Job Title: UTeach Special Education Teacher, 1:1

Department: Instruction

Reports To: Principal

Compensation: 60,000 with Bonus Potential

TRS Classification: Classified

EPIC’s UTeach Program

Are you underemployed or looking to make a career change? Are you underemployed and would like the opportunity to make more money and impact the lives of children at the same time? Do you want to be part of a unique teaching environment that is paving the way for individualized learning across Oklahoma? Would you like to be able to spend enough one-on-one time with each student to bring out their maximum learning potential? Are you interested in the flexibility to control your own daily/weekly/monthly schedule? If so, EPIC’s new UTEACH Program may be right for you!

EPIC’s UTEACH Program is an innovative Special Education career pathway designed to take you from someone who did not go to college to be an educator to a trained and certified Special Education teacher. If you have a Bachelor’s degree and are interested in changing careers or are interested in working with students with special needs, Epic’s UTeach Program can help you achieve your goal. Applicants will go through a multi-step interview process. If selected for the cohort, EPIC will make an offer of employment and pay you during the UTEACH Program.

Phase 1: SPED Boot Camp

Cohort members will participate in a Special Education Boot Camp. This boot camp will consist of five weeks of specialized training focused on preparing you to work with students with special needs in the Epic Charter School system. Epic’s Special Education boot camp is a 150-hour program consisting of 120 hours of online activities, teaching, and collaborative sessions and 30 hours of field experiences.

Upon completion of the Boot Camp, participants will apply for the OSDE (Oklahoma State Department of Education) 1 year SPED Provisional Certification to work with and teach in the area of mild/moderate or severe/profound disabilities in grades PreK – 12.

All participants will be required to take the SPED OSAT (Oklahoma Subject Area Test) (mild/moderate) certification test upon completing the boot camp. Any participant that does not successfully pass the SPED OSAT will continue taking the exam until it is passed. Epic reserves the right to discontinue employment for any participant that does not successfully pass the exam.

Participants that successfully complete the boot camp and receive a one-year provisional certificate will be assigned a roster to work with and teach Special Education students. Epic reserves the right to discontinue employment for any participant that does not successfully complete the boot camp or successfully completes the boot camp but does not fill out the provisional certification paperwork with OSDE.

Phase 2: Teaching & Certification

UTeach program participants will select an OSDE approved education area of interest for certification (ex: Biology, Chemistry, English Language Arts, General Science, Mathematics, Physics, United States History, and World History covering grades 6-12) and apply for the Alternative Certification pathway at OSDE. Teachers take the OSAT subject area certification exam assigned to them by OSDE after application to the alternative teacher certification program.

UTeach participants will also participate in a Teacher Residency (Mentoring) Program with Epic. Similar to a year-long student teaching experience, participants will teach students in their specific subject area and complete a variety of activities. A mentor will be assigned to assess your progress as you complete your certification journey. During the Teacher Residency, you will demonstrate your knowledge of pedagogy (teaching skills) through successful participation in the PPAT (Praxis Performance Assessment for Teachers) portfolio exam for certification, and complete any coursework required of your unique alternative certification program set up by OSDE. Upon completion of all requirements of the alternative certification program, participants will apply for an OSDE 5-year Oklahoma standard certification, in the content area selected, as well as apply for adding the Special Education (Mild/Moderate) endorsement.

We are currently identifying and hiring people to join EPIC’s UTEACH Program for the 2023-2024 school year. Anticipated start date of the cohort is July 2023. You may submit your application and accompanying supporting documents now to be considered.

Background on Epic:

We are a unique learning environment that provides a non-traditional educational setting utilizing internet-based, individualized self-paced instruction provided in nearly any location in Oklahoma. Epic teachers are remotely based and travel to the student’s home or other designated location to work with each student and meet with parents on a regular basis throughout the year. And each of our students is assigned a teacher for a personalized, one-on-one approach to learning.

Applicants for this cohort must possess the following credentials:

Have a 4-year degree (any major) from an accredited college or university
Have a minimum 2.75 cumulative grade point average
Ability to pass the State of Oklahoma’s “Background Check for School Employment”
Have a strong desire to obtain a Special Education teaching certification (mild/moderate)

DUTIES

Include but are not limited to:

EPIC RESPONSIBILITIES

Work with assigned students ranging from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade to provide instruction in a virtual learning environment

Actively participate in the success of Epic Charter School
Adhere to laws, policies, procedures and ethical standards of Epic Charter School
Communicate effectively with administrators to coordinate activities and programs
Participate fully in professional development for facilitators, including Professional Learning Communities and technological training
Participate with the administration and faculty as a team member in the implementation of the district testing program
Attend school activities
Work collaboratively with other professional staff members in assessing and helping students solve health, attitude and learning problems
Facilitate the implementation of federal and state education regulations
Required participation during spring in-person state testing

WORKING WITH YOUR STUDENTS

- Meet with each student for face to face instruction once each week at a minimum.
- Ability to coach, mentor and teach students of all ages
Work with assigned students to provide instruction in a virtual and in-person learning environment
Provide learning experiences in pre-reading, reading, language arts, social studies, mathematics, science, and other electives
Use technology as an everyday tool for teaching, learning and communicating
Directs the distribution of curriculum to students
Teach students and their families how to use online curriculum and supplemental curriculum
Provide consultation and/or technical assistance to students and families
Adapt instruction and curriculum to the needs of the student
Serves as a liaison between the school and family
Assists families with the interpretation of Epic Charter School’s policies and procedures
Treat students and families with respect and dignity
Communicate with each student through Zoom, instant message, email, and/or phone on an as needed basis
Meet with each student for face-to-face instruction at a minimum of once every two weeks for regular education students and meet with special education students according to their Individualized Education Program.
Check on the student’s progress three (3) times per week. Contact the family and teacher if adequate progress is not being made
Contact the student and/or parents once a week with encouragement and address any family concerns or questions
Meet with the family twice a year to address IEP paperwork within a timely manner so as to remain in compliance with the Oklahoma State Department of Education
Type IEP’s twice a year and update monthly
Be available for parents and teachers to contact you
Be available as a resource for the primary teacher
Give student grades based on IEP modifications
Give accommodation information to the teacher and testing coordinator
Attend IEP meetings of your IEP team partner

ADDRESSING STUDENT NEEDS

Work to coordinate, schedule, assess and implement appropriate instruction for each student
Conduct assessments of student needs, including those with English as a second language
Counsel with students to promote self-awareness, self-identity and positive social and academic skills
Promote parental involvement in the learning process and parental responsibility
Inform students and parents about pertinent test results, academic programming, behavior intervention strategies and their implications to the overall academic success
Work with students and families regarding the effective use of learning time to maximize academic success. This ensures that the most time is focused on the student’s academic needs to ensure student participation.
Identify opportunities for additional tutoring for assigned students
Work with parents to use positive behavioral techniques to strengthen the student’s ability to succeed academically in a positive manner
Emphasize the use of proactive, educative and reinforcement-based strategies to achieve meaningful outcomes
Communicate with parents, in a professional manner, through conferences and other means to discuss the student’s progress and interpret the school program.
Assist students and families in selecting credit coursework to advance the student towards graduation

DAILY ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS

Perform administrative tasks for day-to-day management including: tracking student grades, updating transcripts, managing schedules and meetings, conferring with the school, while scheduling and monitoring student course progress
Translate lesson plans into learning experiences so as to best utilize the available time for instruction.
Review course work for every student
Design, deliver, evaluate and revise a planned sequential developmentally appropriate program in accordance to district standards and indicators
Select and requisition books, instructional aids, instructional supplies for the student and assist with the collection of school property when the relationship between the school and the student ends
Closely monitor and review student transcripts
Maintain grades on the required database for school record
Systematically develop, deliver and evaluate student planning Pre-K through 12th grade addressing academic goal setting and transition plans
Develop and follow Individual Learning Plans to assist in developing measurable goals for continuous improvement of assigned students
Evaluate student’s academic and social growth by keeping appropriate records and preparing progress reports
Maintain documentation of student progress and tracking documents to show student growth
Identify potential at-risk students using common risk factors and frequently observed characteristics
Design interventions for individual students
Assess student behavioral needs
Ensure that proper placement is provided for students with special learning needs
Provide assistance for parents of students identified as being at risk
Be an adult advocate for assigned students
Report suspected child abuse/neglect

CONTINUING EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Stay current with relevant research and teaching/learning trends as required to improve academic achievement
Understand school resources
Maintain updated curriculum training
Maintain professional competence through in-service education activities provided by the district and self-elected professional growth activities
Demonstrate subject matter concepts and examples using models, computers or other teacher-prepared instructional aids
Develop instructional aides stressing discovery and laboratory learning as necessary depending on subject taught
Formulate new strategies to ensure that teaching to Epic Charter School standards is evident throughout the academic school year

Strong communication skills, both verbal and written.
Demonstrated ability to think creatively and demonstrated leadership abilities
Ability to build effective relationships, work collaboratively and gain credibility quickly to instill confidence of teaching ability
Strong decision making, organizational, planning, analytical and problem solving skills.
Use effective positive interpersonal communication skills
Resolve issues and conflicts
Strong technology skills in up-to-date computer software including Skype, word processing and spreadsheets
Current on new instructional technologies
Ability to coach, mentor and teach students ages 4 – 21
Ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively with others
Demonstrates self-discipline and initiative
Attend required meetings & PLCs in person

Google Certified Teacher Levels 1

https://teachercenter.withgoogle.com/certification_level1

All cohort participants will be required to become a Google Certified Level 1 Teacher. The level 1 Google Certification costs $10. Each participant is responsible to pay for the Google Certification. The process takes about 180 minutes to complete. You will have the opportunity to upload your completion certificate during the application process. Please understand that all participants in this program (cohort) are required to become level 1 Google certified and will not be hired for employment until the certification is passed and uploaded.

Compensation: Participants in this program will start with a base salary of $50,000 annually, payable in equal installments on the last day of each month. As participants complete the program, gain more experience, and teach more SPED students, higher levels of compensation are available.

For more information, please contact Dr. Patricia Cook, at patricia.cook@epiccharterschools.org.

Primary Location	Varies
Salary Range	$50,000.00 / Base + Bonus Potential
Shift Type	Full-Time

Language Skills

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to communicate effectively with students, families and coworkers, both verbally and in writing. Ability to effectively present information to students, families and supervisor.

Mathematical Skills

Basic math skills required

Reasoning Ability

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

Physical Demands

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.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Epic Teachers are remotely based and travel to the student’s home or other designated location to work with each student and meet with parents on a regular basis throughout the year. This requires spending a significant amount of time in the car, driving in various conditions and at various times of day. The noise level is quiet to moderately loud (when students are present.)