Director of Student Services 24/25 Academic Year

POSITION: Director of Student Services

REPORTS TO: Superintendent of Schools

Wellesley Public Schools will include, in 2024/2025, one (1) preschool, six (6) elementary schools, one (1) middle school, and one (1) high school. In Wellesley, the grade configurations are Kindergarten through Grade 5 in the elementary schools; Grades 6 through 8 are located at the Wellesley Middle School; and Grades 9 through 12 are located at Wellesley High School. With elementary enrollment in a long-term decline, the Town has just opened a new elementary school (Hunnewell) and is planning the opening another new elementary school in September 2024 (Hardy).   The Upham Elementary School will close in June 2024.  There are currently 4,069  students enrolled, with a % Students with Disabilities population of approximately 17.3%.

This Director position encompasses grades PreK-12 and is a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Administrative Team, and the Academic Councils.

DEFINITION:

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the position of Director of Student Services will set the conditions and bear primary responsibility for a system of continuous student supports among faculty and students by providing vision, leadership, management, compliance, programming, professional development, and fiscal oversight in the following areas: Special Education (inclusive of: Grant Management, Circuit Breaker, Legal Settlements, Proportionate Share), Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), McKinney-Vento Liaison, Foster Care Liaison, Civil Rights Investigator, Title IX Coordinator, Nursing, Guidance, Transportation (as it relates to above populations of students), Home/Hospital Tutoring, Attendance, Discipline, Student Crisis/Suicide Prevention, Physical Restraint, Student Records/FERPA, Assistive Technology, Medicaid and Home School Programming.

NATURE AND SCOPE:

Major responsibilities include fulfilling the mandates of federal and state laws and regulations as they relate to student services for the school system and ensuring that the variety of services provided for students at all levels are effectively organized and operated in their own right and in such a manner that they are well integrated with the regular instructional program. The incumbent will work with other administrators and staff to establish a positive climate for student learning in which staff are perceptive and sensitive to students’ abilities, interests and needs. The Director of Student Services will participate with Senior Leadership in arriving at decisions on system-wide procedures and policy development.

Reporting directly to the Director of Student Services are the Director of Early Childhood Education, Department Head of Elementary Special Education, Department Head of Middle School Special Education, Department Head of High School Special Education, Out of District Coordinator, Department Head of Nursing, and Department Heads of Middle School and High School Guidance. The incumbent has line authority over student services personnel and a staff system.

Is directly responsible for supervising and evaluating special education and nursing administrators and is responsible for the effective implementation of the supervision and evaluation process for student services personnel.
Recommends staff appointments, promotions and dismissals, when necessary, with the assistance of principals.
Jointly with Middle and High School principals oversees the development and administration of Guidance programs.
Represents the school department in due process proceedings and related adversarial relationships.
Directs decisions for placement of students requiring tuition programs and oversees the Out of District Coordinator in monitoring the success of these placements consistent with special education laws and fiscal responsibilities.
Manages all DESE compliance activities related to Student Services, including Proportionate Share, Circuit Breaker, Indicators, Grants, and Coordinated Program Reviews.
Develops and directs the Health Services programs, in collaboration with the Department Head of Nursing, consistent with state mandates and School Committee policy.
Act as Title IX Coordinator for Students in accordance with Title IX and administer the District’s bullying policies and procedures along with other administrators of the District.
Monitors attendance of students in order to enforce and protect their rights to appropriate public education.
Coordinates with families and schools around McKinney-Vento entitlements.
Reviews, approves and monitors all home school applications for compliance and effective progress.
Recommends action to the Superintendent in establishing residency of students and on all non-resident students requests to attend Wellesley schools on a tuition or non­ tuition basis.
Defines, plans and directs contracted services for staff development with and consultation to Student Services staff.
Organizes and directs the maintenance of all student records and reporting of student census data, in compliance with state and federal laws.
Provides for tutoring services for students with special needs and temporary disabling conditions and coordinates all other requests and inquiries about tutoring system wide.

Directs the development of budget for all Student Services programs, works with Central Administration to obtain funding for high quality and equitable curricula and instruction for all students, and directs responsible fiscal management of Student Services.
Attends School Committee meetings, as needed, and performs such other administrative assignments as the Superintendent from time to time may assign.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience

Minimum of 5 years teaching experience in public education, with at least 3 of these in the area of special education, plus at least three years of Administrative experience
Demonstrated knowledge of federal and state Special Education laws and regulations
A minimum of a Master’s degree in an appropriate field
Degree in Special Education
Massachusetts DESE licensure or license eligibility as a Special Education Administrator
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Academic preparation beyond the Master’s degree in an appropriate field
Demonstrated ability in working with parents and community-based groups
Demonstrated ability to work effectively with building administrators with regard to program implementation
Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, talk, and hear. The employee is frequently required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls and reach with hands and arms, climb or balance and stoop.

The employee must lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include the ability to adjust focus. The employee is required to have the cognitive ability and focus to manage multiple detailed tasks at once with frequent interruptions.