Special Education Director-Extended Services

Position Overview:

The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice is looking to bring aboard a dynamic, energetic, thoughtful individual to become our next Special Education Director for Extended Services. The qualified individual should be knowledgeable about Special Education law and in specific Illinois Special Education polices and procedure and have experience working with At-Risk students. If you want to be a change agent and are looking to work to change the lives of students and contribute to communities, IDJJ School District #428 is for you! We encourage all qualified applicants to apply. 

Essential Functions:

• Serves as the Special Education Director-Extended Services at IDJJ General Office.
• Prepares and monitors budgetary needs and expenditures.
• Serves as full line supervisor.
• Determines staffing needs to achieve program objectives.
• Establishes/attends/participates in staff meetings, workshops, and other professional development programs designed to improve/expand educational attainment.
• Completes and certifies timely preparation/submittal of reports required by Illinois State Board of Education, Personnel, and other documents as required and needed.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned, which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Requires knowledge, skill, and mental development equivalent to completion of four (4) years of college.
• Requires possession of a current and valid Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Professional Educator License (PEL).
• Requires three (3) years of progressively responsible administrative teaching experience in a public or private school setting.
• Requires three (3) years of educational supervisory experience.

Preferred Qualifications (In Order of Significance):

• Prefers at least four (4) years of experience coordinating special education programs.
• Prefers at least three (3) years of experience administering compliance with Special Education mandates at both state and federal level.
• Prefers at least five (5) years of experience as a supervisor in an educational setting.
• Prefers at least three (3) years of experience initiating necessary remedial changes showing progress toward their objectives for youth in an educational program.
• Prefers at least two (2) years of experience developing, implementing, maintaining, and evaluating an educational program, along with recommending improvements.
• Prefers at least three (3) years of experience completing needs assessments for a school district, regarding surveying current and future needs, regarding in-service training and/or specialized services.
• Prefers at least three (3) years of experience managing budgetary needs for a program.
• Prefers at least four (4) years of experience monitoring contractual agreements.

Conditions of Employment:

• Requires the ability to pass an IDOC/IDJJ background check.
• Requires ability to pass a drug screen. The use of unauthorized drugs by an employee, regardless of position held, is prohibited.
• Requires ability to travel in the performance of duties, with overnight stays as appropriate.
• Requires ability to meet Illinois State Board of Education standards for Director of Special Education licensure.
• Certain provisions of the revolving door restrictions contained in 5 ILCS 430/5-45 apply to this position. As a result, the employee should be aware that if offered non-State employment during state employment or within one year immediately after ending State employment, the employee shall, prior to accepting any such non-State employment offer, notify the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor (OEIG) or may be subject to a fine.

The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description.

About the Agency:

The mission of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) is to build youth skills and strengthen families by promoting community safety and positive youth outcomes. Over 900 staff members from across various departments—security, programming, education, mental health, and more—collaborate with the understanding that youth are physically, emotionally, and cognitively different from adults. The department provides extensive services to young people through a developmental, treatment-focused model of care that builds youth resiliency, engages families, and promotes community safety at the five youth facilities it operates across the state. IDJJ serves and houses approximately 150 youth and is responsible for approximately 500 youth on Aftercare in various Illinois’ communities.