Quest Academy Day Treatment Special Education Teacher (2025-26 SY)

Reporting directly to the Day Treatment Program Director, the Special Education Teacher designs a positive learning environment and delivers instruction to students whose educational needs are primarily the result of significant social, emotional and behavioral challenges. The teacher is responsible for assessment of each student's individual academic and behavioral needs, individualization of the general education curriculum (K-12), development of IEPs as appropriate and coordination with agency and/or consulting behavioral staff to support achievement of school and treatment goals.

Essential Functions:

1. Assesses students' academic and behavioral needs using standardized achievement, criterion referenced and psychoeducational tests, and completes three-year re-evaluations for special education eligibility in compliance with state and federal regulations.
2. Identifies students' individual needs and leads the child study team in the development of individual education plans. Develops strong communication relations with families.
3. Plans, selects, and teaches academic curriculum aligned with Washington State standards, differentiating instruction in conjunction with individual treatment plans and IEPs; provides social skills instruction supporting students' affective/behavioral goals.
4. Develops and implements specially designed behavior intervention plans integrating Collaborative Problem Solving methodologies.
5. Utilizes crisis prevention and intervention strategies including the use of CPI safe restraint in compliance with Washington State WACs and Emergency Response Protocol in situations where students pose imminent threat of serious bodily harm to themselves or others.
6. Communicates with students during instruction and interpersonal interaction using language structure, tone and body language that promotes positive student behavior, conflict resolution and problem solving, effective management of power struggles and applies strategies for management of escalating behavior.
7. Monitors and records student progress, confers frequently with community agencies, consulting education staff, students, and as appropriate, with parents concerning both academic and behavioral progress or concerns of all assigned students.
8. Coordinates transition activities related to students' transition to the next education or treatment setting including return to the students' local district, or discharge from the program.
9. Works cooperatively with general education classroom teachers, administrators and behavior/treatment staff to place students in regular education programs, provides for accommodations and modifications in the integrated setting as appropriate for each student.
10. Provides for the daily supervision of classroom paraeducators, including training, assignment of tasks, and participates in required observations and evaluations.

1. Works cooperatively with local district and /or private agency administration and staff, fulfilling responsibilities as a member of the school or facility.
2. Compiles student data required under IDEA or necessary for local, state and federal reporting; assists the program secretary to maintain accurate student records.
3. Maintains knowledge of best practices in the field, and demonstrates quality teaching techniques.
4. Maintains a safe, therapeutic environment for students.
5. Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Hold or be eligible to hold a valid Washington teaching certification with K-12 Special Education Endorsement.
2. Knowledge and experience in Special Education teaching students whose primary disability is severe social/emotional behavioral challenges.
3. Ability to compose and produce concise professional documents.
4. Working knowledge of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regulations and procedures.
5. Written and oral communication skills sufficient to perform essential functions.

1. Skilled at working with other professionals such as counselors, social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists as resources for planning and delivery of specially designed programs.
2. Ability to develop and utilize complex scheduling and time management techniques in the daily operation of the instructional program.
3. Ability to supervise one of more educational assistants.
4. Ability to acquire and maintain a valid first aid and CPR card.
5. Ability to acquire and maintain approved physical intervention and de-escalation certification.
6. Valid driver's license.

Working Conditions:

1. Day treatment program setting.
2. Provide assistance and attend to the physical needs of students including moving and positioning students and assisting with personal hygiene needs, including but not limited to: tube feeding, catheterization, changing diapers, toileting.
3. Sit, stand, stoop to attend to student needs and to provide instruction. Strength and agility to assist in physically maintaining a safe learning environment to include emergency response protocols in compliance with Washington State WACs.
4. Exposure to communicable diseases found in children and adolescents.
5. Students may use challenging or offensive verbalizations toward staff and other students with potential for escalation to physical aggression.

1. Successful completion of a criminal history and fingerprint check through the Washington State Patrol and FBI.