
Early Childhood Special Educator/Classroom Teacher
Roaring Fork School District, San Jacinto, CA, United States
Early Childhood Special Educator/Classroom Teacher JobID: 3380
Position Type: Early Childhood Education
Date Posted: 4/23/2026
Location: District-wide
Date Available: 08/05/2026
Position:
Early Childhood Special Educator/Classroom Teacher
School Year:
2026-2027
Location:
Roaring Fork School District
Reports to:
Center Director and ECE Instructional Facilitator
Classification:
Certified Exempt - Full-Time (1.0 FTE / 40 hours per week)
Contract Period:
189 working days
Salary Range
$62,914 - $89,509 (Based on education and years of relevant teaching experience). The annual salary listed above is based on a full‑time, 8‑hour workday (FTE 1) and a full working calendar. For positions with less than a full FTE or reduced hours, such as part‑time or late‑start positions, the salary will be prorated accordingly. Certified Salary Schedule.
Certified Salary Schedule B adjusted for additional days, 189 calendar
Credentialed teaching experience outside the District or U.S. may be considered in salary placement. See our Salary Placement Criteria for more information.
Roaring Fork School District offers full district paid employee health benefits, including medical, life, voluntary vision, dental, and dependent coverage. Other benefits include paid leave, CO PERA (pension plan) enrollment with district contribution, TSA options, employee assistance programs (EAP), and supplemental insurance. Ski passes and an employee referral program are also available.
With 14 schools and 5,600 students, the Roaring Fork School District serves the communities of Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, and Basalt. Our culture emphasizes teacher voice, clear and collaborative leadership, small class sizes, a competitive salary schedule, access to an affordable housing program, and a focus on self‑care and well‑being.
Position Overview
The person in this position is responsible for providing a safe, developmentally appropriate early childhood program and is highly qualified to provide instruction and coordinate services for children 3 to 5 years with special needs in classroom settings; work in partnership with parents, students, teachers, therapists, paraprofessionals, and administrators in accordance with district, federal, and state regulations. Provide Child Find coordination, screening, and evaluation services in collaboration with the RFSD ECSE team.
Key Responsibilities
Early Childhood Special Education
Manage evaluations of 3‑to‑5‑year‑olds referred for Special Education services; may conduct evaluation process, including reviewing input from parents, therapists, teachers, ECE school nurse, and outside professionals to ensure all developmental areas are assessed.
Collaborate with the early childhood site director to ensure the program meets the needs of all students.
Assist in developing children’s IEPs including formulating appropriate goals, objectives, strategies, and a transition plan; consult with therapists, other specialists, the children’s classroom teacher, and EC Director regarding IEP goals and objectives; maintain up‑to‑date and accurate record keeping; monitor IEP plan and provide ongoing communication to parents, teachers and therapists regarding progress.
Co‑plan and facilitate appropriate transitions into the early childhood environment and when a child is moving on to kindergarten.
Train, coach, model, and co‑teach specialized and differentiation techniques to classroom staff so that children’s individual needs are addressed and goals are met.
As IEP case manager, collaborate with the EC Director, in scheduling annual and triennial staffings and notify appropriate IEP team members.
Become proficient in the district’s early childhood curriculum, Creative Curriculum, and assessment instrument, TS GOLD.
Plan/consult with therapists, and classroom staff to implement curriculum; adapt curriculum to meet the needs of individual children.
Provide direct services to children as written in their IEPs.
Use ongoing formal and informal assessments to monitor the progress of students; utilize TS GOLD data to help teachers plan appropriate activities and to input data when appropriate.
Assure that developmentally appropriate materials are available for children; assist in creating child‑specific materials such as daily picture schedules.
Participate in community, regional and state early childhood meetings and discussions regarding school‑based services for young children.
When present in classrooms, manage students to assure a conducive learning environment that is safe and secure for all students and comply with all state and local rules that are required for children age 5 and younger.
Perform all required duties including direct services for children, support with classroom supervision (not as a substitute) teacher‑parent conferences, home visits, school site‑based and EC/SPED department meetings, and other teacher related duties.
Follow rules and regulations of district, county, state and federal programs.
Participate on district teams (i.e. ECE leadership team, SpEd, ECSE team) to develop, plan and implement strategic plans (Universal Preschool).
Support ECE teams in classroom coverage (guest teaching) to enable professional development, coaching cycles, and feedback loops related to special education services.
Participate in ECE staff meetings and professional development activities.
Support and participate in ECE MTSS meetings and related activities.
Teacher
With a team, serve as co‑lead teacher in two PreK classrooms.
Provide careful and effective supervision of individual and groups of children, on and off campus, in accordance with District established policies and procedures and Colorado’s Office of Early Childhood Child Care Licensing Rules.
Implement the program’s curriculum and create quality developmentally appropriate lessons for individual and small groups of children.
Encourage proper behavior and maintain children’s safety and learning, through the implementation of the approved behavior guidance plan.
Attend to the physical needs of the children (i.e., feeding, toileting, resting, etc.) while employing all child care and health and safety rules.
Communicate positively and appropriately with parents regarding their child in relationship to the early childhood program; conduct family‑teacher conferences.
Provide first aid and health‑related services as needed.
Plan for, collect, and input data for the Teaching Strategies GOLD assessment program for all classroom children of record. Utilize data to monitor child progress and inform lesson design and classroom activities.
Attend required meetings and continuing education sessions and complete Colorado’s Office of Early Childhood Child Care Licensing required trainings and meet the required professional development hours.
Maintain an Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) credential level and an up‑to‑date Professional Development Information System (PDIS) account.
Ideal Candidate Qualities
Knowledge of:
Effective early childhood education instruction.
Content and teaching methods in special education and early childhood education.
Early childhood developmental continuum and specific age trajectories as well as Colorado’s 2020 Early Learning and Development Guidelines (ELDG).
Pertinent federal, state and local laws, codes and regulation regarding early childhood education and special education.
Planning and implementing staffings and other team meetings.
Curriculum development, instruction, and lesson planning.
Positive discipline and classroom management techniques.
Effective public speaking and presentation techniques.
English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Principles of business letter writing and basic report preparation.
Technology used to complete data collection, monitoring and evaluation tools.
Knowledge of typical child development and conditions associated with developmental delays.
Experience with children from birth to five years of age.
Competence related to family systems and cultures.
Strong verbal and written communication skills in both English and Spanish preferred.
Ability and desire to function as a team member with families and other professionals.
Skills in screening and assisting with evaluation of children.
Ability to establish and maintain effective, cooperative relationships with community members, school district personnel, students, and parents.
State and local rules pertaining to childcare programs.
Curriculum implementation and developmentally appropriate quality lesson planning.
CPR / First Aid / Universal Precautions / Medication Administration training.
State and local health, safety and food handling rules.
Ability to:
Identify developmental delays, prescribe remediation and evaluate child progress.
Participate in the development and administration of goals, objectives and procedures for children’s IEPs.
Effectively train and coach other teachers and staff.
Attend in‑service trainings, conferences and meetings (including evenings and weekends).
Operate and use modern office tools including Google programming.
Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
Work in multiple sites and conduct evaluations during the summer when available.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
Pass Child Care Licensing background check and CBI fingerprint.
Interact with children in a nurturing and respectful manner.
Create and implement quality developmentally appropriate lessons utilizing the program’s curriculum.
Maintain effective working relationships with colleagues in the course of work.
Education and Licensing Guidelines
Equivalent to the completion of a Master’s degree from an accredited college in Early Childhood Special Education or a related field.
Possession of or enrollment in a program to obtain appropriate Early Childhood Special Education endorsement; possession of or the ability to obtain a Colorado Teaching License.
Possession of or ability to obtain a valid Colorado Driver’s License.
Official transcripts must be provided upon hire. For international transcripts, an evaluation is required through a member organization of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
Visa candidates: An initial (3‑year) license is the minimum requirement for employment offers.
Working Conditions
Requires driving from site to site. Employee is regularly inside, sitting, walking, and standing. Occasional lifting of 50 pounds or less; lifting of 50 pounds or more requires a two‑person lift. May be required to lift, move or position students as needed.
Primary functions may require maintaining physical conditions necessary for traveling, sitting (including sitting on the floor), getting up and down from the floor, and standing for prolonged periods of time; use of a computer keyboard; light lifting; and carrying.
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Position Type: Early Childhood Education
Date Posted: 4/23/2026
Location: District-wide
Date Available: 08/05/2026
Position:
Early Childhood Special Educator/Classroom Teacher
School Year:
2026-2027
Location:
Roaring Fork School District
Reports to:
Center Director and ECE Instructional Facilitator
Classification:
Certified Exempt - Full-Time (1.0 FTE / 40 hours per week)
Contract Period:
189 working days
Salary Range
$62,914 - $89,509 (Based on education and years of relevant teaching experience). The annual salary listed above is based on a full‑time, 8‑hour workday (FTE 1) and a full working calendar. For positions with less than a full FTE or reduced hours, such as part‑time or late‑start positions, the salary will be prorated accordingly. Certified Salary Schedule.
Certified Salary Schedule B adjusted for additional days, 189 calendar
Credentialed teaching experience outside the District or U.S. may be considered in salary placement. See our Salary Placement Criteria for more information.
Roaring Fork School District offers full district paid employee health benefits, including medical, life, voluntary vision, dental, and dependent coverage. Other benefits include paid leave, CO PERA (pension plan) enrollment with district contribution, TSA options, employee assistance programs (EAP), and supplemental insurance. Ski passes and an employee referral program are also available.
With 14 schools and 5,600 students, the Roaring Fork School District serves the communities of Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, and Basalt. Our culture emphasizes teacher voice, clear and collaborative leadership, small class sizes, a competitive salary schedule, access to an affordable housing program, and a focus on self‑care and well‑being.
Position Overview
The person in this position is responsible for providing a safe, developmentally appropriate early childhood program and is highly qualified to provide instruction and coordinate services for children 3 to 5 years with special needs in classroom settings; work in partnership with parents, students, teachers, therapists, paraprofessionals, and administrators in accordance with district, federal, and state regulations. Provide Child Find coordination, screening, and evaluation services in collaboration with the RFSD ECSE team.
Key Responsibilities
Early Childhood Special Education
Manage evaluations of 3‑to‑5‑year‑olds referred for Special Education services; may conduct evaluation process, including reviewing input from parents, therapists, teachers, ECE school nurse, and outside professionals to ensure all developmental areas are assessed.
Collaborate with the early childhood site director to ensure the program meets the needs of all students.
Assist in developing children’s IEPs including formulating appropriate goals, objectives, strategies, and a transition plan; consult with therapists, other specialists, the children’s classroom teacher, and EC Director regarding IEP goals and objectives; maintain up‑to‑date and accurate record keeping; monitor IEP plan and provide ongoing communication to parents, teachers and therapists regarding progress.
Co‑plan and facilitate appropriate transitions into the early childhood environment and when a child is moving on to kindergarten.
Train, coach, model, and co‑teach specialized and differentiation techniques to classroom staff so that children’s individual needs are addressed and goals are met.
As IEP case manager, collaborate with the EC Director, in scheduling annual and triennial staffings and notify appropriate IEP team members.
Become proficient in the district’s early childhood curriculum, Creative Curriculum, and assessment instrument, TS GOLD.
Plan/consult with therapists, and classroom staff to implement curriculum; adapt curriculum to meet the needs of individual children.
Provide direct services to children as written in their IEPs.
Use ongoing formal and informal assessments to monitor the progress of students; utilize TS GOLD data to help teachers plan appropriate activities and to input data when appropriate.
Assure that developmentally appropriate materials are available for children; assist in creating child‑specific materials such as daily picture schedules.
Participate in community, regional and state early childhood meetings and discussions regarding school‑based services for young children.
When present in classrooms, manage students to assure a conducive learning environment that is safe and secure for all students and comply with all state and local rules that are required for children age 5 and younger.
Perform all required duties including direct services for children, support with classroom supervision (not as a substitute) teacher‑parent conferences, home visits, school site‑based and EC/SPED department meetings, and other teacher related duties.
Follow rules and regulations of district, county, state and federal programs.
Participate on district teams (i.e. ECE leadership team, SpEd, ECSE team) to develop, plan and implement strategic plans (Universal Preschool).
Support ECE teams in classroom coverage (guest teaching) to enable professional development, coaching cycles, and feedback loops related to special education services.
Participate in ECE staff meetings and professional development activities.
Support and participate in ECE MTSS meetings and related activities.
Teacher
With a team, serve as co‑lead teacher in two PreK classrooms.
Provide careful and effective supervision of individual and groups of children, on and off campus, in accordance with District established policies and procedures and Colorado’s Office of Early Childhood Child Care Licensing Rules.
Implement the program’s curriculum and create quality developmentally appropriate lessons for individual and small groups of children.
Encourage proper behavior and maintain children’s safety and learning, through the implementation of the approved behavior guidance plan.
Attend to the physical needs of the children (i.e., feeding, toileting, resting, etc.) while employing all child care and health and safety rules.
Communicate positively and appropriately with parents regarding their child in relationship to the early childhood program; conduct family‑teacher conferences.
Provide first aid and health‑related services as needed.
Plan for, collect, and input data for the Teaching Strategies GOLD assessment program for all classroom children of record. Utilize data to monitor child progress and inform lesson design and classroom activities.
Attend required meetings and continuing education sessions and complete Colorado’s Office of Early Childhood Child Care Licensing required trainings and meet the required professional development hours.
Maintain an Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) credential level and an up‑to‑date Professional Development Information System (PDIS) account.
Ideal Candidate Qualities
Knowledge of:
Effective early childhood education instruction.
Content and teaching methods in special education and early childhood education.
Early childhood developmental continuum and specific age trajectories as well as Colorado’s 2020 Early Learning and Development Guidelines (ELDG).
Pertinent federal, state and local laws, codes and regulation regarding early childhood education and special education.
Planning and implementing staffings and other team meetings.
Curriculum development, instruction, and lesson planning.
Positive discipline and classroom management techniques.
Effective public speaking and presentation techniques.
English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Principles of business letter writing and basic report preparation.
Technology used to complete data collection, monitoring and evaluation tools.
Knowledge of typical child development and conditions associated with developmental delays.
Experience with children from birth to five years of age.
Competence related to family systems and cultures.
Strong verbal and written communication skills in both English and Spanish preferred.
Ability and desire to function as a team member with families and other professionals.
Skills in screening and assisting with evaluation of children.
Ability to establish and maintain effective, cooperative relationships with community members, school district personnel, students, and parents.
State and local rules pertaining to childcare programs.
Curriculum implementation and developmentally appropriate quality lesson planning.
CPR / First Aid / Universal Precautions / Medication Administration training.
State and local health, safety and food handling rules.
Ability to:
Identify developmental delays, prescribe remediation and evaluate child progress.
Participate in the development and administration of goals, objectives and procedures for children’s IEPs.
Effectively train and coach other teachers and staff.
Attend in‑service trainings, conferences and meetings (including evenings and weekends).
Operate and use modern office tools including Google programming.
Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
Work in multiple sites and conduct evaluations during the summer when available.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
Pass Child Care Licensing background check and CBI fingerprint.
Interact with children in a nurturing and respectful manner.
Create and implement quality developmentally appropriate lessons utilizing the program’s curriculum.
Maintain effective working relationships with colleagues in the course of work.
Education and Licensing Guidelines
Equivalent to the completion of a Master’s degree from an accredited college in Early Childhood Special Education or a related field.
Possession of or enrollment in a program to obtain appropriate Early Childhood Special Education endorsement; possession of or the ability to obtain a Colorado Teaching License.
Possession of or ability to obtain a valid Colorado Driver’s License.
Official transcripts must be provided upon hire. For international transcripts, an evaluation is required through a member organization of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
Visa candidates: An initial (3‑year) license is the minimum requirement for employment offers.
Working Conditions
Requires driving from site to site. Employee is regularly inside, sitting, walking, and standing. Occasional lifting of 50 pounds or less; lifting of 50 pounds or more requires a two‑person lift. May be required to lift, move or position students as needed.
Primary functions may require maintaining physical conditions necessary for traveling, sitting (including sitting on the floor), getting up and down from the floor, and standing for prolonged periods of time; use of a computer keyboard; light lifting; and carrying.
#J-18808-Ljbffr