Position : Dean of Special Education (called Quest and Specialized Services) (remote) Reports to : Head of Academics and Student Affairs; dotted line to Dwight Network Director of Quest   Job Description Working with the Head of Academics and Student Affairs, the Dean of Quest and Specialized Services is responsible for management and oversight of Dwight Global Online School’s Specialized Services programs, which include Quest, EAL, and Special Testing.  The Dean of Quest and Specialized Services shall work to infuse personalized learning and a student-centered approach in all endeavors.  In this multifaceted role, the Dean of Quest and Specialized Services touches on many areas of a student’s journey, including admissions, evaluation, placement, monitoring, accommodations, and counseling, and plays a critical part in achieving Dwight Global’s mission of igniting the spark of genius in each student.  The Dean of Quest and Specialized Services should be an expert in special education who desires the opportunity to further develop and build on a thriving special education program online.   Though the position is remote and the Dean can work from anywhere, the Dean must be available from 8 to 4 ET.  The Dean should anticipate 1-2 trips to New York City every year.   About Quest At Dwight Global, students who enroll in the Quest program receive a high level of support. Each student is assigned a Quest teacher whose job is to oversee the student’s approach to coursework, identify areas for improvement in the student’s approach to work, secure resources for the student, and advocate for the student as needed.   Responsibilities of the Position:   Leadership + Lead, manage, and oversee Dwight Global Online School’s special education program, which is called Quest + Effectively communicate to current and prospective families and internal school communities about the value and benefits of Quest + With the Head of Academics and Student Affairs, engage in short and long term organizational planning and strategy about the future of Quest and Specialized Services + Develop enrollment goals and strategies and implement and execute strategies to meet them  + Participate and show visibility in key school-wide initiatives  + Work collaboratively, build strong professional relationships, listen to and reconcile multiple views, and support solution-oriented and student-centered practices  + Directly mentor Quest students  + Lead department efforts to utilize data to inform the delivery of support, pedagogy, and decision-making.  Data should be used to improve student learning.   Student evaluation and placement + Work closely with the admissions department to examine testing and school records for the purposes of (i) advising admissions on suitability of candidates for the Dwight Global program, (ii) counseling families and students, and (iii) determining if any student should be admitted on the basis of entering the Quest Program for the academic year. + Work with Testing Coordinator to evaluate possible special needs accommodations for incoming students, a process determined by examination of any educational psychologist or medical reports.  + Evaluate current students annually to determine the need for Quest sessions based on most recent evaluations. + Especially in August, but also as new students enroll, monitor Quest session scheduling. + Plan and execute August Advantage to adequately prepare students for the first few weeks of school.   Record keeping + Work with the Testing Coordinator to ensure that evaluation documentation for all students who are authorized for assessment accommodation (irrespective of enrollment in Quest sessions) is maintained in a secure location, with copy provided to the Registrar for inclusion in the student’s file. + Work with the Quest team to review all progress reports and report cards for students to ensure accuracy in all grades, subjects, and comments.   Overseeing Quest teachers + Working with the HOS, and HOA, carry out the recruitment, hiring and evaluation of all Quest teachers.   + Ensure that Quest personnel have appropriate qualifications related to the special needs of the students they are programmed to work with and the age of the students. + Oversee the Quest Mentor Teacher program ensuring all eligible candidates can apply, overseeing the approval process, and ensuring current master teachers hold regular meetings and are equipped to advise their Quest team. + Possess full knowledge of Florida and New York State and City laws regarding available accommodations for special needs students.  + Ensure that all Quest teachers are clear in their role and how they must interact with parents and subject teachers on a routine basis.  + Provide information to all teachers in the department regarding professional development opportunities and encourage them to pursue such enrichment. + Work with Head of Academic and Student Affairs to organize and lead professional development experiences for Quest faculty. + Organize and lead two annual Quest retreats for professional development opportunities. + Guide Quest teachers through the process of creating School Accommodation Plans.   Reporting and communicating + Oversee the design, content and structure of the Quest reports, sent out after each Quest session and at the end of each trimester. + Oversee the course selection process for all Quest students by gathering teacher and college counseling data, working with the Quest teacher, and meeting with the student and parents. + Ensure that all subject teachers fully comprehend the role of Quest personnel and are aware of how they’ll need to subject teachers and Quest teachers work together. + Provide professional development sessions for subject teachers to ensure that they are competent in understanding best practice to deal with students with special needs in the classroom. + Ensure that the nature and function of Quest is fully understood by the whole school community. + Be able to work with state or city education department personnel in any case where a parent is seeking funding to support Quest classes for their child. + Prepare for and participate in IEP review meetings and DOE hearings when needed + Ensure that Quest personnel complete these reports in a timely manner for posting online for final review and release to parents. + Communicate with the whole school community the nature and purpose of Quest classes. This communication should take the form of written and online information. In addition, be available at appropriate parent meetings to detail the role of the department in general.  + Oversee the Quest-teacher communication process to ensure teachers are paired with appropriate Quest teacher and hold meetings during each of the 10 yearly windows.   Special Testing + Manage and oversee the Special Testing Coordinator + Work with Special Testing Coordinator to ensure that all subject teachers are made aware of specific accommodations approved for any student, irrespective of enrollment in Quest. + Ensure that subject teachers fully understand the nature and requirements of such accommodation and how this applies in their subject area. + Provide clear timelines to parents, students and faculty indicating the deadlines by which submission of evaluative material must be made in order to authorize specific accommodations for external assessments, including PSAT, IB, AP, SAT and ACT examinations. + Monitor status of external accommodations requests and ensure that parents have received decisions in a timely manner; oversee the filing of appeals as needed.  EAL + Oversee coordinator of small EAL department   Qualifications + Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent) in Special Education or related field; Master’s Degree preferred + Demonstrated ability to work online + Commitment to Dwight Global's mission, vision, values, and strategic goals + Demonstrated leadership and management skills + Excellent oral and written communication skills + Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to build relationships with students and families, and collaborate across departments + Excellent planning skills coupled with the ability to pivot quickly and act urgently to address problems that arise + Ability to bring flexibility and optimism to work  Compensation commensurate upon experience: $75,000-$85,000 Powered by JazzHR