Elementary Special Education Teacher

Position: Elementary Special Education Teacher (Grades K-5)

Supervisor: School Principal

Overview

Bernalillo Public Schools is seeking passionate, reflective, and student-centered Special Education Elementary School Teachers who believe deeply in the brilliance of every child and are committed to creating joyful, rigorous, and inclusive learning environments.

Our elementary teachers play a critical role in shaping students’ academic foundations, sense of identity, and love of learning. They deliver engaging instruction, build strong classroom communities, and partner with families. Elementary educators in BPS are responsible for helping young learners develop foundational literacy, numeracy, curiosity, and confidence while holding high expectations for academic growth.

Our Community

Bernalillo Public Schools honors the historic homelands of the Pueblo people and the shared contributions of the Pueblo people and descendants of Spanish settlers to establish vibrant communities now and in the future. We serve a close-knit, rural community with a richly diverse student population, including many Hispanic and Native American students whose families maintain deep ties to culture, language, land, and community life. Many students are bilingual or multilingual, creating opportunities for instruction that integrate language development and content learning. Teaching in Bernalillo means partnering closely with families, honoring students’ identities, and delivering rigorous, engaging instruction that builds on students’ strengths while holding high expectations for learning and growth.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Deliver High-Quality, Standards-Based Instruction 

• Internalize and effectively implement the district-adopted high-quality instructional materials (HQIM), including understanding the instructional intent, standards alignment, and learning progressions embedded within the curriculum.
• Prepare intentionally for instruction by analyzing lesson objectives, anticipated student misconceptions, academic language demands, and opportunities for student discourse and engagement.
• Use HQIM as the primary foundation for instruction, making purposeful adjustments to materials as needed to support diverse learners while maintaining alignment to grade-level standards and the integrity of the curriculum.
• Scaffold instruction to ensure access for all students, including English Learners, students with disabilities, and students requiring additional academic or behavioral support, without lowering expectations or diluting rigor.
• Integrate literacy, academic language development, and critical thinking into daily instruction through consistent use of standards-aligned tasks, questions, and assessments.
• Reflect on student learning and instructional outcomes to continuously refine lesson implementation and material use.
• Understand and participate in the development, use, and implementation of individualized education plans (IEP's) and individualized transition plans/504 plans.
•  Implement modifications per IEP/504 in the classroom.

Create a Safe, Respectful, and Engaging Learning Environment

• Establish classroom routines, procedures, and norms that promote safety, belonging, and student ownership of learning.
• Build strong relationships with students rooted in respect, empathy, and high expectations.
• Support students’ social-emotional development, self-regulation, and positive behavior through proactive and responsive classroom practices.

Use Assessment to Drive Learning

• Design and use formative and summative assessments to monitor student understanding and progress toward grade-level standards.
• Consistently use formative assessment during instruction to adjust pacing, scaffolds, grouping, and instructional strategies in real time, ensuring that high-quality Tier 1 instruction meets the needs of the majority of learners.
• Analyze assessment data to identify patterns in student learning and to refine core instruction before escalating to additional interventions.
• Provide clear, timely, and actionable feedback that supports student reflection, growth, and ownership of learning.
• Collaborate with colleagues to review student data, calibrate expectations, and strengthen instructional practices.

Partner with Families and the School Community

• Communicate regularly and respectfully with families about student learning, progress, and classroom expectations.
• Engage families as partners in students’ academic and social development, honoring home languages and cultural values.
• Contribute positively to the school community and district initiatives.

Engage in Professional Learning and Collaboration

• Actively participate in professional learning communities, grade-level teams, and district professional development.
• Reflect on practice, seek feedback, and continuously improve instruction.
• Collaborate with specialists, interventionists, and support staff to ensure student success.

 Supervisory Responsibilities

None.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Valid New Mexico PED Special Education Teaching License (or eligibility to obtain).
• Ability to pass employment verification and background check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience teaching in culturally and linguistically diverse settings.
• Experience supporting English Learners and/or students with disabilities.
• Bilingual proficiency (Spanish or Indigenous languages) preferred.

Other Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Deep belief that all students can learn and achieve at high levels.
• Strong understanding of child development and elementary pedagogy.
• Demonstrable expertise in applicable content area(s).
• Demonstrated commitment to culturally responsive, inclusive, and asset-based teaching practices.
• Ability to seek, reflect, and act on feedback to improve practice.
• Ability to collaborate and adapt working style to support school culture and student learning; acts with integrity and professionalism in all interactions with students, families, colleagues, and supervisors.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills; communicates clearly, proactively, and respectfully with students, families, and colleagues, adapting approach to audience and context.
• Demonstrated work ethic, professional judgment, and decision-making; follows through reliably on commitments, meets deadlines, balances multiple priorities without losing sight of student needs, and makes sound, student-centered decisions even in complex or ambiguous situations.
• Superlative time-management and organizational skills.

Physical Requirements

Sitting, standing, walking, lifting (up to 50 pounds), and other physical activity typical of an elementary classroom environment.

Work Environment

Classroom and school-based environment. Occasional evenings for family engagement or professional learning.

Terms of Employment

As determined by district calendar and collective bargaining agreement.