] Office of Human Resources - Montgomery County Public Schools

OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT → CLASSIFICATION → INSTRUCTIONAL SPECIALIST, SPECIAL EDUCATION, FAMILY SUPPORT SPECIALIST

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Instructional Specialist, Special Education, Family Support Specialist

MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CLASS DESCRIPTION
OFFICIAL TITLE: Instructional Spec CODE: 0833 SQ/OQ: Not Applicable
WORKING TITLE: Instructional Specialist, Special Education, Family Support Specialist GRADE: BD MONTHS: 12
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF CLASSIFICATION: Under direction of the director of the Department of Special Education Services (DSES), the family support specialist is primarily responsible for coordinating activities and events for parents through a variety of workshops, trainings, and resources. The family support specialist is responsible for increasing parental involvement in the early intervention and special education decision-making process; increasing collaborative relationships; planning workshops and providing training for families; assisting families in resolving concerns and making informed decisions regarding their child's education; and providing information about school system and community resources. The family support specialist will be required to collect, maintain, and analyze data (including telephone calls, emails, meetings, workshops) to make informed decisions and to share that information with the Family Support Services Department at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) two times per year.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION STANDARDS
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Thorough knowledge of current research and trends in parent engagement strategies; thorough understanding of special education regulations, policies, and procedures; thorough knowledge of community resources available to families who have children with disabilities; strong oral communication skills; effective written communication skills; thorough knowledge of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process; ability to use the Maryland Online Individualized Education Program (MOIEP) Tool, word processing, spreadsheet, database, and assistive technologies. Ability to contribute to grant writing and progress monitoring; collaborate with all aspects of the school community and DSES. Ability to develop, coordinate, and implement learning activities matched to identified parent needs. Ability to work effectively with school staff to support parents as equal partners in the IEP. Strong organizational and strategic planning skills and efficiency in meeting deadlines.
EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE: Master's degree or equivalent in special education from an accredited college or university required. Five or more years of training and experience working with students across Grades prekindergarten-12; experience working with parents and community organizations. Demonstrated successful experience in planning, coordinating, and conducting learning activities. Other combinations of applicable education, training, and experience which provide the knowledge, abilities, and skills necessary to perform effectively in the position may be considered.
CERTIFICATE AND LICENSE REQUIREMENTS: Must meet State of Maryland teacher certification requirements for special education teacher, or a related field. Eligible for, or holds, an Advanced Professional Certificate with special education teacher, kindergarten through 12, desirable. Administrator 1 Certification preferred.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: (Special requirements such as lifting heavy objects and frequent climbing.) As required by the duties and responsibilities of the position.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: (Frequent overtime or night work required, etc.) Must be able to attend workshops/trainings for families in the evening and the Special Education Resource Fair, which is held on a Saturday.
OVERTIME ELIGIBLE: No

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Supports the needs of families who have children with IEPs through emails, telephone phone calls, and scheduled meetings; creates a bulletin sharing events (webinars, trainings, workshops) for families and distributes it monthly; develops and presents workshops and trainings to parents/families that are aligned to identified MSDE Parent Survey data; facilitates collaborative relationships with community partners and other family support centers in the area; consults with special education supervisors and school teams to resolve conflicts. Participates in the drafting of the Local Implementation Grant and the Local Application for Federal Funds Grants. Uses data driven decisions to measure effectiveness of support provided and identifies trends in parent requests and system needs. Attends the Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee meetings. Collaborates with the Office of Special Education and across central office to support system priorities and to ensure the needs of stakeholders are shared and addressed. Utilizes systems to share data and concerns. Contacts families who move into MCPS or who have questions about their child's IEP; attends all DSES meetings. Conducts introductory meetings with various departments in MCPS. Performs related work as required.
Class Established: 05/2023
Date(s) Revised:
Last Reviewed:

This description may be changed at any time.