TITLE: Assistant Director of Special Education (Related Services)
JOB DESCRIPTION:
The Assistant Director of Special Education – Related Services is responsible for providing districtwide leadership, coordination, and oversight of related services that support students with disabilities. This position ensures the effective delivery of speech-language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, school health and nursing, audiology, and other specialized services identified through the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. The Assistant Director collaborates with school teams, service providers, families, and district leadership to ensure high-quality, equitable, and legally compliant service delivery while strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration and improving student outcomes.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Master's degree in Special Education, Educational Leadership, or related field.
- Valid Arizona Administrative Certificate or ability to obtain.
- Minimum of five years of experience in special education, including experience working with related service providers.
- Knowledge of IDEA requirements related to evaluations, related services, and special education service delivery.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supervising multidisciplinary teams and related service providers.
- Experience coordinating contracted therapy and health service providers.
- Knowledge of staffing allocation, workload analysis, and service delivery models.
- Strong organizational, communication, collaboration, and leadership skills.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Therapy and Health Services
- Provide districtwide leadership, coordination, and oversight of related therapy and health services to ensure students receive high-quality, equitable, and legally compliant supports identified in their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
- Oversee Speech-Language Pathology services, ensuring effective assessment, intervention, and programming to support students' communication, articulation, language development, and social communication skills.
- Lead the implementation of Occupational Therapy (OT) services that promote students' fine motor development, sensory regulation, self-help skills, and access to the educational environment.
- Coordinate Physical Therapy (PT) services to support students' gross motor development, functional mobility, balance, positioning, and safe participation in school activities.
- Supervise School Health and Nursing Services related to special education, ensuring students receive appropriate medical accommodations, health care procedures, medication support, and nursing services necessary for educational access.
- Oversee Audiology Services, including hearing evaluations, consultation, hearing assistive technology, classroom listening systems, and collaboration with educational teams to support students with hearing impairments.
- Provide leadership and coordination for School Counseling Services, supporting counselors in delivering comprehensive school counseling programs that address students' academic, social-emotional, behavioral, and postsecondary readiness needs while ensuring appropriate alignment with special education services.
- Coordinate service delivery for contracted and district-employed related service providers while ensuring compliance with district, state, and federal requirements.
- Monitor provider caseloads, workloads, staffing assignments, service schedules, and documentation to ensure efficient and effective implementation of related services.
Program Coordination & Student Support
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary evaluation teams to ensure timely, comprehensive, and educationally relevant evaluations.
- Support school teams in determining appropriate related services based on student needs and educational impact.
- Coordinate specialized supports including assistive technology, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), adaptive equipment, and medically related accommodations.
- Facilitate collaboration among therapists, nurses, teachers, administrators, psychologists, and families to ensure integrated service delivery.
- Support transition planning for students requiring specialized therapies and health services.
Staff Capacity & Professional Learning
- Provide coaching and professional development for related service providers and school teams regarding best practices, collaborative service delivery, documentation, and inclusive instructional supports.
- Promote interdisciplinary collaboration between general education, special education, and related service providers.
- Support recruitment, onboarding, mentoring, and retention of qualified therapy and health service personnel.
- Develop district procedures, guidance documents, and resources that support consistent implementation of related services across schools.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with the Director of Special Education and Assistant Directors of Compliance & Legal and Behavior Support to align service delivery, compliance, behavioral supports, and student outcomes.
- Collaborate with Human Resources regarding recruitment, staffing, certification, and evaluation of related service providers.
- Coordinate with business services and contracted agencies regarding provider contracts and service agreements.
- Build collaborative partnerships with families, medical providers, community agencies, and outside service providers to support continuity of student services.
Data Monitoring & Continuous Improvement
- Monitor implementation of related services to ensure students receive services as outlined in their IEPs.
- Analyze service delivery data, provider workloads, staffing patterns, and student outcomes to improve effectiveness and efficiency.
- Review district trends related to evaluations, therapy services, nursing supports, and specialized programming to identify opportunities for improvement.
- Recommend improvements to systems, staffing models, scheduling, and resource allocation to enhance student access and outcomes.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
The Assistant Director of Special Education – Related Services works in a professional district office and school-site environment. The position requires frequent collaboration with district leadership, school administrators, multidisciplinary teams, families, community agencies, medical professionals, and contracted service providers. Work is primarily performed during standard business hours; however, additional hours may be required to support staffing, IEP meetings, professional development, specialized student programming, or district initiatives. The role requires regular use of computers, electronic documentation systems, data management platforms, and office technology. Regular travel between district office and school sites is expected.
PHYSICAL EFFORT:
The physical demands of this position are consistent with a professional administrative role requiring frequent school-site visits. The employee must be able to sit for extended periods while reviewing documentation, analyzing data, and planning district initiatives, as well as stand and walk during meetings, observations, trainings, and school visits. Occasional bending, reaching, and lifting of materials such as files, instructional resources, or technology equipment weighing up to approximately 20 pounds may be required. The position requires clear verbal communication, sustained visual attention, and the ability to manage multiple priorities while responding effectively to student, staff, and family needs.
Please note that the closing date for this posting may be changed at any time without prior notice
WORK YEAR: 12 months
DEPARTMENT/SCHOOL: Student Support
SALARY: Commensurate with experience (aligned to district administrative salary schedule)
REPORTS TO: Director of Special Education
EVALUATION: Administrative Evaluation
SUPERVISES: May supervise clerical staff