Manager, Specialized Services

PASS Grade 7 $113 , 050 to $127, 240 (under review)

A bout the Board

The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) is committed to learning, equity, engagement and innovation. We are guided by our vision, Growing Together, the mission that every student experiences a sense of belonging and engages in dynamic learning to reach their potential and build their own future, and our values of Compassion, Dignity, Trust, and Joy to guide our daily work and ensure that we honour the unique identities and needs of all. Proudly serving a community of approximately 50,000 students in the City of Hamilton and surrounding area, HWDSB operates across 80 elementary schools, 13 secondary schools and 1 Adult Learning Centre, in addition to providing support and service to approximately 8,800 staff members.

Staff Wellness

At HWDSB, staff wellness is a priority. We are committed to co-creating and fostering an environment where staff feel safe, valued, and supported. We are continuously striving to support the needs of our diverse community and actively work to foster and maintain a culture of human rights.

Our holistic Staff Wellness program has been designed to support employee’s well-being in all dimensions of health. As one part of this comprehensive program, all staff as well as their dependents have access to free and confidential supports through our Employee and Family Assistance Provider (EFAP), in addition to many other program components.

About the Role

Providing culturally relevant and responsive, student-centred support to schools within the context of the HWDSB Strategic Directions, Multi-Year Strategic Plan and Board Annual Plan, the Manager, Specialized Services is a member of an interdisciplinary team of professionals who support students who access Special Education Supports and Services. This role requires leadership in the areas of Speech and Language (including programs), Low Incidence (ie. Blind/Low Vision and Deaf/Hard of Hearing), Social Communication, Special Education Equipment and AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) and reports to the Superintendent of Student Achievement, Specialized Services.

We welcome applications from leaders who have a demonstrated practice of Human Rights and who lead with anti-racist anti-oppressive (ARAO) and decolonization approaches. The Manager, Specialized Services must have the demonstrated competency to confront and dismantle all forms of oppression and discrimination to ensure students who are currently and historically underserved in our system have open pathways to excellence.

Committed to our HWDSB Multi-Year Strategic Plan (2023-2028), an applicant for this opportunity maintains the following competencies:

Upholding Human Rights, Safety & Well-being

Providing Equitable Quality Supports and Services

Collaborating with Students, Families, Communities and Staff

Building a Sustainable Education System

Reinforcing Indigenous Educational Wellness & Reconciliation

Duties include but are not limited to:

Provide equitable and quality services to students (K to 12) and schools through the support of communication professionals including: Speech and Language Pathologists, Communicative Disorders Assistants, Language Acquisition Support Workers, Deaf Blind Intervenor, Deaf Hard of Hearing Educational Assistant.

Provide leadership and clinical supervision related to the Competencies as outlined by the College of Speech and Language Pathologies and Audiologists. This includes performance appraisals and professional development.

Supervise the SEA process including the acquisition and distribution of assistive technology.

Oversee the implementation of social communication programs and support initiatives to enhance students’ social skills and communication abilities.

Oversee the Low Incidence Service Team, which includes liaison to the Provincial schools.

Develop and monitor third party contracts for service providers including audiologist and Orientation and Mobility Specialist.

Provide supervision to staff within a Family of Schools structure.

Coordinate assessments and support the development of individualized student intervention plans.

Complete assessments where required.

Provide guidance and support to school staff pertaining to student achievement, well -being, and improving communication and engagement with families in the areas of service delivery.

Collaborate with educators, administrators and other professionals to support the academic and social success of students with disabilities.

Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of services and make adjustments where needed.

Supervise and lead an inter-disciplinary team.

Build collective staff efficacy related to intervention(s) for students with disabilities.

Collaborate with internal and external interested parties including community agencies and provincial schools.

Represent HWDSB at community tables.

Manage budgets in alignment with the Board Multi-Year Strategic Plan.

Other duties as assigned.

Note: The Specialized Services Department is undergoing re-organization to a K-12 Family of Schools Model. The Manager, Specialized Services will be expected to support and facilitate this complex change including the professional learning of staff.

Skills/Abilities:

The candidate will have demonstrated:

Master’s Degree in Speech and Language Pathology or equivalent, a minimum of 5 years’ experience in education or a related field and registered with the College of Audiologists and Speech and Language Pathologists of Ontario and in good standing.

Strong knowledge of communication needs.

An equity perspective regarding the inclusion and success of students that have a disability/diagnosis as well as the intersectionality with other identities and Indigenous Cultural Safety.

An understanding of the context for students with disabilities as being historically underserved.

Ability to work in a K - 12 Family of Schools model.

Knowledge of Multi-Tier Systems of Supports.

Leadership in school-based initiatives that have had a positive impact on student achievement and well-being for students with disabilities.

Innovative practice in supporting communication for students with disabilities.

Fluency in technologies that ameliorate learning gaps for students with learning and other disabilities.

Proficiency in relevant assessment tools and intervention strategies.

Experience leading professional learning.

Effective coaching, facilitation, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Successful development of and participation on teams.

Organizational, planning and supervisory skills.

Excellent personal leadership resources.

Effective oral and written communications skills.

The successful applicant may be required to work after hours based on system needs.

Valid driver’s license and use of a personal vehicle required.

Deadline for submission is 4:00 p.m. on June 17, 2024

Employment Equity Statement

Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) is committed to building inclusive learning and working environments where students see themselves reflected in the curriculum, staff population, physical surroundings and the broader community.

HWDSB’s mission is to empower students to learn and grow to their full potential in a diverse world. Guided by this mission, HWDSB strives to build a workforce that embodies the values of human rights, equity, diversity and inclusion, while reflecting and welcoming the diverse and distinct identities, experiences and needs of our students and our communities.

HWDSB seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity and inclusion, and who will contribute to the vision of creating inclusive and equitable outcomes. HWDSB especially invites and welcomes applications from:

Indigenous Peoples (e.g., First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples).

Members of groups that commonly experience discrimination due to race, ancestry, colour, religion and/or spiritual beliefs, or place of origin (e.g., Black and racialized communities, immigrant communities, etc.).

Persons with visible and/or invisible (physical and/or mental) disabilities.

Persons who identify as women.

Persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. (i.e., Two-spirit and LGBTQIA+).

As part of HWDSB’s commitment to employment equity and removing barriers to groups that have faced and continue to face barriers in employment, we invite all applicants to complete a voluntary questionnaire that collects identity-based information. The voluntary questionnaire is on the Apply to Education application page for this position.

HWDSB is committed to providing accommodation throughout the recruitment and selection process, based on any human rights protected grounds. If you require accommodation, please notify us in advance and we will work with you to meet your needs.

Land Acknowledgement

HWDSB is located on ancestral Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Confederacy land as determined by the Dish with One Spoon treaty. The Dish with One Spoon wampum belt represents the treaty relationship between the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and Anishinaabe with respect to sharing the land and resources thereon. The intent of this agreement is for all nations sharing this territory to do so responsibly, respectfully and sustainably in perpetuity. We respect the longstanding relationships with the local Indigenous communities, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Six Nations of the Grand River.

Applicant Self-Identification Form

The information collected on this form is used to monitor HWDSB’s progress toward our equity goals including our commitment to diversity in HWDSB recruitment and hiring practices. We are committed to the security and confidentiality of information under our control, and to the protection of privacy with respect to personal and confidential information that is collected, used, disclosed and retained in the system (Policy 1.6 - Privacy). Information on this form is collected pursuant to Ontario’s Education Equity Action Plan (Ministry of Education) and in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). Access to this form is restricted to specific individuals in Human Resources. The Research and Analytics Department will use aggregate data from all the forms (not individual data) for internal reporting. Their access and use of the data is governed by MFIPPA and ethical research practices. Applicant Self-Identification Forms will be maintained in the Human Resources job competition file and securely destroyed 1 year after the job posting for candidates not selected for an interview and 6 years after the job posting for candidates interviewed, in accordance with general records retention principles. If you prefer not to answer any of the questions, you can select “prefer not to answer”. This in no way affects your application or the applicant selection process. If you have questions or concerns about this form please contact humanresources@hwdsb.on.ca.