How to hire a director of special education

How to hire a director of special education, step by step

Here's a step-by-step director of special education hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a director of special education job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new director of special education
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a director of special education do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The director of special education hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect director of special education also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents director of special education salaries for various positions.

   Type of Director Of Special Education	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of Special Education	Special education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. They adapt general education lessons and teach various subjects, such as reading, writing, and math, to students with mild and moderate disabilities... Show more	$26-55
   Learning Disabilities Teacher	A Learning Disability Teacher plays a vital role in ensuring that every child with special needs can be able to learn even though they are physically and mentally struggling because of their disability. This career does a lot of intervention and production of outcomes for the individual to understand the importance of studying... Show more	$13-25
   Learning Support Teacher	Learning support teachers focus on offering out-of-school education to pupils who need additional help. Their duties include planning and implementing constructive teaching policies as well as collaborating with parents, other relevant professionals, and personnel... Show more	$11-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Professional Development
   • Autism
   • Education Programs
   • Behavior Management
   • K-12
   • IEPs
   • Curriculum Development
   • Public Schools
   • Instructional Strategies
   • Due Process
   • Staff Development
   • Student Achievement
   • CSE
   • School Administration

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all office procedures including successfully meeting DCFS visits and requirements.
   • Provide oversight of fiduciary hold, non-publicly trade assets within the bank's wealth management department.
   • Integrate a customer relationship management application for improve tracking and communication for all study abroad relate students and activities.
   • Integrate a customer relationship management application for improve tracking and communication for all study abroad relate students and activities.

   More director of special education duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your director of special education job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A director of special education can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, directors of special education' average salary in montana is 49% less than in maryland.
   • Seniority. Entry-level directors of special education 52% less than senior-level directors of special education.
   • Certifications. A director of special education with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a director of special education's salary.

   Average director of special education salary

   $80,520yearly

   $38.71 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level director of special education salary

   $55,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average director of special education salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$118,506	$57
   2	Pennsylvania	$100,307	$48
   3	Massachusetts	$99,474	$48
   4	New York	$97,062	$47
   5	Washington	$86,248	$41
   6	Florida	$83,733	$40
   7	Minnesota	$73,301	$35
   8	Colorado	$71,962	$35
   9	Missouri	$71,582	$34
   10	Texas	$69,161	$33
   11	Utah	$67,418	$32
   12	Montana	$58,295	$28

   Average director of special education salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$112,058	$53.87	1
   2	Silicon Valley Bank	$102,257	$49.16
   3	board of education	$94,958	$45.65
   4	Boulder Valley School District	$92,173	$44.31	11
   5	Texas Association of School Boards	$88,559	$42.58
   6	Boston Public Schools	$86,405	$41.54	6
   7	Hinsdale Central High School	$85,160	$40.94	2
   8	Madera County Superintendent of Schools	$84,084	$40.42	2
   9	AlphaVista Services	$83,717	$40.25	230
   10	Devereux Arizona	$82,959	$39.88	18
   11	Spectrum Center Schools	$82,131	$39.49
   12	Rainbow Acres	$79,047	$38.00
   13	AchieveKids	$76,608	$36.83	2
   14	Nyc Parks	$76,374	$36.72
   15	Madera High School	$76,301	$36.68	4
   16	NORTH DAVIS PREPARATORY ACADEMY	$75,306	$36.20
   17	KIPP SoCal Public Schools	$75,042	$36.08	7
   18	Zion Elementary School District 6	$72,111	$34.67	4
   19	Gwinnett County Board of Education	$70,458	$33.87	12
   20	Athlos Academies	$68,435	$32.90

4. Writing a director of special education job description

   A job description for a director of special education role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a director of special education job description:

   Director of special education job description example

   - Conducts compliance efforts for special education K-12 ages 5-21; completes reviews of all special education, IEP/BSP documents, ensuring compliance with procedures, state and federal laws.

   - Maintains a variety of computerized and manual records, files and department databases (e.g. information packets, rosters/listings, calendars, student records etc.) for the purpose of documenting activities, providing reliable information and complying with organizational, state and federal requirements.

   - Supervise the Alternative Assessment programs (MAP-A and DLM) ? Coordinates new student onboarding

   - Act as a substitute within classrooms as needed and assigned by the Director of Special Education

   - Foster and promote a cooperative working climate, maximizing productivity and

   - Foster and promote a cooperative working climate, maximizing productivity and employee morale

   - Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30

   Competencies:

   Assistant Director of Special Education candidates who believe they fit Sherwood Autism Center's culture are encouraged to apply! Sherwood Autism Center's culture is described as:

   • People-oriented- supportive and fairness focused
   • Detail-oriented-quality and precision-focused
   • Team-oriented-cooperative and collaborative

   Work Environment:

   As an Assistant Director of Special Education at Sherwood Autism Center You will be in the midst of activity and energy. This position is:

   A good fit for applicants with gaps in their resume, or who have been out of the workforce for the past 6 months or more

   A good job for someone just entering the workforce or returning to the workforce with limited experience

   A job for all ages, including older job seekers, are encouraged to apply

   Benefits:

   Sherwood Autism Center recognizes the value of benefits to our employees. We offer competitive wages, and ongoing training. Full time employees are eligible for our robust, comprehensive benefits program including:

   Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

   Ancillary benefit options including Voluntary Short term disability, Voluntary Life and AD&D, Voluntary Accident, Voluntary Critical Illness and Cancer Plan, Voluntary Hospital Indemnity as well as an Employee Assistance Program.

   10 company paid holidays

   Generous PTO/Vacation

   Paid Professional Development Opportunities

   Employee Referral Program with bonuses up to $500

   What is Sherwood Autism Center?

   Sherwood Autism Center is a non-profit committed to our mission to educate, equip, and empower children and adults with autism as well as other developmental disabilities to promote independence in family and community life by providing the highest quality services. Since our founding in 1974, we have evolved into a multi-faceted organization serving our community though a wide range of impactful educational, vocational, and behavioral health program.

   The Assistant Director of Special Education must be able to prioritize, organize and communicate with all levels of the organization. They should be able to maintain confidentiality, be a critical thinker, as well as be concise and detail oriented. You must have a positive demeanor, and great customer service skills.

   Affirmative Action/EEO Statement:

   Sherwood Autism Center is committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment because we know that many of the greatest ideas and discoveries as well as best examples of service come from a diverse mix of minds, backgrounds and experiences. We believe that everyone is an equal member of society and should be treated with dignity, respect and kindness. Because we believe inclusivity is critical to our success, Sherwood provides equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic disposition, neurodiversity, disability, veteran status or any other protected category under Federal, State and local law.

   Other Duties:

   Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

   
   
   

   Required Education/Experience:

   - Bachelor's Degree in Special Education

   - 3-5 years of experience in Special Education

   - Hold a current Teaching Certificate by the state of Missouri () in Special Education or related area

   - Experience working with children with autism and other developmental disabilities

   - Effective written and verbal communication skills

   - Proficient in all applications of Microsoft Office specifically Word, Excel and Outlook

   - Demonstrated strong organizational skills including time management and judgment

   - Ability to pass MO Highway Patrol Criminal Record Check and Child Abuse History

   Preferred Education/Experience:

   - Master's Degree in Special Education; or related field

   - 5+ years of experience in Special Education

   
   
   

   PI

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5. Post your job

   To find the right director of special education for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with directors of special education they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit directors of special education who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your director of special education job on Zippia to find and attract quality director of special education candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit directors of special education, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new director of special education

   Once you've decided on a perfect director of special education candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new director of special education. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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