Special education teacher job description template: program type, caseload, state certification and IDEA duties
On this page
- Name the seat: program type, caseload and grade band
- The special education teacher job description template
- State certification, IDEA duties and classification
- From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows
- Common mistakes in special education teacher job descriptions
- Before you publish
- Questions people ask
A special education teacher job description should name the program type (resource, co-teaching, self-contained, life skills, behavior or early childhood), the caseload and grade band, the state certificate and disability area the students need, the IEP duties, how many paraprofessionals the teacher directs, and the pay schedule. As of October 2026, federal IDEA rules require a public school special education teacher to hold full state special education certification (or be in a qualifying alternate route) and a bachelor's degree, and the federal teacher exemption from overtime names teachers of disabled children.
"Special education teacher, certification required" hides the things a candidate checks first: is it a resource caseload of 25 students across five grades, or a self-contained room of eight students with three aides and behavior plans? Which certificate covers those students in your state? Below are the seat types, a copy-ready template, the certification, IDEA and classification lines with sources, screening and scorecard rows, and common mistakes. For the call, use special education teacher screening questions; for general classroom seats, see the teacher job description template.
Name the seat: program type, caseload and grade band
| Seat | What the day looks like | Must-have that separates it |
|---|---|---|
| Resource (pull-out and push-in) | Small groups across several grades, a large IEP caseload, scheduling around general education classes | Running many IEPs on time and planning for mixed groups |
| Co-teaching or inclusion | Shared general education classes with one or more partner teachers | Co-planning and adapting grade-level lessons in the moment |
| Self-contained (mild to moderate) | One class for most of the day, several subjects, paraprofessionals to direct | Classroom management and directing other adults |
| Life skills or extensive support needs | Functional academics, communication systems, personal care, community instruction | Certificate for extensive needs where the state separates it; physical and personal care routines |
| Behavior or autism program | Behavior intervention plans, data collection, crisis prevention | Writing and carrying out behavior plans with data |
| Early childhood special education | Preschool children ages 3 to 5, play-based instruction, family contact | Early childhood special education certificate where required |
Then write down the numbers: students on the caseload, IEPs the teacher case-manages, class size, the number of paraprofessionals, the IEP software, and how much of the day is co-taught. BLS lists the core duties as assessing students' skills, adapting lessons, developing and updating IEPs, teaching whole groups, small groups and individuals, tracking progress, discussing progress with parents and staff, supervising and mentoring teacher assistants, and helping students with transitions (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, last modified August 27, 2026).
The special education teacher job description template
Special Education Teacher, [Resource / Co-Teach / Self-Contained /
Life Skills / Behavior Program / Early Childhood], [grade band]
[School], [District / Charter], [city, state]
School year [YYYY–YY], [N]-day contract, start [date]
Pay: $[min]–$[max] per year on the [salary schedule, placement by
experience and degree], plus [special education stipend, if any].
[Benefits summary, if required.]
SUMMARY
You will case-manage about [N] students with IEPs in [program],
grades [N–N], with [N] paraprofessionals. You will [co-teach with
N general education teachers / teach a class of N for most of the
day]. Most students' needs are in [areas]. You will report to
[principal] and work with [special education coordinator].
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Write IEPs with the team: present levels, measurable annual
goals, services and accommodations.
- Schedule and lead annual IEP reviews and take part in three-year
reevaluations, within federal and [state] timelines.
- Teach [reading / math / functional / social skills] in [small
groups / co-taught classes / your own class].
- Measure progress on IEP goals and send progress reports [with
report cards / quarterly].
- Make sure each general education teacher and provider knows
their responsibilities and accommodations under each IEP.
- Plan and direct the work of [N] paraprofessionals.
- [Write and carry out behavior intervention plans with (role).]
- [Plan transition services for students 16 and older.]
- Keep student records confidential under FERPA and district
policy.
YOU MUST HAVE
- Bachelor's degree.
- [State] special education certificate for [area / support needs
level] and [grade band], [or enrollment in an approved alternate
route program], [or an out-of-state certificate with our state's
application filed].
- Ability to perform the physical duties below, with or without
reasonable accommodation: [assisting student transfers and
personal care with a second adult; supervising recess and bus
duty; responding under the district's crisis training].
NICE TO HAVE
- Experience with [program type / disability area / grade band].
- [Reading intervention training / bilingual / ESL endorsement.]
If you meet the must-haves and none of these, please apply.
FIXED CONDITIONS
- Offer subject to certification verification and [the fingerprint
background check] required by [state].
- [We provide de-escalation and crisis training before you start.]
HOW WE HIRE
[Screen; panel with the principal and special education
coordinator; a goal-writing exercise from a sample present-levels
statement; reference checks.]
[EEO STATEMENT]
Need an adjustment to apply or interview? Contact [address].State certification, IDEA duties and classification
Not legal advice. The points below were checked against 34 CFR Part 300, 34 CFR 104.33, 29 CFR 541.303, the Texas Education Agency, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and BLS as of October 2026. States add their own certification rules and IEP timelines; confirm with the state education agency.
The federal floor. IDEA's personnel rule requires each public school special education teacher to have full state certification as a special education teacher (including through an alternate route that meets federal conditions) or to have passed the state licensing exam and hold a license, to not have had certification requirements waived on an emergency, temporary or provisional basis, and to hold at least a bachelor's degree. A teacher in an alternate route counts when they get sustained professional development and intensive supervision or mentoring, teach under it for no more than three years and show satisfactory progress (34 CFR 300.156(c)). If you would accept an emergency or provisional permit, check with the district's credentials office first, because the federal standard does not count waived requirements.
State certificates, two examples. Texas created a new certification area, Special Education Specialist EC-12; its exam (186) launched September 2, 2025, and the last day to recommend candidates for the older Special Education EC-12 certificate on the retired exam 161 was September 1, 2026 (TEA, Special Education Specialist EC-12 FAQ). Teachers certified before the change may list the older Special Education EC-12 certificate. California issues the Education Specialist Instruction Credential in Mild to Moderate Support Needs, Extensive Support Needs, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Visual Impairments and Early Childhood Special Education, and it authorizes teaching in the specialty named on the credential (CTC). Name the exact certificate in your posting; "special education certified" is not enough.
IDEA duties to write into the role. Each IEP team must include at least one special education teacher of the child (300.321). The team reviews the IEP at least once a year (300.324(b)), the student is reevaluated at least once every three years unless the parent and school agree it is not needed (300.303), the IEP says when progress reports go home, and transition goals start no later than the first IEP in effect when the student turns 16 (300.320). Every teacher and provider responsible for an IEP must be able to see it and be told their specific responsibilities and accommodations (300.323(d)), which in practice is often the case manager's job. If the teacher also supports students served under Section 504 rather than IDEA (34 CFR 104.33), say so in the summary.
Paraprofessionals. IDEA allows paraprofessionals who are appropriately trained and supervised under state law to assist in providing special education (300.156(b)(2)(iii)). Directing them is part of the teacher's job, so say how many there are.
Exempt status. The federal teacher exemption covers employees whose primary duty is teaching in an educational establishment and lists teachers of gifted or disabled children by name; the salary level and salary basis requirements do not apply, and a certificate of any type identifies the teacher (29 CFR 541.303; DOL Fact Sheet 17D). State law can differ.
Physical demands, pay and EEO. BLS describes the work as rewarding but stressful, emotionally demanding and physically draining, mostly on a 10-month school year. List physical duties such as student transfers or crisis response only where they are real, with an accommodation clause. BLS reports a national median of $67,170 a year for special education teachers in May 2025 (profile above), a national figure across grade levels. Link your salary schedule, check pay transparency laws by state, and close with your EEO statement.
From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows
| Must-have | Screening question | Scorecard competency | Evidence of a strong answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate for the students | "Which special education certificate do you hold, in which state, for which area and grades? Full, intern or alternate route?" | Not scored: verified with the state agency | Exact name, scope and type; dates for any remaining exam or program step |
| IEP compliance | "How many IEPs did you case-manage last year, and how did you keep annual and three-year dates?" | IEP management | A number and a system, meetings scheduled weeks ahead, none late |
| Goal writing | "Turn this present-levels statement into one measurable annual goal." | Instructional planning | Baseline, condition, measurable target and a date |
| Behavior support | "Tell me about a behavior plan you changed because the data said it was not working." | Data-based decisions | Names the data, the change and the result |
| Directing paraprofessionals | "How did you plan your aides' day, and how did you give feedback?" | Leading adults | Written schedules, training on each plan, regular check-ins |
The full first call is in special education teacher screening questions, and the later rounds, including a structured demo lesson, are in the interview guide for teachers. For the aides the teacher will direct, use teacher assistant screening questions. After the hire, adapt the 30-60-90 day plan for teachers around the IEP calendar.
Common mistakes in special education teacher job descriptions
No program type
A resource teacher and a self-contained behavior program teacher do different jobs. Put the program in the title.
"Certified" with no area or grade band
Certificates are scoped by disability area or support level and by grades. Name yours, or applicants will not know if they qualify.
Hiding the caseload
Caseload and IEP count are how candidates judge the paperwork. Leaving them out reads as a warning sign.
Treating emergency permits as equal to certification
Federal rules do not count waived requirements. Be clear about which routes you accept and what the district supports.
Physical lines copied from another posting
If the room involves lifting or crisis response, say so with the training you provide. If it does not, leave it out.
Before you publish
- Program type, grade band, caseload and paraprofessional count are in the summary.
- The certificate line names the state certificate, area and accepted routes.
- IEP duties match IDEA and your state's timelines.
- Physical duties are real and carry an accommodation clause.
- The salary schedule or range, required checks, the EEO statement and an accommodation contact close the posting.
Questions people ask
What certification should a special education teacher job description require?
Name the state certificate, the disability area or support-needs level and the grade band the students need. IDEA's personnel rule at 34 CFR 300.156 requires a public school special education teacher to hold full state certification as a special education teacher, which can come through a qualifying alternate route, to not have had requirements waived on an emergency, temporary or provisional basis, and to hold at least a bachelor's degree. States name and scope the certificates differently.
Can a special education teacher posting accept candidates on an alternate route?
Often, yes. Under 34 CFR 300.156(c)(2), a teacher in an alternate route program counts as meeting the certification standard when they receive sustained professional development and intensive supervision or mentoring, teach under it for no more than three years, and show satisfactory progress toward full certification. Say in the posting which routes and intern credentials the district accepts.
Are special education teachers exempt from overtime?
Under federal rules, yes, when their primary duty is teaching in an educational establishment. The teacher exemption at 29 CFR 541.303 lists teachers of gifted or disabled children by name, and the salary level and salary basis requirements do not apply to these teachers. State law can differ, and aides or behavior staff who are not employed as teachers need their own review.
What IEP duties belong in a special education teacher job description?
Writing IEPs with the team, serving on each student's IEP team, leading or joining reviews held at least once a year, taking part in reevaluations at least every three years, reporting progress on goals when the IEP says, and making sure each teacher and provider knows their responsibilities under the IEP. Those duties come from IDEA's regulations at 34 CFR 300.320 to 300.324 and 300.303.