Special Education Teacher: Functional Life Skills 2025-2026 School Year (Immediate Start)
About the job
Purpose
Fryeburg Academy, a 700-student day and boarding high school in Western Maine and the Mount Washington Valley, seeks an innovative special education teacher beginning immediately. This full-time position involves working with a caseload of students in a functional life skills setting. The goal of the program is to maximize the learning experience of students with special needs in the areas of academics, interpersonal skills, and activities of daily living. This is accomplished by implementing curriculum; utilizing and following functional behavior plans; documenting teaching, student progress/activities, and outcomes; addressing students’ specific needs; and providing a safe and optimal learning environment.
This is a dynamic program with many moving parts. Students participate in a variety of activities and are very active in our community. We offer unified sports, Special Olympics, daily living skills, community outings and domestic skills. Two days a week are dedicated to being out in the community: one day is recreational and the other is daily living skills.
Fryeburg Academy faculty have responsibilities connected with the school's boarding program and extracurricular offerings. The Academy seeks individuals who enjoy working with high school students in and out of the classroom and who wish to strengthen its community through commitment to various roles.
Essential Job Functions
- Build confidence in and trusting relationships with students
- Encourage good citizenship among students and other teachers in the classroom
- Participate in field trips as part of student post-secondary transition goals
- Maintain an organized physical environment for classroom safety and presentation
- Plan, develop or modify special education curriculum, including lessons, programs, and teaching methods
- Using Special Education skill areas, instruct students individually and in groups
- Monitor student progress in varied settings
- Using work output and observation, determine goals and objectives for students and evaluate them based on their progress in these areas.
- Prepare report cards, classroom observation records, education records, IEP records, and other required forms.
- Conduct assessments, testing and diagnostic examinations of students for the purpose of identifying learning needs and recommending courses of action to increase and maximize learning.
- Assist students and teaching staff in implementing IEPs and behavior management plans
- Coordinate with outside agencies and organizations
Κnowledge, Skills, Dispositions
- Proficiency in writing IEPs is essential; knowledge of the Adori system is a plus
- Strong supervisory experience; ability to provide guidance to, schedule, and delegate to ed techs (paraprofessionals/teaching assistants) working in their classrooms
- A belief in independent education, and particularly the mission of Fryeburg Academy
- Ability to work with, encourage, and inspire students to seek continuous growth
- A willingness to work with students from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of abilities
- An understanding of how students learn
- Ability and desire to plan high-quality instruction, assess student learning, reflect on pedagogical effectiveness, and adjust approach as needed
- Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively while maintaining high professional standards
- Basic computer literacy skills
Qualifying Education and Experience
- A bachelor’s degree is required; a master’s degree is preferred.
- State Certification as a Special Education Teacher: DOE 282 (or the qualifications to be conditionally certified in Special Education) is required.
- Experience working with students outside the classroom (e.g., tutoring, coaching, in a residential or camp setting, or as an activity advisor) is a plus.
- All Fryeburg Academy employees are subject to the Maine Dept. of Education Criminal History Record Check.
Fryeburg Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer
TO APPLY: Interested candidates should submit the following documents in PDF format: application, letter of interest, résumé, college transcripts, and three references. Please ensure that the resume includes all previous work experience, educational or otherwise. Fryeburg Academy’s application can be accessed by visiting the employment page of Fryeburg Academy’s website or requesting one from the Business Office. Application documents can be emailed to Erin Wentworth, Human Resources Manager ( ewentworth@fryeburgacademy.org ).
