Background on Southbridge Public Schools:

Southbridge Public Schools serve approximately 2,200 students in six schools. The district is presently undergoing extensive turnaround at all levels, with the assistance of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. This creates unique opportunities for teachers and students. One example is a recently announced, long-term partnership with the University of Connecticut to develop Southbridge Schools to be a national demonstration site for successful implementation of PBIS strategies. Additionally, our district is the recipient of a number of significant grants that are allowing us to creatively redesign Secondary School, curriculum enhancements, improved culture and climate and afterschool opportunities for students. If you feel strongly about improving the educational experience for students and have a commitment to social justice, Southbridge Public Schools welcomes you.

More information about the district’s turnaround efforts can be found here.

REPORTS TO: Assistant Superintendent of Students Services

ACCOUNTABILITY OBJECTIVE:
This position is accountable for assisting school personnel to identify the needs of students through consultation with school personnel and individual psycho educational evaluations, and in cooperation with classroom teachers, parents/guardians, administrators, school health personnel, and Special Education personnel; in order to develop educational interventions and supports appropriate to the needs of students, including cognitive, social, academic, behavioral, and personal development, consistent with the policies of the Southbridge Public Schools and relevant State laws and regulations.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Responsible for providing consultation services as requested by school personnel, parents/guardians and school administrators to support the provision of effective instructional services and emotional/behavioral supports to students within the educational environment.
2. Responsible for completing functional academic, psychological, and behavioral assessments that are relevant to the presenting problem, and providing recommendations for students who are formally referred.
3. Responsible for providing teachers and parents with relevant interpretation of formal evaluative findings and recommendations.
4. Responsible for providing crisis intervention and conflict resolution services when requested by school personnel.
5. Responsible for providing individual, group, and/or system level interventions which improve or resolve the identified problems including social/emotional/behavioral and mental health needs as they relate to educational progress.
6. Responsible for serving as a member of the problem-solving School-Based Support Team, the 504 committee, and Evaluation Teams to determine appropriate interventions and/or eligibility for special education services.
7. Responsible for consulting with and training administrators, teachers and community agency staff to improve the educational and social environment of the student.
8. Responsible for involvement in developing measurable goals, implementing and modifying intervention plans, monitoring progress, data analysis, and evaluation of student performance at individual, group, or system level.
9. Responsible for providing workshops to school staff relative to child growth and development, adolescent issues, behavior modification, etc.
10. Responsible for participating on clinical teams and committees including the Child Study Team, PBIS Team and SBST Team.
11. Responsible for providing individual therapy and/or group therapy if needed.
12. Responsible for attending monthly department meeting and monthly staff meetings.
13. Engage in staff development through membership in professional organizations, consultation, and research; continually seeking to improve professional knowledge and skills.
14. Responsible for assuring equal educational opportunity to all individuals regardless of race, color, gender, age, marital status, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, homelessness, or disability.
15. Performance of other job-related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS - REQUIRED:

1. Education:  Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institution;
2. Hold a valid Massachusetts DESE License as a School Psychologist;
3. Meet all state and federal guidelines in order to be fully licensed and Highly Qualified;
4. Current authorization to work in the United States - Candidates must have such authorization by their first day of employment;
5. Ability to utilize a variety of psychological and educational techniques in working with students;
6. Knowledge of various stages of child development.
7. Ability to understand dynamics of children and families from various cultural backgrounds;
8. Knowledge of instructional differentiation strategies to support students with a range of learning needs;
9. Knowledge of language development so that preventative programs can be in primary grades;
10. Knowledge of and skills in the dissemination and interpretation of psychological information to parents and school personnel;
11. Ability to produce concise psycho-educational reports, including risk assessments, which are understandable to both teachers and parents;
12. Knowledge of the Standards of Professional Practice and Principles for Professional Ethics of the National Association of School Psychologists.

QUALIFICATIONS-PREFERRED:

1. Experience in urban, high-poverty, and/or turnaround schools;
2. Major/minor in specific teaching content area;
3. Additional certification in Teacher of English Language Learners (ESL);
4. Demonstrated experience in English Language Development (ELD) and Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) strategies strongly preferred;
5. Bilingual language proficiency (Spanish/English) strongly preferred.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Southbridge Public Schools is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, gender identity, disability, religion, age, or sexual orientation.