Managing Director of Special Services

Democracy Prep Public Schools•New York, NY

17h•$170,000 - $190,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Democracy Prep Public Schools seeks a dynamic and strategic Managing Director of Special Services to lead the vision, strategy, and execution of Special Services across the network. As a senior leader within the Charter Management Organization (CMO), the Managing Director of Special Services ensures that students with diverse learning needs — including Students with Disabilities (SWDs), Multilingual Learners (MLLs), and students requiring additional academic and behavioral supports — receive high-quality services that enable them to achieve ambitious academic outcomes. This leader is responsible for building a cohesive vision for special services that ensures strong compliance, effective service delivery, and meaningful academic progress for all students receiving support. They will simultaneously support strong execution of current programming while building the strategic plan that transitions the network into an effective MTSS model. The Managing Director partners closely with school leaders, Deputy Superintendents, and CMO teams to ensure that Special Services systems are aligned with core academic priorities, operational systems, and talent development. Critically, the Managing Director of Special Services will partner closely with the Managing Director of Academics and CAO to build and execute a unified vision in which all scholars — across all learning needs and profiles — access rigorous, standards-aligned instruction and achieve ambitious outcomes. This role combines deep expertise in special education and effective development of pedagogy for multilingual learners with strong leadership, strategic planning, and cross-functional collaboration.

Requirements

A mission-driven educator committed to Democracy Prep’s mission of college success and authentic civic engagement for all scholars.
A strategic leader with a track record of improving outcomes for Students with Disabilities and Multilingual Learners.
A systems thinker with a demonstrated ability to design and implement scalable supports that improve both compliance and instructional impact.
An experienced people manager and team leader who has successfully coached and developed leaders overseeing special education, multilingual learner development, and tier two and three intervention systems.
A collaborative leader who can align diverse teams across Academics, Finance, People, Talent Development, and school leadership.
A strong communicator who can translate complex policy, legal requirements, financial and billing practices, and pedagogy into clear guidance and systems for schools.
A reflective practitioner committed to equity, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
An expert in IDEA, NYSED regulations, inclusive instructional practices, and MTSS/RTI frameworks.
Advanced degree and current (or eligibility for) NY certification in Special Education.