504 Chairperson/Coach

ABOUT OUR DISTRICT:

The Syracuse City School District is undergoing a new phase of innovation and transformation with the goal of ensuring that all students graduate high school with the skills needed to be ready for college and career. For Syracuse, all means all. The School Board and Syracuse community have charged the Superintendent with improving student achievement, and she is seeking a dedicated and diverse team of educators to partner with her in moving the district toward its goals.

The Syracuse City School District represents 35 schools and programs, including 6 high schools, 6 middle schools, 6 K-8 schools, 13 elementary schools, and 4 alternative education programs, serving approximately 19,000 students Pre-K–12. Of these students, 82.3% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, 20.1% are served by the Office of Special Education, and 83% are students of color.

ABOUT THIS POSITION:

The 504 District Chairperson/Coach is responsible for chairing and facilitating the 504 processes for students with disabilities, as well as providing professional learning and support for school staff in implementing the 504 plans. The Chairperson/Coach will work with the Assistant Director for 504s, school-based administrators, and relevant school staff and families to support the 504 process and follow-through with communication of plans of support and/or required program changes. The Chairperson/Coach will be provide information for compliance reporting, recordkeeping, and providing recommendations regarding improving the 504 development and implementation process in SCSD. The Chairperson/Coach will also offer professional learning and coaching sessions regarding 504s as needed.

REPORTS TO: Assistant Director for 504s

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Chair 504 meetings, including documenting all meeting discussions in minutes and updating current documents to reflect current student needs while incorporating medial evidence, school input, and student and family requests;
• Support the data collection needed to produce quarterly reports of all students with 504s to track behavior, attendance, and academic performance and collaborate with the Assistant Director to suggest revisions to 504 plans as a result of quarterly analysis;

• Engage in supervision and support meetings with the Assistant Director for 504s and other leaders, as needed;

• Provide coaching and professional learning sessions to develop school and district capacity to better develop and implement 504 plans for students;

• Utilize organization systems for collecting data and tracking to document needs, services, and progress towards student behavioral goals;
• Observe and provide coaching feedback on 504 implementation, as needed;
• Assist in provide training and support to staff on Section 504 compliance and best practices;

• Attend meetings to maintain current knowledge of new legislation and requirements.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• In-depth understanding of Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA)
• Proven experience accelerating measurable student learning in urban schools (preferred)
• Training and or experience with Culturally Relevant Education (preferred)
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Experience with chairing special education or 504-accommodation meetings (preferred)
• Prior demonstration of exemplary attendance is expected of any candidate for hire.
• All candidates must possess New York State teacher certification in their subject area, or qualify to obtain it by the first date of employment. This requires at least a Bachelor’s degree. Licensed teachers from other states may qualify for reciprocity.
• Please note that New York State requires a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.5 for certification, and once hired, this proof will be kept on file in the Office of Human Resources. 
• Familiarity with federal and state regulations regarding disability accommodations.
• Once offered, you will be required to declare that all previous obligations with an employing school district have been met and you are not seeking this position with the intent of resigning from a previous commitment in which you have not served. 
• The successful candidate will be required to pass a fingerprint-based background check, at the cost of $102.50 to the candidate.
• City Residents are encouraged to apply!

SALARY/SALARY RANGE: 

• Salary is per the Unit 1 contractual agreement. 
• Teachers will have opportunities to teach in our Summer School Programs, receiving an hourly rate of $42.69.
• Teachers of color or those with experience and a deep background in Urban Education may qualify for the District's Urban Fellowship Program.