High School Teacher - Special Education Teacher/Chair

JOB TITLE: Special Education Chair/Special Education Teacher

Note: The following is our NVA overview of the unique role of a teacher at New Village Academy - not a formal job description. Every NVA teacher will be an employee of Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS), governed by a legal job description for each subject area position and the AACPS/TAAAC negotiated agreement and salary scale. (See AACPS Careers webpage)

About New Village Academy

Come join us in reinventing high school - giving students the WILL and the SKILL to transform their own education and future! , a small public charter high school opening in Fall 2026 at Annapolis Mall in Annapolis, Maryland, is seeking a dedicated and innovative founding team to create a new school community together!

Co-designed by high school students, teachers, and Annapolis community leaders, New Village is committed to “High School Done Differently” using Equity as our Foundation, the Science of Motivation as our Playbook, and the City of Annapolis as our Classroom. Our small size fosters a close-knit community where every student is known as a unique individual, ensuring that no one "falls through the cracks." Our project-based learning model and emphasis on internships, apprenticeships, and dual enrollment in college ensure that students are fully prepared for the future they envision for themselves. We are looking for educators who are adaptive, reflective, collaborative, and creative problem-solvers ready for the challenge of building a visionary new school in a diverse community from the ground up!

Our approach is inspired by Big Picture Learning, Expeditionary Learning (EL Education), Modern Classrooms Project, and Restorative Justice in Education (RJE), drawing from the strengths of each to create a unique vision for student learning. Our competency-based (CBE) portfolio assessment framework frees learning from seat time in a classroom and allows us to innovate and empower students to chart their own course. Learn more about us on our website at www.newvillageacademy.org

What a Special Education Teacher/Chair does at NVA

• Special Education Teacher/Chair: Serves as a Special Education teacher, meeting mild-moderate IEP requirements through full-inclusion intervention strategies, project-based cross-disciplinary learning experiences, and strengths-based differentiation.
• Special Education Chair: Oversees the IEP process for all our students with IEPs (est. 30-35 total) and carries a small caseload of students.
• Special Education Teacher: Leads a literacy-rich Community Action Project. Creates and implements a culturally responsive, locally-grounded Community Action Project where students with skill gaps in Literacy tutor 3-4th grade struggling readers and build their love of reading.
• Special Education Teacher: Serves as a “Crew Leader” (advisor) to 14 diverse students (looping for all 4 years):
• Acts as an interdisciplinary academic advisor, prioritizes relationship-building, engages in wayfinding, team-building, wellness strategies, and family collaboration/ communication, and guides each Crew member toward an engaged, successful life of their own design.
• Supports students in building portfolios of their work in our competency-based assessment framework across four domains - academic mastery, communication, personal growth, and life and career development.
• Contributes to Restorative Justice processes and collaborative decision-making.
• Designs and supervises field study and community service work, including collaborating with community organizations, riding public transit with students, and embracing occasional outdoor adventure challenges.
• Conducts occasional visits to student internship sites to monitor progress, using own transportation.

What we are looking for in a SPED Teacher or Chair

• SPED Teacher (6th grade to adult) Certification, preferably with high school experience.
• SPED teaching and IEP development experience required for SPED Chair role.
• Valid Driver’s license and own transportation needed (for internship site visits).
• Bilingual Spanish speakers are highly encouraged to apply.
• We are committed to hiring teachers who reflect the diversity of our students!
• High-functioning, innovative, and collaborative spirit.
• Positive problem-solving skills and flexibility in a start-up environment.
• Strong organization and project management skills.
• Willingness to go beyond one’s comfort zone in pursuit of the extraordinary.
• And, most importantly, thoughtful alignment with our Mission:

New Village Academy ensures every student is KNOWN, CONNECTED, EMPOWERED, and ACCOUNTABLE so they can develop the WILL and the SKILL to take charge of their education and their future, with the city of Annapolis as our classroom.

Our NVA Team is committed to:

• One Student at a Time - Education is personalized and solutions are custom- designed, not cookie-cutter. Every student has a unique brilliance.
• Ubuntu - We are in this together - We cannot truly thrive unless we are all thriving.
• Relationships at the Center - We prioritize trusting relationships and a supportive community for students to thrive and learn, including participation in Restorative Justice practices and family outreach.
• Social Justice - We keep (reflective) equity at the center of all we do, affirm students' cultural identity, meet their needs, and support their aspirations with a “Warm Demander” orientation. We design and engage students with relevant, responsive, social justice-oriented curriculum.
• Family and Community - We enroll families, not just students, in the educational process - We celebrate and leverage the strength and resilience of the community of Annapolis - The City of Annapolis is our classroom!
• Authentic Application - Real-world application drives the learning design across the curriculum and is not an afterthought or add-on.
• Growth Mindset - People with purpose can transform their trajectory - we teach to fish - EVERY student has the capacity for self-motivation, self-reflection, and self-regulation - We honestly leverage strengths and acknowledge challenges to get where we need to go.
• Rigor and Revision - Mastery matters - Getting students to excellence in our competency progressions means they will have the skills they need to succeed.
• EVERY student launched - We relentlessly pursue building the WILL and the SKILL in every individual student for success in college or career, character, and civic engagement.

Other important information

• As a Maryland Charter School, New Village Academy is part of the Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AAPCS) school district. All school staff are employees of the school district and subject to district and union policies and agreements, unlike charter school employees in some other states.
• We are mandated to use the AACPS union-negotiated salary scale (Among top 3 Maryland Districts for starting pay). Since we cannot negotiate salaries individually, if you are transferring from another district, please research and compare salary scales before deciding to apply.
• Excellent, comprehensive AACPS benefits.
• NVA provides exceptional professional development opportunities, including 2 additional paid weeks of pre-opening summer training and early dismissal every Wednesday afternoon with collaborative planning and training. Note: We are planning for an early August start to our onboarding process in Summer 2026 AND an additional week of paid, asynchronous, online training before our start.
• Opportunity for deep, transformative relationships with students, colleagues, families, and the Annapolis community.
• Opportunity to be part of a ground-breaking educational innovation, with pathways for growth into leadership positions.

Application Process:

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter/statement of interest in New Village Academy’s approach (see ) to New Village Academy Principal, Romey Pittman (she/her), at rpittman@newvillageacademy.org

The formal application process takes place through the Anne Arundel County Public Schools Careers Portal. Apply for SPED teacher role (not school-specific), but please reach out directly as well. We will conduct preliminary interviews of qualifying candidates as we receive applications.

Please spend time researching our model, and, if our school seems like a good fit, reach out to us directly - sooner the better! We can’t wait to hear from you!

NVA is an equal opportunity employer and does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.

New Village Academy is committed to holding anti-racism, inclusion, and equity at the center of all that we do.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $65,108.00 - $124,899.00 per year

Benefits

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person