Special Education Instructor

Special Education Instructor, State Training School in Eldora, IA

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Department of Human Services (DHS) merged on July 1, 2022 to form one agency, The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). We are seeking a Special Education Instructor to join the team at the State Training School (STS) in Eldora.  The STS provides a holistic social, behavioral, psychiatric, academic, and vocational program that utilizes counseling, treatment and consequences paired with praise for young men, ages 12-18 years old, who were adjudicated delinquent.  You will be well served by the existing structure which provides you with administrative office staff and security.   We can assist well qualified candidates in education who have a desire to work in a special education to obtain conditional licensure.

This is a close-knit environment with a strong professional learning community structure.   There are no extra duties beyond the 7:00am – 3:30pm schedule and you can request to use your vacation time as soon as it accrues.  We offer several days throughout the year to work on curriculum development and courses for re-licensure are provided as part of the workday.  There is approximately 1 month of orientation to become familiar with the school and facility.

The average class size is 5 students with a maximum of 8 per classroom.  Every classroom is equipped with a SMART Board and a computer for each student.  We offer a highly structured learning environment for the students, and each instructor is encouraged to be innovated to help the students succeed.  There are opportunities for co-teaching and cross-curricular activities as well.

Special Education Instructors at the STS are an irreplaceable piece in the successful development of young men within the facility. The STS provides an environment rich in educational challenges that will allow you to practice your craft in a meaningful manner.  You will have an opportunity to fine tune your skills by addressing the educational challenges that come from working with a diverse group of young men.  

The programs available for residents include:

• General education studies
• Special education programs
• Title I
• High School Equivalency Diploma (formerly GED)
• Competency-based Special Education programs
• Counseling

If you enjoy rewarding yet challenging work, helping young men find stability in their lives and security in their future, this is this the right job for you. Your work at the STS has the potential to help these young men and change their future.

If you are proficient in:

• Handling a diverse caseload of emotionally disordered students with mild to moderate needs
• Teaching in an individualized manner in an effort to reach the students
• Providing both individual and classroom instruction

– you will want to have a career at the STS!

Transitional services are provided by the STS staff as well as contract staff in an effort to maximize each young man’s chances for success upon return back to their community.

We have a great total compensation package for all of our full-time employees, including:

• Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS)
• Retirement Investors Club (RIC) (Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan)
• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Vacation Leave 
• Sick Leave
• Paid Holidays (9 days/year)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Life Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• This location offers free on campus gym for the staff, during off student hours.  This includes 3 full size basketball courts, a weight room with machine and free weights, cardio equipment, showers, and lockers.

For additional information on benefits click here (Download PDF reader).

STS is located in Eldora, Iowa, is a quaint community with a population of 2,800 residents, located in north central Iowa.  Eldora is the home of the Pine Lake State Park which offers an array of indoor/outdoor recreational activities.  Eldora is an Iowa River Greenbelt Community and the Iowa River Greenbelt Scenic Drive winds through a picturesque landscape of valleys, woods, and streams.  Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy the hiking, kayaking, canoeing, hunting, and fishing, as well as the many educational opportunities, cultural activities, and entertainment events nearby. 

Eldora is 45 minutes away from Ames and Cedar Falls, 30 minutes from Marshalltown, and only 20 minutes from Iowa Falls.  Des Moines, Iowa’s capital, is just 1 hour and 15 minutes away.

• Ames, Iowa is the home of the Iowa State University, one of the nation’s largest Universities featuring a premier Engineering school and one of the leading Veterinary and Agricultural schools. https://www.iastate.edu/ 
• Cedar Falls is the home of the University of Northern Iowa, https://uni.edu/
• Iowa Falls is the home of Ellsworth Community College. https://ecc.iavalley.edu

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Applicants must meet teaching certification requirements established by the Iowa Department of Education including completion of an elementary, secondary, or child development program of teacher preparation.

For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description. (Download PDF reader)

Additional Qualification Requirements

• Designated positions in this job class require applicants to obtain the required Chauffeur's License and endorsements within a period of time as determined by the appointing authority at the time of hire.
• For specific positions, the appointing authority may require certain endorsements and approvals as may be established by the Iowa Board of Education Examiners (BOEE). For more information on endorsements, go to the BOEE website at: http://www.state.ia.us/boee/endnos.html. For class endorsement and approval numbers for licenses issued before October of 1988, go to the BOEE website at: http://www.state.ia.us/boee/endnosold.html.
• Applicants wishing to be considered for such designated positions must list applicable coursework, experience, certificate, license, or endorsement on the application.

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