How to hire an early childhood special education teacher

How to hire an early childhood special education teacher, step by step

Here's a step-by-step early childhood special education teacher hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an early childhood special education teacher, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   An early childhood special education teacher's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, early childhood special education teachers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents early childhood special education teacher salaries for various positions.

   Type of Early Childhood Special Education Teacher	Description	Hourly rate
   Early Childhood Special Education Teacher	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	$11-24
   Teacher	Being a teacher is one of the most passionate professions, among others. Teachers educate, motivate, and guide every generation of learners to prepare them for the real world... Show more	$15-33
   Home Therapy Teacher	Home therapy teachers instruct parents of mentally and physically disabled children in therapy techniques and behavior modification. The teachers play and observe as children's parents to obtain information related to a child's mental and physical development... Show more	$16-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CPR
   • Emotional Development
   • Children Ages
   • Autism
   • EEC
   • Creative Curriculum
   • Language Development
   • Inclusive Classroom

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
   • Participate in parent/teacher conferences, kindergarten transition and IEP meetings.
   • Have developed curriculum and teach beginning and low-intermediate ESL, pronunciation and conversation, and citizenship preparation classes to adults.
   • Plan and instruct professional development for peers on RTI regulations, various educational computer software, and PowerPoint presentations.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, early childhood special education teachers' average salary in florida is 29% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level early childhood special education teachers 53% less than senior-level early childhood special education teachers.
   • Certifications. An early childhood special education teacher 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 an early childhood special education teacher's salary.

   Average early childhood special education teacher salary

   $35,222yearly

   $16.93 hourly rate

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   Entry-level early childhood special education teacher salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 13, 2026

4. Writing an early childhood special education teacher job description

   An early childhood special education teacher job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an early childhood special education teacher job description:

   Early childhood special education teacher job description example

   *Job Summary*
   
   Starms Early Childhood is actively recruiting licensed and experienced candidates for a spccial education, early childhood teaching position.
   
   This position is in an MPS school that will follow the Early Start school calendar for the 2022-23 school year. The first workday of the school year is Monday, August 8, 2022.
   
   A Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) teacher provides an instructional program for regular and special education which is appropriate to their educational needs and developmental level. The educational program is offered in an equitable, multi-cultural setting and teaches all children to think deeply, critically and creatively. The teacher's work supports the MPS strategic plan.
   
   *How To Apply: mpsmke.com/careers*
   
   Interested applicants should complete all sections of the application including the online submission of a current resume. Pending graduates should include a letter from their educational institution documenting that they have met the requirements for graduation and teacher certification.
   
   Interview panels may request candidates to submit additional items including, but not limited to, letters of recommendation, sample lesson plans, reference lists, and/or writing samples.
   
   At the time of hire, the selected candidate will need to submit three (3) letters of recommendation dated within the last year and signed by the author and official transcripts conferring his/her undergraduate degree.
   
   *Qualifications*
   
   Applicants must be licensed by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to teach this specific grade level and / or content area.
   
   Job Types: Full-time, Contract
   
   Pay: $46,979.00 - $90,000.00 per hour
   
   Benefits:
   * Employee assistance program
   * Flexible spending account
   * Health insurance
   * Life insurance
   * Paid time off
   * Parental leave
   * Professional development assistance
   * Relocation assistance
   * Retirement plan
   * Tuition reimbursement
   * Vision insurance
   Schedule:
   * 8 hour shift
   
   COVID-19 considerations:
   MPS employees are required to be fully vaccinated. Individuals with medical issues or sincerely held religious beliefs that prevent them from getting the vaccine may request an accommodation.
   
   Ability to commute/relocate:
   * Milwaukee, WI 53205: Reliably commute or willing to relocate with an employer-provided relocation package (Required)
   
   License/Certification:
   * CPR Certification (Preferred)
   * Child Development Associate Certification (Preferred)
   
   Work Location: One location

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find early childhood special education teachers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any early childhood special education teachers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level early childhood special education teachers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your early childhood special education teacher job on Zippia to find and recruit early childhood special education teacher candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with early childhood special education teacher candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   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 early childhood special education teacher

   Once you've decided on a perfect early childhood special education teacher 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new early childhood special education teacher. 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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