Special Education Instructor
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking a Special Education Instructor to join the team at the State Training School (STS) in Eldora. STS provides a holistic social, behavioral, psychiatric, academic, and vocational program that utilizes counseling, treatment, and consequences paired with praise for young men, ages 12-18 years old, who were adjudicated delinquent. You will be well served by the existing structure which provides you with administrative office staff and security. We can assist well qualified candidates in education who have a desire to work in a special education to obtain conditional licensure.
This is a close-knit environment with a strong professional learning community structure. There are no extra duties beyond the Monday – Friday, 7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. schedule and you can request to use your vacation time as soon as it accrues. We offer several days throughout the year to work on curriculum development and courses for re-licensure are provided as part of the workday. There is approximately 1 month of orientation to become familiar with the school and facility.
Our Special Education Instructors work individually and in small groups to provide students specially designed instruction. The instructors have the opportunity to work with the General Education Instructors and other campus staff to meet the challenging needs of our students. We have a strong support system from the Central Rivers Area Education Agency. This is in addition to the team of Special Education Instructors that work to provide for the students at STS.
Special Education Instructors at STS are an irreplaceable piece in the successful development of young men within the facility. STS provides an environment rich in educational challenges that will allow you to practice your craft in a meaningful manner. You will have an opportunity to fine tune your skills by addressing the educational challenges that come from working with a diverse group of young men.
Transitional services are provided by STS staff as well as contract staff to maximize each young man’s chances for success upon returning to their community.
The programs available for residents include:
- General education studies
- Special education programs
- Title I
- High School Equivalency Diploma (formerly GED)
- Competency-based Special Education programs
- Mental Health Counseling and Substance Abuse Counseling
- Group Therapy and Family Therapy
- Rehabilitation/Skills Groups
If you enjoy rewarding yet challenging work, helping young men find stability in their lives and security in their future, this is this the right job for you. Your work at STS has the potential to help pull these young men together and change their future.
If you are proficient in:
- Handling a diverse caseload of emotionally disordered students with mild to moderate needs
- Teaching in an individualized manner in an effort to reach the students
- Providing both individual and classroom instruction
The successful candidate must possess an Initial, Standard, Master Educator, or Exchange License, or be eligible and able to obtain a Class B License through the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, and hold at least one of the following endorsements:
5-12 Instructional Strategist I Mild & Moderate
K-12 Instructional Strategist II: BD/LD
5-12 Multicategorical Special Class with Integration
5-12 Multicategorical Resource (option 1)
5-12 Mildly Disabled
5-12 Behavior Disorders
5-12 Learning Disabilities
Working at STS comes with a special perk! This location offers access for staff to the impressive on-campus gym during off student hours. This includes 3 full size basketball courts, two fully stocked weight rooms with machine and free weights, showers, and lockers. We also provide a cardio room for staff only featuring exercise mats and advanced treadmills and stationary bikes. Usage of these resources is completely free for all STS staff.
We have a great total compensation package, including:
- Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS) (Employee contributes 6.29%/State of Iowa contributes 9.44%)
- Retirement Investors Club (RIC) (Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan) (State of Iowa matches up to $75/month)
- Health, Dental and Vision Insurance (See below for additional information)
- Vacation Leave (96 hours/year to begin, and increases with years of service)
- Sick Leave (144 hours/year)
- Paid Holidays (9 days/year)
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Life Insurance ($20,000 paid for by the State of Iowa)
- Long-Term Disability Insurance
Click here to see how we compare with other employers or offers by using our Total Compensation Calculator.
Eldora Highlights
STS is located in Eldora, a quaint community with a population of approximately 2,800 residents, located in north central Iowa. Eldora is an Iowa River Greenbelt Community and the Iowa River Greenbelt Scenic Drive winds through a picturesque landscape of valleys, woods, and streams. With easy access to the Iowa River and Pine Lake, outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy hiking, kayaking, canoeing, hunting, and fishing, as well as the many educational opportunities, cultural activities, and entertainment events nearby, including a picturesque 9-hole golf course surrounded by Pine Lake State Park.
Eldora is 45 minutes away from Ames and Cedar Falls, 30 minutes from Marshalltown, and only 20 minutes from Iowa Falls. Des Moines, Iowa’s capital, is just 1 hour and 15 minutes away.
- Ames, Iowa is the home of Iowa State University, featuring one of the nation’s premier Engineering schools and leading Veterinary and Agricultural programs. https://www.iastate.edu/
- Cedar Falls is the home of the University of Northern Iowa, https://uni.edu/
- Iowa Falls is the home of Ellsworth Community College. https://ecc.iavalley.edu
- Des Moines has one of the nation’s finest State Fairs and is home to the Iowa Cubs, Wells Fargo Arena host site of NCAA Basketball, premier concerts, and Lauridsen Skatepark, the nation’s largest skatepark.
HHS values those with “lived experience” and encourages adults who were fostered as youth, foster parents, and/or parents who were in the DHS system to apply. Minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply (Hearing and Speech Impaired – Relay Iowa 1-800-735-2942 TDD).
Our agency uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.
Qualifications
Applicants must meet teaching certification requirements established by the Iowa Department of Education including completion of an elementary, secondary, or child development program of teacher preparation.
For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description.
- Designated positions in this job class require applicants to obtain the required Chauffeur's License and endorsements within a period of time as determined by the appointing authority at the time of hire.
- For specific positions, the appointing authority may require certain endorsements and approvals as may be established by the Iowa Board of Education Examiners (BOEE). For more information on endorsements, go to the BOEE website at: http://www.state.ia.us/boee/endnos.html. For class endorsement and approval numbers for licenses issued before October of 1988, go to the BOEE website at: http://www.state.ia.us/boee/endnosold.html.
- Applicants wishing to be considered for such designated positions must list applicable coursework, experience, certificate, license, or endorsement on the application.
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