ABA Social Skills Instructor for Elementary Special Education Program, Witchcraft Heights Elementary School, Salem Public Schools [SY 2025-2026]

ABA Social Skills Instructor for Elementary Special Education Program Witchcraft Heights Elementary School Salem Public Schools SY 2025-2026

About Salem Public Schools where belonging leads to opportunity.

Salem is a small diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history. Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district enrolling nearly 4000 students across our 11 schools. Our vision is to ensure that all students will be locally engaged globally connected and fully prepared to thrive in a diverse and changing world. We hold dear our core values of belonging equity and opportunity in everything we do. Over the next three years (2023-2026) we are committed to the work outlined by the four core priorities in our strategic plan: 1) Elevate Learning; 2) Empower Educators; 3) Center Belonging; and 4) Strengthen Our Foundation. We seek individuals who are passionate about urban education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement for all students regardless of ability economic status gender/gender identity language race/ethnicity sexual orientation or other backgrounds. Applicants who have experience working in urban schools and settings and are bilingual are strongly encouraged to apply.

What Youll Do:

In accordance with the policy and procedures of Salem Public Schools the ABA Social Skills Instructor provides a spectrum of social skill development interventions and supports to identified students and families. Social skill interventions may be provided in individual or group settings. Support and services designated in the IEPs are a primary duty of the ABA Social Skills Instructor and must be implemented with fidelity and aligned to the goals and objectives of the student. The ABA Social Skills Instructor is considered an integral part of the student support team at their assigned building and collaboration with teachers administrators parents and other professionals is integral to creating a safe healthy productive and supportive learning environment for students.

ABA Social Skills Instructor Responsibilities Include:

• Provide consultation and direct services to students in substantially separate programs
• Utilize evidence based interventions and best practices to support individual student needs with varied cognitive social and communication skills
• Work with the classroom support team and other staff to develop data-taking mechanisms and analyze data to drive social skill instruction and monitor student progress.
• Facilitate individual and group social skill interventions groups according to IEP goals objectives and service delivery grids using data to inform decisions and counseling efficacy
• Facilitate as-needed social skills groups and/or individual counseling supports on topics such as social communication and healthy relationship skills conflict resolution self-esteem substance abuse prevention/healthy choices social media mindfulness practices.
• Offer consultation and support to teachers regarding students with emotional or academic concerns and support teachers in implementing accommodations and support plans in the classroom and school community
• Participate as a member of the buildings student support team crisis management and response teams
• Collect and analyze data and use the information as the basis for informing counseling interventions and IEP goals
• Complete observations and assessments and be able to identify students with disabilities based on IDEA and knowledge of special education laws and regulations that govern the identification of children with disabilities
• Conduct Functional Behavioral Assessments or Social Emotional Learning Profiles in consultation with behavior support staff and design Positive Behavioral Intervention Plans as needed
• Complete required paperwork and job-related functions in a timely manner in accordance with District and DESE guidelines including writing IEP goals trimester/quarterly progress reports Medicaid Billing and service tracking compliance
• Attend IEP meetings as assigned
• Embed social-emotional learning (SEL) and strategies into lesson-planning.
• Able to use technology to teach in a remote learning environment if needed
• Assist in toileting and Activity of Daily Living (ADL) skills as determined by student need
• Routinely attend district and school-based meetings trainings professional development school-wide and district-wide events including some evening hours
• Other duties as assigned by the Principal and Special Education Supervisor.

The ABA Social Skills Instructor is considered an integral part of a multi-disciplinary team in their assigned building(s) and collaborates with supervisors teachers administrators parents and other professionals to create safe healthy productive and supportive learning environments for Salems students. The position includes supporting specific district-wide programs for students with social/emotional disabilities autism spectrum disorders intellectual disabilities and language-based learning disabilities as assigned.

What Youll Bring:

We are looking for candidates who have diverse backgrounds and experiences are inspired by our mission and are highly motivated to change childrens lives through education. Youll be right at home here if you are a reflective practitioner who values collaboration with colleagues and pushes yourself your work and the people around you to the next level. We expect our SPS employees to:

• Hold a deep commitment to students and families and value diversity - The SPS community is vibrant diverse in background ethnicity language and perspective. You embrace and affirm the backgrounds of all members of the SPS community and view our diversity as a powerful resource that supports us each in learning and doing our best work.
• Hold high expectations for yourself students and colleagues You see potential in all especially our SPS students and maintain high expectations for achievement while providing the support necessary to meet that bar. You hold yourself to high expectations modeling SPS values and seeking opportunities to continuously improve.
• Build authentic caring relationships with colleagues students and families You build strong relationships across students families and colleagues that are collaborative in nature and contribute to the individual and collective success of SPS. You partner with families and colleagues to make decisions in the best interest of students and learning.
• Embrace feedback You are a reflective practitioner who learns from failure using mistakes and challenges as opportunities for growth. You model persistence and growth mindset and thrive in a culture of feedback.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Bachelors Degree (Required); Masters Degree (Preferred)
• Required Massachusetts teaching certification/licensure or license eligible as a school social worker/school adjustment counselor or as a Special Education Teacher
• Experience working with students on the autism spectrum
• Ability to communicate verbally and in written format and ability to interact effectively with families community members collateral contracts students and staff
• Excellent time management skills ability to triage/prioritize given competing needs ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience with the assessment and identification of students with disabilities under IDEA and knowledge of special education laws and regulations that govern the identification of children with disabilities.
• Safety Care trained or willing to be a trained (District Provides)
• Experience in conducting classroom observations and completing functional behavioral assessments
• Proficiency with technology (blended learning teacher/family communication suites (Remind preferred) Google G-Suite Apps etc.) desirable.
• Excellent time managements skills and data based decision making skills
• Teaching experience and working in an urban public school or charter school setting is preferred.
• Second language (Spanish and/or Portuguese) proficiency a plus
• Bilingual candidates and candidates of color strongly encouraged to apply
• Current authorization to work in the United States

This is a school-year position. Salary at Teachers Union Step and Column with differential for added days/hours per union contract. The ABA Social Skills Instructor reports to the building Principal and Special Education Supervisor.

Work Year: Teachers in Salem Public Schools work a 185 day school year (180 student contact days plus 5 professional development days. Please visit to view the 2025-26 district and/or school calendar.

Salary:Teacher salaries in the Salem Public Schools are determined by theSalem Teachers Union collective bargaining agreement.Salary information can be found in Appendix A.

Benefits: The City of Salem offers Group Insurance Commission (GIC) benefits to all full-time employees. Click here for more information about our health benefits.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Salem Public School District is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race color religion national origin pregnancy gender identity sexual orientation marital/civil union status ancestry place of birth age citizenship status veteran status political affiliation genetic information or disability as defined and required by state and federal laws. Additionally we prohibit retaliation against individuals who oppose such discrimination and harassment or who participate in an equal opportunity investigation.