Teacher Of The Visually Impaired - Special Education

TITLE:
TEACHER OF THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED (TVI)

TYPE: Unit A Collective Bargaining Agreement

SALARY:
Per Unit A Collective Bargaining Agreement

REPORTS TO:
SPED Coordinator of Itinerant Staff/Related Services Director of Special Education

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The TVI provides direct and consultative vision services to school age children and to their teachers/professionals and parents. Some of the children may have multiple disabilities. The TVI travels throughout the district and is responsible for scheduling and maintaining communication among team members in numerous schools, eye doctors and the Commission for the Blind as well as completing all paperwork associated with evaluations, medical reports, completing Federal Quota forms, registration and assurance forms to access materials from the Accessible Instructional Materials Library in Massachusetts. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Reads records, observes and assesses students, consult with other generalists, specialists, and parents or other caregivers; reviews individual education plans (IEPs) and/or 504 plans, the recommendations of supporting staff or agencies to determine the capabilities, limitations, and needs of each student in the areas assigned to the teacher; utilizes this information to prepare goals, objectives and lessons based on program approved curriculum or other appropriate resources to meet the students' needs.
Prepares and provides instruction through oral presentations, discussions, demonstrations, hand-on activities, modeling, and direct experiences such as engagement in hands-on instruction, produces or secures Braille, enlarged print, aural or tactual material or compensatory devices needed to help the student arrive at appropriate goals. Using objective criteria, assesses student progress through evaluation of tasks and assignments and reports according to IEP or 504 requirements on student progress in meeting individual objectives; prepares other reports and meets the program deadlines for submission of completed reports.
Participates in meetings and serves as a member of the team which is responsible for development and delivery of programs for each student and for overall program planning.
Communicates with parents, agency staff, or others, to assure continuity of individual programs. Plans and supervises activities in a manner which will safeguard the health and safety of students and assume responsibility for students under the teacher's supervision in an emergency.
Designs educational programming commensurate with the current best practice in the field of Special Education including: Functional curriculum; Age-Appropriateness; Community experience; Integration of related services; Context-based instruction; Expanded Core Curriculum, or as determined by appropriate assessments. Maintains family and home and school contact through log books, or other communication methods, as recommended by the team; maintain appropriate records and provides these to the program file.
Collaborates with families, related staff, classroom teachers and agency staffs to direct and coordinate their involvement with the students in the classroom setting.
REQUIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Master's degree in Special Education
Massachusetts Department of Education Certification - Teacher of the Visually Impaired Orientation and Mobility Certification preferred
This job requires traveling between school buildings within the City.
ADA & MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS TO PERFORM ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
Physical Requirements: Must be physically able to operate a variety of equipment including computers, copiers, adding machines, etc. Must be able to exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to lift, carry, push, and pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Must be able to stand, crouch and bend over for a long period of time at intervals throughout the day.
Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural or composite characteristics (whether similar or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.
Interpersonal Communication: Requires the ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving instructions, assignments or directions to subordinates or assistants.
Language Ability: Requires the ability to read a variety of correspondence, reports, forms, newsletters, schedules, manuals, invoices, requisitions, menus, recipes, journals, etc. Requires the ability to prepare correspondence, reports, forms, evaluations, procedures, charts, surveys, articles, bid specifications, brochures, news releases, handbooks, budgets, etc., using prescribed formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style. Requires the ability to speak before groups of people with poise, voice control and confidence.
Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form; and to deal with several abstract and concrete variables. Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in a variety of technical or professional languages including medical, legal, accounting and marketing terminology. Numerical Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract; multiply and divide; utilize decimals and percentages; and to apply the principles of algebra and geometry.
Form/Spatial Aptitude: Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape. Motor Coordination: Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using office equipment. Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of items such as office equipment and hand tools. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination. Interpersonal: Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under stress and when confronted with emergency situations. Physical Communication: Requires the ability to talk and hear (Talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words. Hearing: perceiving nature of sounds by ear.) Must be able to communicate via telephone.