How to hire a self contained special education teacher

How to hire a self contained special education teacher, step by step

Here's a step-by-step self contained 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 a self contained special education teacher job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new self contained special education teacher
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The self contained special education teacher 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

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   A self contained special education teacher's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, self contained 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 self contained special education teacher salaries for various positions.

   Type of Self Contained Special Education Teacher	Description	Hourly rate
   Self Contained 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	$18-31
   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
   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:

   • Classroom Management
   • IEP
   • Social Studies

   Responsibilities:

   • Participate and attend all IEP meetings.
   • Administer individualized instruction in reading and math to students in special education and general education as a push-in and pull-out instructor.
   • Implement, formulate, and update FBA and BIP

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, self contained special education teachers' average salary in louisiana is 50% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level self contained special education teachers 42% less than senior-level self contained special education teachers.
   • Certifications. A self contained 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 a self contained special education teacher's salary.

   Average self contained special education teacher salary

   $50,448yearly

   $24.25 hourly rate

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   Entry-level self contained special education teacher salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 12, 2026

4. Writing a self contained special education teacher job description

   A job description for a self contained special education teacher 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 self contained special education teacher job description:

   Self contained special education teacher job description example

   + + Position Type:
   
   Paraprofessionals/ Parapro Sp Ed - SLD Self Cont
   
   + Date Posted:
   
   10/12/2022
   
   + Location:
   
   Duluth Middle
   
   + Date Available:
   
   10/31/2022
   
   Job Code: Parapro Sp Ed - SLD Self Cont - 050041 Standard Hours: 40 Department: Special Education - 101200 Empl Class: NA
   
   Minimum Salary: $23,159.00/Annually
   
   Maximum Salary: $38,487.00/Annually
   
   Scheduled Days: 190
   
   Target Openings: 1
   
   License and Certification Qualifications: Paraprofessional Educator certificate issued by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) required.
   
   Education Qualifications: High school diploma or equivalent and passed the Praxis Parapro Assessment (prior to March 1, 2007) or the GACE Parapro Assessment required. In lieu of assessments, 60 semester or 90 quarter hours from a PSC approved college or university are required.
   
   Experience Qualifications: Experience in a licensed child care environment preferred.
   
   Skills Qualifications: Knowledge of child development; knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite; effective interpersonal skills; knowledge of office and media equipment; and ability to act as a representative of Gwinnett County Public Schools.
   
   Primary Responsibilities: Provide support to the instructional program within an assigned classroom with specific responsibility for assisting in the supervision, care, and instruction of special needs students in the regular education classroom, special education classroom, community, and assisting in implementing plans for instruction, monitoring student behavior during non-classroom time, providing information to appropriate school personnel, and attending Individual Education Program (IEP) meetings.
   
   1. Adapt classroom activities, assignments, and/or materials under the direction of the supervising teacher (i.e. reinforcement of IEP goals and objectives, etc.) for the purpose of supporting and reinforcing IEP objectives as well as providing an opportunity for all special education students to participate in classroom activities.
   
   2. Administer immediate first aid and medical assistance as instructed by a health care professional (i.e. diapering, tube feeding, colostomy bags, medication, etc.) for the purpose of meeting immediate health care needs.
   
   3. Administer tests, homework, and make-up work for the purpose of supporting teachers in the classroom.
   
   4. Assist medically fragile or physically disabled students for the purpose of maintaining students' personal hygiene.
   
   5. Assist students with disabilities with grooming, community accessibility, and other appropriate areas as assigned by teacher (i.e. feed, brush teeth, toileting, diapering, transferring to bus from wheelchairs, etc.) for the purpose of assisting students with their daily needs.
   
   7. Confer with teachers (special education and/or regular education teacher) on a regular basis for the purpose of assisting in evaluating special education student progress and/or implementing IEP objectives.
   
   8. Implement and collect data under the supervision of assigned teacher and behavioral plans designed by IEP teams for the purpose of presenting and/or reinforcing learning.
   
   9. Monitor special education students (i.e. classroom, field trips, community skills, lunchroom, playground, during life enrichment activities, etc.) for the purpose of providing a safe and positive learning environment.
   
   10. Perform record keeping and support functions (i.e. data collection, student files, checking papers, attendance, daily logs, etc.) for the purpose of supporting the teacher in providing necessary records/materials.
   
   11. Provide under the supervision of assigned teacher, instruction to students in a variety of individual and group activities (i.e. math groups, science experiments, reading, behavioral skills, daily living skills, writing, verbal skills, etc.) for the purpose of reinforcing instructional objectives, implementing IEP plans.
   
   12. Respond to emergency situations (i.e. injured students, fights, behavior problems, abusive students, etc.) for the purpose of resolving immediate safety concerns and including physical de-escalation procedures with necessary training.
   
   13. Provide effective principles and procedures of crisis intervention.
   
   14. Assist with monitoring duties which may include hallways, lunchroom, restrooms, and/or bus duty as assigned.
   
   a. Ensure appropriate student conduct during these periods.
   
   b. Escort students to designated activity areas.
   
   15. Perform other duties as assigned.
   
   Physical Demands:
   
   While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit for extended periods of time. The employee is also required to talk, hear, stand, and walk. The employee may be required to use hands to finger, handle, feel, have significant finger dexterity and/or reach. The employee is required to stoop, kneel, or crouch. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. The employee is frequently required to use the following physical demands: significant lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling. The job is performed under conditions with exposure to risk of injury and/or illness. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find self contained special education teachers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your self contained special education teacher job on Zippia to find and recruit self contained special education teacher candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit self contained special education teachers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to 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 self contained special education teacher

   Once you have selected a candidate for the self contained special education teacher position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new self contained special education teacher first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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