A special education administrator’s (SPED) main responsibility is to oversee all special education programs in a school district. These programs assist children with special needs, whether they are gifted and talented or require additional assistance. A special education administrator’s job entails overseeing programs aimed at assisting students with learning or developmental disabilities. Because every public school in the United States, at least, provides some level of service, the administrator is frequently required to work in multiple schools.
A special education program’s main goal is to ensure that children of all abilities can learn based on their own unique set of abilities and challenges. To do so, a special education administrator collaborates with the district’s principals and teachers to identify children who may require special education services and develop a curriculum to meet their needs. This curriculum must be appropriate and include quantifiable measures of student progress.
Administrators in charge of special education must ensure that the district follows all special education laws. These laws are frequently very specific, laying out exactly what can and cannot be done. Failure to follow the law could result in a variety of fines, as well as lawsuits from parents who believe their children are not being served properly.
One of the main responsibilities of a special education administrator is to assist in the creation and review of individualized education plans (IEPs). These plans are for children who have special needs in one or more areas, and they give the student and his or her guardians certain legal rights. If the parents or guardians believe the plan does not meet the child’s needs, they have the right to appeal. It also includes the right to have the IEP reviewed at any time to see how far the child has progressed.
Even if their child is enrolled in a special education program, a parent or guardian may never see a special education administrator. Rather, the administrator’s role is to supervise teachers and other school personnel, as well as to evaluate educational programming. In cases where the student has extremely difficult needs, the administrator’s expertise may be required. In addition, any appeals or problems will almost certainly be routed through an administrator first.
A special education administrator’s other responsibilities include preparing a budget and seeking grants for programming. While all program administrators must consider program costs, the ultimate goal is to educate children. Administrators and parents may disagree on budget issues at times, and administrators must find a way to balance both sides in order to provide a proper education.