Primary Purpose:

Provide visually impaired students with learning activities and experiences designed to help them fulfill their potential for intellectual, emotional, physical, and social growth.  Develop or modify curriculum and prepare lessons and other instructional materials to student ability levels for use while providing direct services and for use by non-VI certified teachers. Work in self-contained, team, and/or departmental settings to provide a variety of services to students with visual impairments.   

Minimum Qualifications:

Education/Certification

Valid Texas teaching certificate with required endorsement for subject and level assigned

Deficient Vision certification

Candidate must have satisfactory outcome of fingerprinting background check. Non-refundable fee (approximately $50) paid by employee.

Required Experience:

Three (3) years’ special education teacher experience, preferably teaching students with visual impairments

Knowledge/Skills:

Braille and associated adaptive technology

General knowledge of curriculum and instruction

Ability to instruct students and manage their behavior

Ability to research and develop teaching units

Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills

Major Responsibilities and Duties:

(The following statements describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned and should not be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions that may be assigned or skills that may be required.)

Professionalism

The Educators' Code of Ethics is set forth in Texas Administrative Code to provide rules for standard practices and ethical conduct toward students, professional colleagues, school officials, parents, and members of the community.

• Rule §247.1 Purpose and Scope; Definitions
• Rule §247.2 Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators

Instructional Management

The teacher promotes improvement of instruction through activities such as the following:

• Provide direct instruction to visually impaired students, ages 0-22 years, and use of the Braille, Braille readiness skills, use of low vision aide, sensorimotor state skills, effective use of residual vision, pre-orientation and mobility skills, use of adaptive equipment, social and self-help skills, caret, and vocational skills) to ensure academic success.
• Consult with regular and special education classroom teachers and other appropriate staff to support the student in the mainstream and special education classrooms.
• Assist school staff in adapting materials for Braille students or for students with extremely low vision.
• Coordinate visually impaired instruction with ECI personnel.
• Train classroom teachers of visual impaired students in developing and implementing a program of visual efficiency skills.
• Train classroom teachers of the visually impaired student in adapting programming for students with limited or no vision.
• Participate in ARD and transition committee meetings.
• Collaborate with students, parents, and other members of staff to develop the IEP and ITP through the ARD committee process for each student assigned.
• Assist in developing the IEP and ITP for each student. Develop IEP for VI training and VI management. Assure requirements for VI ARD have been met and are properly documented in the ARD minutes and other attachments.
• Use technology to strengthen the teaching/learning process.

Student Growth and Development

The teacher fosters student growth and development through activities such as the following:

• Be familiar with and adhere to federal, state, and local requirement for referral procedures for visually impaired students.
• Assess functional vision for each student referred. Assist other assessment personnel in selecting, adapting, and interpreting tests suitable for the visually impaired. 
• Perform and/or assist with comprehensive assessments for visually impaired infants or deaf-blind students for whom traditional means of testing are inappropriate.
• Read and interpret medical and visual evaluation information.

Classroom Management and Organization Improvement

The teacher works to improve the classroom, school or organization through activities such as the following:

• Create classroom environment conducive to learning appropriate for the physical, social, and emotional development of students.
• Order appropriate special materials through TEA purchase and through interagency cooperation for the special needs of visually impaired students.
• Arrange for dissemination of materials received to homes and classrooms, following local procedures for checkout and annual inventory. Arrange for repair of materials, when needed.   
• Consult district and outside resources regarding education, social, medical, and personal needs of students.
• Take all necessary and reasonable precautions to protect students, equipment, materials and facilities.
• Assist in selection of books, equipment, and other instructional materials.

Communication and Community Relations

The teacher promotes a positive tone for school or community relations through activities such as the following:

• Disseminate information regarding services from other related service agencies to parents/and or teacher.
• Coordinate with appropriate agencies to provide transition services for high school age students.
• Refer students to the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) or residential, day school, or summer services, as needed. Coordinate gathering of required data and application forms.  Attend ARD meetings at TSBVI as required. 
• Coordinate with ESC Region 13 for orientation and mobility services as needed.
• Assist in determining need for EYS services. Recommend goals and objectives for students receiving EYS services. 
• Maintain ongoing communication with vision screening personnel (school nurse). ECI programs, Department of Health, and the Texas State Commission for the Blind to refer students with visual problems.
• Locate, contact, and arrange for Low Vision Clinic services as needed.
• Be a positive role model for students, support the mission of the district.
• Establish and maintain open communications with parents, students, principals, teachers, and support staff by conducting conferences.
• Maintain a professional relationship with colleagues, students, parents, and community members.
• Use effective communication skills to present information accurately and clearly.

Professional Growth and Development

The teacher participates in professional growth and development through activities such as the following:

• Participate in national and state level organizations to stay abreast of latest research, new developments in the education of the visually impaired, including new technological devices, and best practices.
• Attend professional development opportunities related to designated subject area.
• Read, synthesize, and disseminate research and information related to best practices from books, journals, listservs, websites, and other media formats.
• Attend meetings and participate in staff development activities to improve job-related skills.

Qualities of Effective Teachers

The teacher exhibits qualities such as the following:

• Daily attendance and punctuality at work are essential functions of the job.
• Keep informed of and comply with state, district, and school regulations and policies for classroom teachers.
• Compile, maintain, and file reports, records, and other documents required.
• Attend and participate in faculty meetings and serve on staff committees as required.
• Correct unsafe conditions in work area that could cause an accident and inform supervisor of any conditions that are not correctable immediately.
• Shall comply with district policies, as well as state and federal laws and regulations.
• Shall comply with the standards of conduct set out in Board Policy DH (Legal) and (Local) and with any other policies, regulations, and guidelines that impose duties, requirements, and standards.
• Maintain confidentiality.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Supervise assigned teacher aide(s) and volunteer(s) as assigned.

Equipment:

Computer, computer software programs and peripherals, teacher resource materials and equipment, printer, copier, fax and other equipment applicable to the position.

Working Conditions:

Mental Demands/Physical Demands/Environmental Factors

• Maintain emotional control under stress.
• Work with frequent interruptions.
• Work irregular hour and extended work hours to include holidays and weekends.
• Frequent walking, standing, stooping, bending, pulling and pushing, lifting, and carrying (may lift and move textbooks and other classroom adaptive equipment).
• May report to various campuses within the district for a full work day.
• Frequent district wide travel and occasional statewide travel.
• Use computer for prolonged period resulting in repetitive hand motion.
• Frequent exposure to: temperature extremes (hot and cold), humidity extremes, noise, low or intense illumination vibration.
• Occasional exposure to: biological hazards (communicable diseases, bacteria, etc.), work outside, work around moving objects or vehicles, work on uneven surfaces.

The foregoing statements describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties that may be assigned or skills that may be required.