Fast Facts

KIPP Texas Public Schools seeks a Manager of Special Education Legal Compliance to ensure adherence to legal, regulatory, and instructional standards for students with disabilities, promoting equitable access to educational services across its network of schools.

Responsibilities: Key responsibilities include leading systems for compliance, overseeing special education processes, data analysis for improvement, and engagement with stakeholders to support equitable education outcomes for students with disabilities.

Skills: Candidates should have a strong knowledge of IDEA, Section 504 regulations, and expertise in MTSS, along with experience in teaching special education and data analysis.

Qualifications: A Bachelor's degree is required, while a Master's degree is preferred. Candidates should have a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience in special education services.

Location: This position is based in Houston, Texas, USA.

Compensation: Not provided by employer. Typical compensation ranges for this position are between $70,000 - $90,000.

Company Description

About KIPP Texas Public Schools

KIPP Texas Public Schools is a network of 54 public charter, open-enrollment, pre-k-12 schools educating nearly 32,000 students across Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. Together with families and communities, our mission is to create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose - college, career, and beyond - so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more fair world.

Founded in Houston in 1994 and operating as KIPP Texas since 2018, we are looking to hire a diverse team of dynamic, collaborative, and dedicated individuals with an unyielding belief that every child will succeed. Join a Team and Family with an unwavering commitment to creating classrooms, offices, and communities rooted in belongingness, academic success and joy. If you are passionate about joining a mission and values-driven community who wants every child to want to run to school, the KIPP Texas Team and Family is for you!

KIPP Public Schools is a national network of public charter schools that prepares students with the skills and confidence to create the future they want for themselves, their communities, and us all. We are a network of 278 schools with nearly 16,500 educators and 190,000 students and alumni.

Job Description

The Manager of Special Education Legal Compliance serves as a critical support to special populations, faculty and school leaders, providing guidance in the areas of compliance and student data systems. This role collaborates closely with state speic staff, regional curriculum teams, and school-based personnel to ensure the delivery of high-quality, individualized educational programs for students with diverse learning needs. By supporting effective teaching practices, ensuring adherence to legal and instructional standards, and ensuring compliance with IDEA and Texas State Education Law & Regulations, Section 504 Law & Regulations, the Special Populations Specialist helps advance the mission of KIPP Texas Public Schools—ensuring that every student has the tools and supportive environment necessary to thrive.

Position Summary

The Manager of Special Education Legal Compliance is responsible for leading and coordinating statewide systems that ensure legal and regulatory compliance, operational excellence, and equitable access to services for students with disabilities across KIPP Texas. This role oversees special education enrollment and records transfer, PEIMS reporting, TEA Complaints, Critical Cases, State Performance Plan Indicators and audits. This leader builds efficient processes to meet IDEA, Section 504, and state compliance requirements while promoting high-quality services and support for students, families, and campus teams.

General Role Description

• Strategy: Support the strategic vision to ensure that KTX school and regional teams implement the Special Education Strategic Plan and provide comprehensive improvement of school performance using a collaborative approach to clear and specific performance targets aligned to the Special Education Strategic Plan and execute, monitor, edit strategic plans, annual goals and quarterly benchmarking for departmental improvement.
• Communication: Assists the Senior Director of compliance in ensuring KTX special populations teams are provided excellent communication, customer service and well-coordinated support.
• Legal Framework & Compliance: Possess experience and knowledge of IDEA and Texas State Education Law & Regulations, Section 504 Law & Regulations and understanding of the essential elements of high performing MTSS systems and structures.. 

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Special Education Enrollment & Records Compliance

• Lead and manage standardized procedures for identifying, enrolling, and tracking students with disabilities, ensuring adherence to IDEA and TEA timelines.
• Oversee transfer of special education records and coordinate timelines for ARD/IEP implementation and evaluation.
• Ensure accurate and timely communication with campus, regional, and network stakeholders to guarantee continuity of FAPE.
• Support placement decisions in collaboration with regional teams for students requiring self-contained or low-incidence programming.

2. Data Analysis and Improvement:

• Analyze school data including MTSS, 504, and ARD compliance to inform school based support and assistance.
• Analyze student data, to inform compliance decisions and interventions.
• Recognize patterns in student performance data and make recommendations for professional development and instructional improvements.
• Use data to identify and support the academic needs of special populations students.
• Monitor ARD paperwork completed by campus personnel, including supplements with accompanying data collected by campus staff (i.e., all IEPs, BIPs, Transition, Transportation etc.)

3. Stakeholder Engagement:

• Cultivate the trust of all key stakeholders, including teachers, parents, and administrators, to support student success.
• Maintain productive working relationships with other internal departments and lead troubleshooting efforts when issues arise with special populations.

4. Professional Development:

• Co-facilitate professional development sessions focused on compliance and best practices for special populations.
• Support/provide monthly PD, newsletter input, communication, to provide ongoing coaching and guidance to the school-based staff.
• Develop and deliver training on organization structures, processes, and procedures necessary for compliance.
• Collaborate with the Senior Director of Compliance and school staff to resolve TEA complaints.

5. PEIMS & Data Compliance:

• Ensure that IEPs, other special education documentation, and 504 plans are compliant with federal, state, and district regulations.
• Participate in IEP meetings, parent-teacher conferences, and other relevant meetings to discuss student progress.
• Direct special education components of PEIMS reporting, ensuring accurate coding, service tracking, and adherence to TEA deadlines.
• Implement data validation and monitoring systems to prevent compliance risks and funding loss.
• Provide training and support to campus and regional teams on special education coding and reporting expectations.

6. Other Duties:

 Perform all other tasks and duties as assigned by the Senior Director of Special Populations

Qualifications

Education/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Master’s degree preferred
• 3+ years experience teaching with a focus on special education services
• Knowledge of MTSS, 504, and the 13 eligibility categories under IDEA and how they impact achievement
• Knowledge of content standards and assessments
• Experience in analyzing and implementing Federal, State and Local Special Education regulations, policies and procedures
• Demonstrated proficient knowledge of computer operations such as Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and Outlook email

Additional Information

Compensation and Benefits

As a full-time KIPP Texas employee you are eligible to participate in all KIPP Texas’ benefit plans. KIPP Texas offers a robust variety of benefits choices with competitive rates, including medical, dental, and vision options, life insurance, and disability plans.

KIPP provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability.