Program Specialist 2 Special Education

Thurston County, WA - USA

Yearly Salary: $ 45024 - 60132

Posted on: Yesterday

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

Description

GENERAL SERVICE

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Program Specialist 2 - Early Childhood Special Education

$45024 - $60132annually

Closes January 212026

The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) seeks to fill Early Childhood Special Education Program Specialist - 2. This full-time permanent position is based in Olympia Washington. This position may be eligible for partial to near full-time telework. Telework is a combination of in-building and off-site days. During your initial training period you will be required to be in the office 3 days a youve completed your initial training you may have the option to work from home on a flexible telework schedule. While were happy to offer this balance of in-office connection and telework flexibility this isnt a fully remote position. To be eligible youll also need to reside in the state of Washington. We encourage interested candidates to visit the OSPI website to gain insight into our agency.

About OSPI and our initiatives

OSPI is the primary agency charged with overseeing public K12 education in Washington state. Working with the states 295 public school districts and 7 state-tribal education compact schools OSPI allocates funding and provides tools resources and technical assistance so every student in Washington is provided a high-quality public education.

At OSPI we recognize that our employees are the key to the success of the agency. We are committed to our work but value the balance with our personal lives. We demonstrate our commitment to employees by providing an environment that stimulates professional growth and values them for their expertise. OSPI is a great place to work and has several initiatives to help create a great working environment including:

We support a healthy work/life balance by offering flexible/alternative work schedules and mobile and telework options. (Depending on job duties and work location.)
We have an Infant at Work Program that is based on long-term values of newborns and infant-parent bonding. Eligible employees who are new parents or legal guardians can bring their infant (six weeks to six months) when returning to work. (Depending on job duties and work location.)
We value and are actively involved in promoting diversity equity and inclusion within OSPI by way of cross-divisional collaborative committee. The focus of the committee includes employee engagement and education; reinforcing OSPI values; and maximizing the value of diversity and identifying strategies for inclusion.

Vision Mission and Values
Vision: All students prepared for post-secondary pathways careers and civic engagement.

Mission: Transform K-12 education to a system that is centered on closing opportunity gaps and is characterized by high expectations for all students and educators. We achieve this by developing equity-based policies and supports that empower educators families and communities.

Values: Ensuring Equity Collaboration and Service Achieving Excellence through Continuous Improvement Focus on the Whole Child

Equity

Each student family and community possesses strengths and cultural knowledge that benefits their peers educators and schools. Ensuring educational equity:

Goes beyond equality; it requires education leaders to examine the ways current policies and practices result in disparate outcomes for our students of color students living in poverty students receiving special education and English Learner services students who identify as LGBTQ and highly mobile student populations.
Requires education leaders to develop an understanding of historical contexts; engage students families and community representatives as partners in decision-making; and actively dismantle systemic barriers replacing them with policies and practices that ensure all students have access to the instruction and support they need to succeed in our schools.

Position Overview

The Program Specialist supports cross-system coordination between Early Learning and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE). This position aligns early learning special education and K12 systems to promote statewide inclusionary practices seamless PreK3 transitions and improvement efforts. The role ensures ECSE/EL initiatives are integrated into Washingtons Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework improving outcomes for children and families.

Key Responsibilities

Coordination & Communication
Plan and schedule cross-agency meetings between ECSE and EL by scheduling virtual and in-person sessions reserving meeting spaces assisting in preparing and maintaining agendas sending invitations and distributing materials.
Document meetings and statewide initiatives by capturing notes tracking action items and maintaining project documentation in SharePoint/OneDrive.
Manage communication channels (email lists Teams) to ensure consistent messaging timely updates and aligned resource sharing between OSPI divisions ESDs and community partners.
Data Management & Reporting
Enter program data into PIDS and organization spreadsheets ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
Assist in administration of the PIDS platform.
Prepare data visualizations and reports from PIDS and other pertinent platforms to inform the ECSE/EL teams in their continuous improvement efforts.
Implementation Support
Support professional development events by coordinating logistics such as registration training materials technology setup and participant communication.
Maintaining records of training participation and coaching cycles.
Assist program staff with program monitoring by preparing documentation organizing evidence and following up with districts and partners.
Collaboration & Representation
Represent ECSE/EL priorities by actively participating in statewide workgroups advisory councils and interagency initiatives.
Develop shared resources (guidance documents toolkits communication templates) in collaboration with state agencies districts and ESD teams.
Serve as a liaison between OSPI and local partners by answering questions clarifying guidance and escalating issues as appropriate.
Other Duties
Contribute to division-wide projects such as cross-office initiatives.
Engage in professional learning (e.g. trainings conferences webinars) to strengthen knowledge of MTSS inclusionary practices and early childhood frameworks.
Support supervisor-directed assignments such as drafting correspondence reviewing materials or preparing briefing notes.

Required Qualifications:

Bachelors degree in early childhood special education (ECSE) Special Education or a directly related field; OR 4 years of Early Childhood Special Education experience.
Knowledge of IDEA Part B Section 619 and early learning systems.
Experience managing/analyzing education-related data.
Strong organizational and logistical coordination skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication.
Commitment to equity-centered and anti-racist practices.

Desired Qualifications:

Experience supporting statewide/regional initiatives.
Familiarity with WAPM BB4B MTSS and UDL frameworks.
Experience using data for continuous improvement.
Bilingual/multilingual skills (Spanish Somali Russian Vietnamese Marshallese.

Compensation
The annual compensation for the position is$45024 - $60132per year and depends upon experience educational background and qualifications. Geographic differentials may be applied based on work location of successful candidate. Washington State offers a generous benefit package including health dental and life insurance retirement and an optional deferred compensation program. Please visitHealth Care Authorityfor information regarding health benefits and theDepartment of Retirement Systemsfor retirement plan information. This is a general service position. This position is not represented by a bargaining unit.

Application Process

Those interested in this position must apply through. Applications must include the following documents in MS Word or PDF format:

A letter of interest specifically addressing the qualifications listed in this announcement;
A current résumé and;
A list of three or more professional references.

NOTE: Your resume and letter of interest must be attached to your application. Please confirm they are attached before you submit.

Please address any questions to:

Sal Salazar Human Resources

Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
600 Washington Street Southeast
Olympia Washington 98504-7200

:

Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may contact the Human Resources Office at or or e-mail .

New Jobs Alert Service

OSPI offers a subscription service which regularly notifies subscribers of new OSPI employment opportunities on . Subscribers are notified via text or email alert. If you are interested in this service then please subscribe at this location.

OSPI is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from job seekers who will contribute to our diversity. OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex race creed religion color national origin age honorably discharged veteran or military status sexual orientation including gender expression or identity the presence of any sensory mental or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. If you would like please include your name and gender pronouns in your application to ensure we address you appropriately throughout the application process. Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may contact the human resource consultant listed in Application Process.

Required Experience:

DescriptionGENERAL SERVICEJOB ANNOUNCEMENTProgram Specialist 2 - Early Childhood Special Education$45024 - $60132annuallyCloses January 212026The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) seeks to fill Early Childhood Special Education Program Specialist - 2. This full-t...