Special Education Teacher at Friendly Academy in St. Louis, MO

Friendly Academy is a new school in North St. Louis. Our mission is to equip students with a quality and holistic education rooted in love.

The Opportunity

As a Special Education Teacher at Friendly Academy, you will play a critical role in ensuring that students with disabilities have access to an inclusive, supportive, and academically rigorous learning environment. You will work closely with general education teachers, school leaders, families, and service providers to develop and implement individualized supports that help students thrive.

Who You Are

Passionate Educator: You are deeply committed to helping all students succeed and believe every child can learn at high levels with the right support. You understand the importance of literacy, intervention, and individualized instruction.

Student Advocate: You champion the needs of students with disabilities and are committed to ensuring their educational, behavioral, and social-emotional needs are met with care and consistency.

Collaborative Team Member: You thrive in partnership with teachers, leaders, and families. You are able to collaborate around student needs, co-plan accommodations and modifications, and support inclusive practices across classrooms.

Detail-Oriented Case Manager: You are organized and able to manage timelines, documentation, compliance requirements, and progress monitoring with accuracy and professionalism.

Culturally Responsive Educator: You honor and celebrate the diversity of the students and families you serve. You create learning spaces where every child feels valued, respected, and capable.

Responsibilities

Instruction and Intervention: Plan and deliver specialized instruction aligned to students’ IEP goals. Provide direct services, small-group instruction, and targeted interventions to support academic growth.

IEP Development and Case Management: Serve as case manager for students receiving special education services. Develop, schedule, and monitor IEPs, ensuring compliance with timelines, documentation, and service delivery requirements.

Collaboration: Work closely with general education teachers to support inclusion, co-plan instruction, implement accommodations and modifications, and ensure students can access grade-level content.

Assessment and Progress Monitoring: Monitor student progress toward IEP goals and academic benchmarks. Use data to adjust instruction, document growth, and communicate student progress to families and staff.

Family Partnership: Build strong relationships with families, communicating regularly about student progress, services, supports, and ways to reinforce learning at home.

Compliance: Maintain accurate records related to evaluations, eligibility, IEPs, progress reports, service logs, and other special education documentation in accordance with state and federal requirements.

Behavior and Social-Emotional Support: Support the development and implementation of behavior intervention plans, social-emotional supports, and strategies that help students succeed in the classroom environment.

Professional Development: Participate in professional development opportunities to strengthen instructional practices, compliance knowledge, and support for diverse learners.

At Friendly Academy, we believe that every team member plays a vital role in our student recruitment efforts. Engaging in student recruitment is not only about increasing enrollment but also about fostering a strong, inclusive school community that reflects our values and mission. Employees actively participating in recruitment helps build trust with families, showcases our commitment to personalized education, and ensures that we attract students who will thrive in our holistic and supportive environment. By involving all staff in recruitment, we leverage diverse perspectives and talents, creating a unified approach to welcoming and nurturing our students.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Education, or a related field
• Missouri Special Education Teaching Certification required
• Experience teaching students with disabilities, preferably in a K-5 setting
• Knowledge of IEP development, compliance requirements, progress monitoring, and inclusive instructional practices
• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Experience with early literacy instruction and intervention
• Experience collaborating with related service providers and general education teachers
• Experience with behavior support plans and MTSS processes

What We Offer You:

• Join a school community where love is the center of our education model without deprioritizing academic rigor and excellence.
• A school culture that promotes wellness by serving the whole child and adult through community partnerships and monthly wellness days.
• The opportunity to innovate and be a part of a new team that creates the landscape for strong student outcomes.
• Professional development based on growth areas and interests.
• Earn competitive compensation, pension, health, dental, and vision benefits.

Employment Status

Full-time, exempt position. Reports to the Principal

Contact

[email protected]

Friendly Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression), citizenship, ethnic or national origin, age, disability, military status, veteran status, genetic information or any legally protected status in any of its employment practices, educational programs, services or activities. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential duties.

This job description is intended to accurately reflect the duties, responsibilities and requirements of the position. It is not intended to be and should not be construed as an all-inclusive list of all the responsibilities, skills, or working conditions associated with the position. The Board reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and assign other duties as necessary.