Director of Specialized Programs, Office of Special Education (C133-2627)

POSITION : Director of Specialized Programs, Office of Special Education

REPORTS TO : Executive Director of Special Education

POSITION SUMMARY : The Director of Specialized Programs is a key leadership position within the Special Education Department responsible for overseeing specialized education programs, including Early Childhood, IGOAL, STEP, and RISE, as well as educational services for students placed at the Hartford Juvenile Detention Center and case management for Hartford Public Schools students with IEPs placed in Regional Detention Centers. This role requires exceptional leadership, sound judgment, and creative problem-solving to ensure continuity of educational services, appropriate programming, compliance with state and federal requirements, and high-quality supports for students with disabilities in traditional and non-traditional educational settings.

The Director serves as the district's programmatic leader for specialized and non-traditional educational settings, ensuring that each program has a clearly defined instructional and student-support model, appropriate staffing and service structures, effective transition practices, and continuous improvement systems responsive to the needs of students with disabilities.

RESPONSIBILITIES : This position requires extensive knowledge of special education law, strong leadership abilities, excellent communication skills, and a collaborative, solutions-oriented approach to supporting students with disabilities while maintaining compliance with all regulatory requirements. The Director must demonstrate the ability to think creatively and solve complex problems for students whose educational needs must be addressed across specialized, alternative, detention, and other non-traditional settings.

Leadership and Compliance

Provide supervision and leadership for specialized education programs, including Early Childhood, IGOAL, STEP, RISE, and educational programming for students placed at the Hartford Juvenile Detention Center, ensuring effective program implementation, case management, continuity of services, and appropriate educational programming.

Provide case management oversight for Hartford Public Schools students with IEPs placed in Regional Detention Centers, including coordination with detention education providers, families, school teams, related service providers, and other agencies to support IEP implementation, educational continuity, transitions, and re-entry planning.

Establish clear program expectations, operating practices, and service-delivery standards across assigned specialized programs while monitoring implementation, student access, program quality, and alignment with district priorities.

Develop creative, individualized solutions for students in non-traditional educational settings when conventional programming, scheduling, service delivery, or placement options do not adequately address a student's academic, behavioral, social-emotional, or disability-related needs.

Provide leadership to program administrators and staff in addressing complex student cases, strengthening interdisciplinary problem-solving, and coordinating academic, behavioral, related-service, and transition supports.

Build and maintain strategic partnerships with district departments, community agencies, detention education providers, and other stakeholders to expand supports and opportunities for students served in specialized and non-traditional settings.

Partner with the Director of Accountability and Compliance to ensure accurate state and federal reporting, Child Count data, documentation, and audit readiness for assigned specialized programs and students.

Resolve complex, sensitive inquiries and complaints related to assigned programs through effective stakeholder communication, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution strategies.

Prepare program analyses, reports, presentations, recommendations, and communications for the Executive Director regarding program performance, student needs, resource requirements, emerging trends, and opportunities for improvement

Program Development and Improvement

Lead the design, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of specialized programs, ensuring each program model is responsive to student needs and aligned with district standards, state requirements, evidence-based practices, and the department's improvement priorities.

Monitor instructional programming, staffing models, schedules, related services, behavioral supports, and student-access structures across assigned programs and recommend adjustments that strengthen program quality and student outcomes.

Coordinate transition, re-entry, and continuity-of-services planning for students moving between district schools, specialized programs, the Hartford Juvenile Detention Center, Regional Detention Centers, and other educational settings, with particular attention to students with IEPs.

Use student, program, and implementation data to identify trends, evaluate effectiveness, address service gaps, and recommend program redesign, expansion, consolidation, or other improvements as appropriate.

Collaborate with district Special Education staff to implement, monitor, and assess curriculum and instructional initiatives within specialized and non-traditional settings, ensuring appropriate differentiation and access for students with disabilities.

Design and facilitate professional learning, coaching, and technical assistance that strengthen staff capacity to serve students with complex learning, behavioral, social-emotional, and transition needs.

Identify and develop innovative approaches, partnerships, and program options that expand the district's capacity to meet student needs within specialized and non-traditional educational settings.

Support the Executive Director in comprehensive specialized-program reviews that examine student outcomes, program fidelity, staffing and resource needs, compliance, and opportunities for continuous improvement.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE:

Advanced degree in special education required

Minimum of five (5) successful years of experience special education settings

Experience implementing and monitoring compliance with federal and state special education requirements

Experience with special education data management systems, particularly CT-SEDS or similar systems

Experience leading professional development initiatives related to special education

In-depth understanding of IEP development, implementation, and monitoring processes

Thorough knowledge of FAPE and LRE principles and their practical application

Experience with special education program development and evaluation, including data analysis to drive program improvement

Experience with special education legal proceedings and due process

Outstanding leadership and organizational skills

Personnel supervision and evaluation expertise

Excellent communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills

Strong orientation toward urban school systems preferred

CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS : Connecticut Intermediate Administrative Certification (092) and Connecticut Certification in Special Education are required.

UNION AFFILIATION : Hartford Principals' Supervisors' Association (HPSA)

SALARY AND TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT : This is a twelve-month position and the salary is in accordance with the Hartford Principals' and Supervisors' Association 2026-2027 Schedule: Group 12: $149,609 - $162,873.

APPLICATION PROCESS : To be considered, all internal and external applicants must fully complete a Hartford Public Schools’ online application. To apply, please visit https://app.hirenimble.com/jobs/hartford and follow the appropriate link. Internal candidates are advised to use their personal email when applying. Upon submission, candidates’ applications and supporting documents will be reviewed. Successful candidates will be invited to next steps in the selection process.

We Value Our Staff…And It Shows

Hartford Public Schools is seeking excellent candidates and wants to provide the best experience for you.

We have put together a comprehensive package of benefits and incentives.

Financial Incentives

Tuition Reimbursement : Up to $3,000 annually

Residency Differential : 3% of base salary for certified administrators (HPSA members) living in Hartford

Differential for Doctorate in Education : $2,500 annually

Additional Benefits

Comprehensive health, vision, and dental insurance

Board contribution of 50% of the applicable Health Savings Account (HSA) deductible

5 Personal days per year; 20 Sick days per year

Life insurance (2x annual salary)

Loan forgiveness (State & Federal)

Professional learning

Career growth opportunities

Join HPS & REPRESENT

Hartford Public Schools (Hartford, Connecticut) is a diverse community of educators and approximately 16,000 students attending 39 distinctive magnet, community, and neighborhood schools located in Connecticut's capital city. Our values are excellence, equity, inclusiveness, collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement. Our mission is to provide all students with the learning and support needed to succeed in school and life, and our shared vision is that all students will graduate prepared to transform our world.

"Set the bar. Meet the bar. Exceed the bar. Raise the bar!" is the motto of Hartford Public Schools' Superintendent and CEO, Andraé Townsel. We are committed to continuous improvement, knowing that consistent growth toward abundant academic proficiency and excellence will raise the bar for our students in Hartford.

HPS has career opportunities of all kinds in all of our schools. Come represent your community, your culture, and what's possible for our amazing students. When you work here, it's not just about making a living—it's about making a difference. And you don't just earn a paycheck—you earn lifelong respect.

Hartford is The Place to Be

The state of Connecticut is located on the northeastern seaboard. Hartford is within an hour's drive of the coastline and is centrally located between New York City and Boston. Hartford is one of America's oldest and most historic cities, made up of 17 unique neighborhoods rich in history and diversity. It is commonly known as the "insurance capital" due to its prominence beginning in the 19th century as home to many of the nation's most prestigious insurance companies, many of which still call Hartford home today. The city features world-class museums, entertainment, and sports venues and is home to several major companies. An array of restaurants reflecting cuisines from around the world attracts people from far and wide, and more than 200 arts, heritage, and cultural organizations in the Hartford region provide hundreds of events year-round. In addition, several universities and colleges are located in Hartford and the surrounding towns, offering easy access to advanced degree programs.

Want to learn more about opportunities in HPS? Join one of our monthly virtual information sessions .

Position Subject to Available Funding

An Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer, M/F/V/D