiesKnowledge of child development and early education theories and practices
Travel Requirements
Travels to school district buildings and professional meetings as required.
Physical & Mental Demands, Work Hazards
Tools/Equipment Used:
Standard office equipment, including computer and peripherals.Posture:
Prolonged sitting and standing; occasional stooping, squatting, kneeling, bending, pushing/pulling, and twisting.Motion:
Frequent repetitive hand motions, including keyboarding and use of mouse; occasional reaching.Lifting:
Occasional li Create New Postingght lifting and carrying (less than 15 pounds).Environment:
Works in an office setting; may require occasional irregular and/or prolonged hours.Attendance:
Regular and punctual attendance at the worksite is required for this position.Mental Demands:
Maintains emotional control under stress; works with frequent interruptions.
Minimum Required Qualifications
Education:
Bachelors' Degree from an accredited school required; Masters' Degree preferredCertification/License:
Clear and valid Texas Driver's License required;Valid Texas Certification and/or Professional Educator's Certification (visual Impairments or Special Education with VI Endorsement)Passing score on the Texas Assessment of BrailleEndorsement or certification in Visual Impairment
Experience:
5 years as a certified and practicing teacher of the visually impaired and/or Parent AdvisorLanguage:
Bilingual (English/Spanish) working proficiency preferred in some settings.
This document is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job and is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties that may be assigned or skills that may be required.