Director of Education

Reporting to the CEO, the Director of Education for George Crothers Memorial School (GCMS) implements and promotes the delivery of high-quality education services to students with multiple disabilities. The Director designs, develops, facilitates, and implements programming in coordination with the teaching and therapy teams to ensure integrity with program design, regulations, and best practices. The Director will manage the school budget of $12M and staff of 125 with 6 direct reports including Supervisors of Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Special Education, Related Services Supervisor, IEP Coordinator, and Operations Coordinator. The Director monitors and promotes the safety and health of all individuals and ensures compliance with all CADES policies and procedures, state regulations, accrediting measures, and insurance standards.

• Align CADES programs and services with mission, vision, and regulatory requirements that positions CADES to be the provider of choice for education to individuals with multiple disabilities and abilities.
• Ensures excellence in coaching and supervision to teachers, teacher assistants, and 1:1 aides through their direct supervisors.
• Works collaboratively with educators, therapists, and nursing team to implement high quality programming with a focus on functional academics, communication, mobility, social skills, and community integration to support students in achieving their goals.
• Provides direction and leadership to training and quality assurance teams to ensure exceptional employee training and professional development activities with the goal of ensuring proper knowledge and skills for the role as well as preventative plans for mitigating risk and improving quality.
• Leads the development and implementation of curriculum, programming, quality indicators, and outcomes for pre-academic, academic, vocational, social, and behavioral learning; links training and professional development plans to curricular goals.
• Stays abreast of best-practice standards in special education to students with multiple disabilities through external education, seminars, research, and collaborations.
• Leads teachers and education team through IEP process. Ensures excellence in customer service through the IEP team process. Meets the customer where they are, works diligently to find agreed upon platforms that meet the needs of the customer. Monitors IEPs for compliance. Assists Supervisors through challenging barriers during IEP meetings; problem solves with teams to meet mutual goals.
• Provides education, coaching, and supervision on positive behavior support strategies. Ensures proper application of CADES Philosophy of Care, including ABA and interoception principles.
• Provides ongoing assessment, coaching, and supervision of best practice teaching strategies. Serves as a leader in implementing teaching strategies for academic, social, and behavioral growth to children with special education needs.
• Provides leadership regarding employee hiring, retention strategies, training, coaching, mentoring, and providing frequent constructive feedback to meet performance and program goals.
• Upholds effective supervision strategies, including training, coaching, and reinforcing good behavior; managing behavior concerns in a preventative coaching manner; addressing positive and negative performance with consistency, immediacy, and with respect.
• Leads education teams in data driven decision making through the use of progress monitoring.
• Ensures exceptional stakeholder satisfaction, including staff as customers, students, families, LEA’s, and external IEP team members. Role models excellence in demonstrating respect, listening skills, and problem solving to meet stakeholder expectations.
• Ensures program compliance through auditing procedures in relation to CADES policy and procedures, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Pennsylvania’s Chapter 14 regulations. Monitors and reports on programmatic, health, and safety standards within the division and follow up on areas needing improvement.
• Participate on agency committees as assigned.

• Demonstrated ability to serve and advocate for individuals with special needs focusing on their strengths and potential.
• Minimum of eight (8) years of experience educating individuals with multiple disabilities, including intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Minimum five (5) years of experience supervising educators and/or therapists.
• Proven track record in fiscal and staff management.
• Broad knowledge of overall operations of a special education school and related services.
• Ability to review current organizational programs and make recommendations that empower programmatic refinements.
• Knowledge of how to foster an environment of accountability, healthy work relationships and partnerships, and inclusivity among organizational staff in order to maintain a positive and collaborative work environment.
• Background in the unique nature and funding streams of the Pennsylvania Approved Private School model a plus.
• Preferred knowledge of policies and legislation impacting special education and programs for individuals with special needs and the ability to be an advocate for effective policies.
• Pennsylvania Supervisory Certification or Principal Certification preferred.
• Master’s Degree required in Education, Speech, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, School Psychology, or Social Work.
• Current PA State Police & Child Abuse clearances; FBI clearance for anyone living outside PA in the past two years.
• Valid driver’s license and 3-year adequate driving record; maintain adequate vehicle liability insurance.

Required knowledge, skills, and capabilities:

• Unquestioned integrity: Adheres to the highest standards of professionalism, transparency, and personal responsibility, worthy of the trust of the people served.
• Respectful: Treats everyone in the community with dignity, humility and inclusion. Displays excellent customer service skills including listening to understand, and the setting of healthy boundaries.
• Relationship-oriented: Understands that peope come before process and is astute in cultivating and managing relationships toward a common goal. Fosters team rapport, commitment, trust, and collaboration among leaders and stakeholders.
• Mission-Focused: Catalyzes others’ commitment to mission to create real change that leads to better lives and healthier outcomes for all stakeholders. This drives their performance and professional motivation.
• Courageous: Demonstrates strength to do whatis right and face challenges with confidence and resolution.
• Accountable: Demonstrates an obligation and willingness to pursue excellence, accept personal responsibility for own actions and the actions of the teams. Demonstrates a practical ability to get things done.
• Communicator: Effectively analyzes information and provides information to stakeholders that is proactive, timely, and clear. Preferred personality characteristics: personable, kind, thoughtful, flexible, optimistic, high-energy level.

Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the essential duties of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

• Ability to stand, to walk, and to negotiate steps/stairs on a very frequent basis.
• Ability to lift up to 35 pounds on frequent basis.

The Director of Education is expected to be onsite Monday through Friday in Swarthmore, PA.

CADES is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities. At CADES, value is placed on respect, trust, and the dignity of each individual to empower them to achieve their highest potential. The family-centered and outcome-based approach to care is anchored by the dedication and hard work of the staff.

CADES offers a continuum of high-quality, supportive services through four programs: Early Intervention, George Crothers Memorial School, Adult Day Program, and Community Living Arrangements. These four core programs work seamlessly with each other and can accommodate those with special needs from infancy through adulthood. As individuals have aged, CADES has been there with them to nurture, guide, educate, and expand their world, and the world of their families.

Early Intervention – Ages 0-3
A team of Therapists and Specialized Instructors empower parents and caregivers to facilitate early education and learning within the context of their natural settings and daily activities.

George Crothers Memorial School – Ages 5-21
The George Crothers Memorial School (GCMS) at CADES is an approved private school, licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education that serves 130 students ages 5 to 21 in 3 divisions – elementary, middle, and secondary. The educational program focuses on the needs of students with multiple disabilities and challenging behaviors secondary to a broad range of intellectual disabilities, including cerebral palsy, syndromes, traumatic brain injuries, and other genetic and neurological disorders. GCMS serves students from over 30 school districts in the following counties: Delaware, Montgomery, Chester, Bucks, Berks, and Philadelphia.

The GCMS therapy team utilizes an interdisciplinary and integrated approach to education. Therapists and speech pathologists support a collaborative approach to therapy, which enhances the student experience throughout the school day. As a part of the IEP team, the therapists work closely with teachers and classroom staff to provide integrated therapy strategies to maximize learning.

Adult Day Program – Ages 21+
The CADES Adult Day Program provides a warm and supportive environment of year-round programming allowing individuals to form new social connections, discover interests, and pursue meaningful daily activities.

Community Living Arrangements – Ages 21+
The CADES Community Living Arrangements (CLA) offers comprehensive residential services in a comfortable community living arrangement for individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities. With 33 homes in Delaware, Chester, and Bucks Counties, CADES offers 24/7 care in residential homes, supporting the residents in achieving their full potential.

For additional information, please visit their website at https://cades.org/.