SUMMARY: This position, which is jointly supervised by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and The Maryland School for the Blind (MSB), has the statewide leadership responsibility to ensure quality programs and services for students who are blind or visually impaired, including those with multiple disabilities, by developing and implementing comprehensive plans and providing technical assistance to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and The Maryland School for the Blind (MSB).

ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Essential Functions:

1. Coordinates planning, design, implementation and evaluation of statewide professional learning opportunities that focus on improving student achievement and professional growth in collaboration with MSDE, MSB, LEAs, the Maryland Instructional Resource Center (MIRC), in-state and out-of-state colleges and universities, professional and consumer organizations.
2. Provides technical assistance and consultation to LEAs, MSDE, MSB, and others to enhance professional learning, student achievement, accessibility of learning materials, and other identified needs.
3. Develops staff development and technical assistance resources for MSDE, MSB and LEAs that will be the joint approved product of the partnership between MSB and MSDE.
4. Coordinates statewide efforts of MSDE, MSB and LEAs to enhance parent support, training, and resources.
5. Coordinates statewide efforts to enhance the accessibility of learning materials for students who are blind or have low vision including those who are DeafBlind and/or have multiple disabilities.
6. Responds in a timely manner to a wide- variety of inquiries from LEAs, parents, and others.
7. Collaborates with and assists the LEA and MSB to secure special education and related services to students when the LEA does not have the local capacity in terms of available qualified staff to provide the IEP required programs and services.
8. Serves as the MSDE liaison to the Maryland State Steering Committee for Programs of the Visually Impaired and the MIRC.
9. Provide support with the annual census for Connections Beyond Sight and Sound and participate in the Advisory Board for the grant,
10. Facilitate the American Printing House for the Blind Federal Quota Registration Program process for all blind students; facilitate the federal DeafBlind census process for all students with DeafBlindness.
11. Is accountable to the MSDE and MSB supervisors and develops annual jointly approved goals that include specific objectives with timelines.
12. Maintains knowledge of state and national education and special education trends, issues, and opportunities related to assistive technology, curriculum, best practices, legislation, policy, regulations and professional standards.
13. Works with the Division of Assessment, Accountability, and Performance Reporting regarding the production process of all large print and braille assessments for Statewide Assessments.
14. Serves as National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) coordinator; state contact for questions, information, and dissemination; designate/assign State Accessible Media Producers; work with the National AIM Center at CAST regarding technical assistance to improve AIM in Maryland. (Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) Coordinator for Maryland)
15. Coordinates Certification for teachers of the blind and visually impaired work group meetings.
16. Supports the Division of Curriculum and Assessment (DCA) related to all issues of accessibility; review online credit-bearing classes. (Accessibility)
17. Demonstrates understanding, instructional capability, and use of assistive technology for students who are blind or VI.

CONDITIONS:

Equipment Used: Computer, phone, copier, scanner, cell phone, fax machine.

Performance Standard: Must stay abreast of national issues concerning the education of students who are blind/visually impaired, have multiple disabilities and low incidence disabilities and ensure effective coordination of statewide programs and resources to serve these students.

Work Environment: Multiple indoor and outdoor environments with varying sound, lighting and temperature conditions. May be exposed to childhood and other communicable diseases when providing direct care to students. This position requires regular travel within the State.

Work Schedule: 37 1/2 daytime hours, Monday through Friday with daily one hour unpaid lunch; position requires regular travel within the state; flextime and/or additional hours, including weekends and evenings, are occasionally required. This is a twelve-month position and will follow the State of Maryland employee schedule.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Minimum requirement of a Master's Degree in special education of blind or visually impaired students; Doctorate, preferred.
2. Current certification as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired and/or Orientation and Mobility required. Special education administration or supervision certificate preferred.
3. A minimum of four years of teaching experience with students who are blind or visually impaired, including those who have multiple disabilities is required. A minimum of 3 years administration experience of programs for visually impaired students is preferred.
4. Comprehensive knowledge of assistive technology, common core and the expanded core curriculum, best practices, legislation, policy, regulations, professional standards, education, special education trends, and statewide testing.
5. Experience in school improvement initiatives, program evaluation, staff development training, policy development, research, professional publications preferred.