The posting
Special Education Teacher – Social Emotional & Inclusion (Elementary, K–1)
Swampscott Elementary School | Swampscott Public Schools
Role: Partial to Full Inclusion Special Education Teacher
Position Overview
Swampscott Elementary School is seeking a highly skilled, compassionate, and specialized Elementary Special Education Teacher to support Kindergarten and 1st-Grade students in partial to full inclusion settings. In this specialized role, your primary function will be to provide direct academic, social-emotional, and executive functioning instruction, develop and monitor Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and implement positive behavior support plans for students with emotional disabilities and complex behavioral needs.
Guided by the district’s C.O.R.E. values—Community, Opportunity, Respect, and Equity—you will collaborate closely with clinical specialists and classroom staff to foster an inclusive, supportive, and trauma-informed learning environment.
Essential Functions
Specialized Instruction & IEP Leadership
- Direct Instruction: Deliver specialized direct instruction in grade-level academics, social-emotional skills, and executive functioning to students with emotional disabilities and related learning needs.
- Evaluations & Documentation: Conduct comprehensive special education evaluations, write detailed IEPs, and author clear, data-driven progress reports according to state and federal timelines.
- Thematic & Interest-Based Planning: Design engaging thematic units and leverage individual student interests to increase academic access and student investment in the curriculum.
- Social Skills Groups: Plan and facilitate targeted social skills groups utilizing evidence-based frameworks, including Social Thinking Curriculums and The Zones of Regulation.
Behavioral Support, Interventions, & Staff Coaching
- Behavior Support Plans (BSPs): Implement positive behavior support plans, systematically collecting and analyzing behavioral data to inform interventions and track progress.
- Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Integration: Apply principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to support skill acquisition, emotional regulation, and functional behavior reduction.
- Modeling & Staff Coaching: Model strategies and coach paraprofessionals and support staff on the accurate execution of accommodations, behavior plans, and earned reinforcement breaks.
- Reinforcement Supervision: Facilitate and supervise student regulation breaks, earning structures, play-based reinforcement, and game activities to promote self-regulation and positive behavior.
Multidisciplinary Collaboration & Family Communication
- Specialist Consultation: Partner and consult regularly with internal and external specialists, including the School Psychologist, Clinical Psychologist, and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).
- Family Engagement: Maintain open, proactive, and empathetic communication with families regarding student progress, behavioral growth, and home-school alignment.
Professional Reliability
- Consistent Presence: Maintain strict punctuality and daily attendance to ensure necessary coverage ratios, behavioral predictability, and continuous student safety.
Qualifications
- Licensure: Valid Massachusetts DESE Certification in Moderate Disabilities (PreK–8 or PreK–2) required.
- Education: Master’s Degree in Special Education or a closely related field required.
- Experience: Minimum of 3 years of successful special education teaching experience working with elementary students with emotional disabilities and social-emotional challenges required.
- Specialized Knowledge:
- Demonstrated proficiency in Social Thinking Curriculums and The Zones of Regulation.
- Strong understanding of the Principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
- Experience with formal evaluation tools, IEP writing, and functional behavior data collection.
- Compliance: Successful completion of a Massachusetts CORI and fingerprint-based national criminal background check.
Physical Requirements
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Stamina & Mobility: High level of physical mobility required; ability to stand, walk, sit on the floor, bend, stoop, crouch, reach, and quickly move to support young children during play or behavioral dysregulation. Ability to lift or move up to 25–30 pounds.
- Communication & Senses: Clear, calm, and articulate vocal communication and active listening skills to de-escalate situations and model social skills.
- Vision: Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and visual tracking to observe student interactions and maintain constant safety oversight.
- Environment: Indoor classroom, resource room, play spaces, and outdoor playground environments; exposure to high-energy and occasionally high-stress classroom situations.
Non-Discrimination Statement
The Swampscott Public Schools does not discriminate or tolerate harassment against students, parents/guardians, employees, or the general public. No person shall be excluded from or discriminated against in admission to the Swampscott Public Schools, or in obtaining the advantages, privileges, and courses of study of the Swampscott Public Schools on grounds of race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, genetic information, ancestry, children, marital or civil union status, veteran status or membership in the armed services, receiving of public assistance, homeless, or disability.
