Asst. Principal / Special Services IEP Coordinator SY26-27

Anticipated Opening: Assistant Principal / Special Services IEP Building Coordinator - Sea Road School

Salary Range: Approx. $118,754 - $137,359

Anticipated Start Date: September 1 or earlier

Position Overview: The Assistant Principal / Special Services IEP Coordinator serves as a dynamic, developing leader who provides school-wide leadership while simultaneously managing and coordinating building-level special education services. This role is a key member of the school-based leadership team, working collaboratively with the Principal, the Director of Special Services, district-wide administrators, instructional leaders, and educators to drive transformative student growth, foster inclusive practices, and ensure regulatory compliance. The ideal candidate operates with a mindset of continuous learning, serving as both an instructional leader and an administrative expert in special services.

Supervision and Evaluation

• Reports to: The designated school Principal and the Director of Special Services.
• Manages/Supervises: Designated school-based staff members, including Classroom, MLL and GT Teachers, Special Education Teachers/Case Managers, Related Service Providers, 504 Case Managers, Educational Technicians, and other appropriate support staff.
• Evaluation: Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with district policies on administrative personnel.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Master’s Degree with a background in Educational Administration, Educational Leadership, Special Education, or equivalent.
• Certification: Valid State of Maine Certification (045) as a K-12 Assistant Principal and a valid Maine Special Education Administrator Certification (282 and 035/030 endorsements) or Conditional approval.
• Experience: 3–5 years of successful K-12 teaching experience is strongly preferred, with a preference for at least 3 years in special education teaching; 2 years of experience in administration is preferred. Demonstrated experience in instructional leadership roles and experience working with teams of teachers.
• Knowledge: Federal and state regulations for Special Education, IEP management systems, MTSS models, and PEPG frameworks.

Core Responsibilities

1. Instructional Leadership & Data-Driven Management

• Assist the Principal in enacting the strongest possible vision of instructional excellence and academic planning.
• Support instructional design, delivery, and decision-making centered around rigorous learning, critical thinking, and high expectations.
• Build school-wide instructional knowledge of standards, curriculum, and research-based instructional practices.
• Coach teachers to identify and address gaps in student mastery.
• Monitor and analyze comprehensive building data, student achievement metrics, and IEP compliance data.
• Lead efforts to track academic outcomes by student sub-groups, focusing on minimizing achievement gaps.

2. Talent Management & Staff Supervision

• Serve as an enthusiastic recruiter and effective ambassador to attract, select, and retain a diverse, high-quality school staff.
• Collaborate in recruitment, interviewing, and hiring activities for designated staff.
• Support the Principal in identifying, developing, and leading instructional leadership teams.
• Assist with management and evaluation of general education and Special Services staff.
• Serve as an instructional coach, providing actionable feedback to teachers.
• Mentor new special education teachers and provide professional development and training.

3. Special Education Coordination & IEP Management

• Serve as the Local Educational Agency (LEA) representative for building-level special education meetings and IEP processes.
• Facilitate IEP meetings and Professional Learning Community (PLC) activities.
• Ensure compliance with all special education requirements.
• Maintain adherence to state and federal regulations and promote inclusive practices.
• Support case managers with referrals, documentation, notices, and eligibility paperwork.
• Manage Special Services documentation, staffing, scheduling, transfers, and ESY programming.

4. Culture, Community, & Stakeholder Engagement

• Work with the Principal to foster a collaborative, safe, and nurturing school culture.
• Enforce student behavior expectations and support proactive intervention systems.
• Act as the primary contact for student interventions and parent engagement.
• Coordinate inclusive education practices and collaborative teaching approaches.
• Serve as a liaison between administrators, staff, agencies, and families.
• Effectively manage conflicts and communicate district perspectives.

5. School Operations & Administration

• Serve as the Principal in the Principal’s absence when needed.
• Help manage daily school operations including attendance, scheduling, and supervision.
• Monitor school-sponsored activities and extracurricular events.
• Coordinate transportation, custodial, cafeteria, and support services.
• Collaborate on operational aspects of special education programming.
• Continually refine management and leadership skills.

6. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Lens

• Serve as a dedicated leader in the district’s commitment to DEI.
• Contribute to curriculum and instructional improvements with awareness of diverse needs.
• Address experiences that conflict with DEI priorities and identify prevention strategies.
• Advocate for students and staff experiencing discrimination or harassment.
• Model equity-based, diverse, and inclusive behaviors.
• Reflect on personal biases and commit to ongoing DEI growth.

Core Competencies

• Change Agent Mindset: Strives toward improving students’ lives and views education as a driver of opportunity.
• Student-Centered: Keeps students’ needs central to every action and decision.
• Relationship-Oriented: Builds rapport, trust, and collaborative relationships.
• Coaching Orientation: Offers actionable feedback and models excellence.
• Resourceful & Responsive: Optimizes available tools and adapts to challenges.
• Strong Communicator: Shares information clearly and synthesizes research and data.
• Leadership Orientation: Acts with integrity, ethical awareness, and innovation.

Reasonable Accommodations: RSU 21 will provide accommodations to an individual with a disability, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or applicable law, who has made the district aware of their disability, unless doing so would cause an undue hardship to the district.

Terms of Employment: This is a year-round administration position. Salary is based on the candidate’s qualifications and experience.

How to Apply

Please submit your application materials through our online career portal as follows:

• External Applicants: Submit a current Resume/CV and three (3) Letters of Reference.

Note: Incomplete applications will not be considered.