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Our public school students need your expertise, passion and leadership.
We are looking for highly motivated and skilled talent to join our team at District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). We seek individuals who are passionate about transforming the DC school system and making a significant difference in the lives of public school students, parents, principals, teachers, and central office employees.

DCPS serves 51,000 students in the nation's capital through the efforts of approximately 4,000 educators in 117 schools. As part of a comprehensive reform effort to become the preeminent urban school system in America, DCPS intends to have the highest-performing, best paid, most satisfied, and most honored educator force in the nation and a distinctive central office staff whose work supports and drives instructional excellence and significant achievement gains for DCPS students.

Position Overview
The Office of Social Emotional Academic Development works with the Chancellor to ensure coherence in the educational experience for our students, families, and schools. Our goal is to initiate change and lead DC Public Schools into the highest performing school district in the nation. We are currently in the process of creating our next strategic plan. After engaging with over 3,000 internal and external stakeholders to help shape the future of DCPS, our draft strategic priorities include:
  • Promote Equity: Define, understand, and promote equity to close achievement gaps and interrupt institutional bias.
  • Empower Our People: Recruit, develop, and retain a talented, caring, and diverse team.
  • Educate the Whole Child: Provide rigorous, joyful and inclusive academic and social emotional experiences for all students.
  • Ensure Excellent Schools: Increase the number of high quality schools across the district by defining blended autonomies for schools and creating opportunities for innovation.
  • Engage Families: Deepen partnerships with families and community.

The mission of the Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL) is to deliver high-quality instructional resources, enhance classroom practice and scale effective programs to increase DCPS student achievement and prepare all students for success in college, career, and life.OTL spans four core competency areas:
  1. Curriculum;
  2. Professional learning;
  3. Enrichments and interventions; and
  4. Formative assessment.

Team members support school-based staff in implementing DCPS's existing academic programs while simultaneously working to rethink and redesign school programming, academic and curricular resources and educator professional development.

The Division of Specialized Instruction (DSI) works to provide a high quality continuum of services in an inclusive environment so every student with disabilities is prepared for success in college, career, and life. The division works with schools to design, implement, and monitor programs and supports for students with disabilities.

The Speech and Language Pathologist supports the student’s ability to derive full benefits from the District’s educational program. The scope of work has impact through the Office of Teaching and Learning in the Public Schools of the District of Columbia. The Speech and Language Pathologist will eliminate, reduce and/or provide compensatory strategies in the area of speech and language development. This position is a safety-sensitive position. As a result, throughout employment this position will be subject to the Employee Mandatory Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy.

The Speech and Language Pathologist (10 month) will report to the Manager, Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
The below statements are intended to describe the general nature and scope of work being performed by this position. This is not a complete listing of all responsibilities, duties, and/or skills required. Other duties may be assigned.

  • Provides direct and indirect clinical services to students who have been diagnosed with an academically based communication disorder in areas of articulation, languages, voice and/or fluency.
  • Provides and completes comprehensive diagnostic assessments of speech, voice, and language impairments; and determines the presence/absence of a specific communication disorder which adversely impacts academic progress.
  • Serves as a resource to school staff members by developing a balanced program for oral communication and speech, language, and literacy development.
  • Provides direct/indirect service to students diagnosed with a swallowing disorder as it relates to the educational environment.
  • Provides an implemented therapeutic program to meet the individual needs of students with diagnosed communication impairment.
  • Assists and guides teachers in observing, describing, and referring suspected and identified speech and language impairments.
  • Assists in proper referrals of students to agencies and specialists in the community, as appropriate.
  • Provides appropriate individualized programs of therapy to meet individual students’ needs and correct existing speech or language impairments.
  • Compiles case history data on those cases where additional family history, health history, and early developmental history are deemed appropriate.
  • Maintains all documents required to file Medicaid claims, including the documentation of students’ progress according to DCPS Policy and Procedure.

Certified 04-01-2018
Qualifications
Speech-Language Pathologists
  • Master’s degree (MA/MS) in Communication Sciences and Disorders or Speech and Language Pathology.
  • Eligible for District of Columbia’s Department of Health (DOH) license in the area of Speech and Language Pathology; must hold DC DOH license within 3 months of date of hire; OR if currently holds a license in another state s/he can obtain a DC DOH license via “Endorsement".
  • Proof of passing the national examination with a score of 600 or greater in Speech and Language Pathology.
  • Proof of completion of Clinical Fellowship or proof of ASHA certification.
  • Eligible for AHSA Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology.

Clinical Fellow Candidates
  • Proof of passing the national examination with a score of 600 or greater in Speech and Language Pathology.
  • Master’s degree (MA/MS) in Communication Sciences and Disorders or Speech and Language Pathology .
  • Upon completion of Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY), must be eligible to obtain the District of Columbia’s Department of Health (DOH) license in the area of Speech-Language Pathology.
  • Must hold DC DOH license within 3 months following the completion of CFY .
  • Eligible for AHSA Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology.
  • The ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech – Language Pathology must be completed within two years of DCPS hire date.

Guidelines
Guidelines include but are not limited to the following: Codes of Federal Regulations (34 CFR Parts 300, 301 and 304), the District of Columbia Board Rules related to the provision of related services, District of Columbia Public Schools Guidelines and the DCPS Speech-Language Eligibility and Dismissal Criteria Standards).
The Speech and Language Pathologist exercises judgment in determining what guidelines are applicable, in interpreting these guidelines and in deciding what matters to discuss with the Supervisor of Speech and Language Services.

Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, talk and/or listen. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Specific listening abilities required by this job include acute perceptual and physical listening skills.

Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Personal Qualities of Top Candidates
  • Commitment to Equity: Passionate about closing the achievement gap and ensuring that every child, regardless of background or circumstance, receives an excellent education.
  • Leadership: Coaches, mentors, and challenges others to excel despite obstacles and challenging situations.
  • Focus on Data-Driven Results: Relentlessly pursues the improvement of central office performance and school leadership, instruction, and operations, and is driven by a desire to produce quantifiable student achievement gains.
  • Innovative Problem-Solving: Approaches work with a sense of possibility and sees challenges as opportunities for creative problem solving; takes initiative to explore issues and find potential innovative solutions.
  • Adaptability: Excels in constantly changing environments and adapts flexibly in shifting projects or priorities to meet the needs of a dynamic transformation effort; comfortable with ambiguity and non-routine situations.
  • Teamwork: Increases the effectiveness of surrounding teams through collaboration, constant learning and supporting others; sensitive to diversity in all its forms; respects and is committed to learning from others.
  • Dependability: Does whatever it takes to consistently deliver with high quality under tight deadlines; successfully manages own projects through strong organization, detailed workplans, and balancing of multiple priorities.
  • Communication and Customer Service Skills: Communicates clearly and compellingly with diverse stakeholders in both oral and written forms; anticipates and responds to customer needs in a high-quality and courteous manner.