Special Education Teachers, Welcome!

In 2019, 4 out of 25 Pennsylvania students received special education programs and services. Many schools are currently hiring teachers for special education positions for the 2020-21 school year. Now let’s find your path to becoming a Special Education Teacher in Philadelphia schools.

The School District of Philadelphia is the cornerstone of public education in our city. The 130,000 students entrusted to us arrive at our schools every day with an extraordinary range of needs. Our role is to ensure that every single student receives an excellent education.
The School District of Philadelphia provides an extensive range of educational services and supports for students with special needs, including Learning Support, Emotional Support, Autistic Support, Life Skills Support and Multiple Disabilities Support; speech/language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, hearing support, vision therapy, and transition services. We are actively seeking special educators in every support area for the 20-21 school year, and we commit to exceptionally supporting educators through robust training, leadership support, and ongoing development.
Come be part of the progress with us!

All Special Education Jobs

Mastery Schools is actively hiring for special education teachers for the 2020/21 school year. Our specialized services team is dedicated to providing equitable programming for students in a comprehensive K-12 model. Our network commitment is to meet the needs of ALL students in ALL disability categories, including itinerant services, full-time emotional support, MS, life skills and autistic support at every grade level. Join a team revolutionizing specialized services programming for students across Philadelphia and Camden.

KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools is one of 31 regions of KIPP’s non-profit network of K-12 college preparatory schools. In Philadelphia, we have 3 elementary, 2 middle, and 1 high school. When it comes to Special Education at KIPP Philly, we serve all children. We’re relentless in ensuring students come first and we’re pushing the envelope of what it means to provide best services to all students. We’re innovators, and parents across the city have learned we share the values that they want their students to attend, which lead to higher SPED enrollment in our schools. We position our SPED teachers to be advocates and drivers, so they have the system and capacity to ensure the students on their caseloads have their needs being met.

Not a certified special education teacher yet?

The different pathways to becoming certified in Special Education in Pennsylvania are dependent on your current certification status:

If you are a…	Pathway to SpEd Certification	Programs
Certified PA Gen Ed Teacher	You can complete any PDE approved Special Education Certification program. The only PDE approved alternative certification programs in special education are offered by Relay GSE and Chester County. You can teach while earning your certification if the public school you work for applies for an emergency permit with PDE (only LEAs can apply).	Relay GSE Special Education certification for educators who already hold an instructional certificate.
Certified Out-of-State SpEd Teacher	If you are certified in special education, you can apply for a PA certification in the comparable subject area by completing certification testing and applying on TIMS. You can teach while earning your certification if the public school you work for applies for an emergency permit with PDE (only LEAs can apply).	N/A
Certified Out-of-State Gen Ed Teacher	If you are certified out of state in any content besides special education, you must complete a PDE approved Special Education Certification program. The only PDE approved alternative certification programs are offered by Relay GSE and Chester County. You can teach while earning your certification if the public school you work for applies for an emergency permit with PDE (only LEAs can apply).	Relay GSE Special Education certification for educators who already hold an instructional certificate. *You must transfer your out-of-state certification to PA certification before enrolling in the program. More Out of State Certification info from PDE.
Non-certified school support staff	If you have a Bachelor’s degree, you can complete any PDE approved Special Education Certification program. If you don’t have a Bachelor’s degree, you’ll need to pursue a bachelor’s degree with certification. If you have a Bachelor’s degree, you can teach while earning your certification if the public school you work for applies for an emergency permit with PDE (only LEAs can apply).	You can earn your Bachelor’s degree and Special Education Certification through Temple’s BSEd in Special Education Program. If you already have a Bachelor’s you may consider residencies like Relay GSE’s Teacher Residency or U Penn’s Urban Teaching Residency.

For more information about navigating certification in PA, visit Pathways

Do you have questions or need further guidance? Email us.