General Education Teacher - Behavioral Health Hospital

General Education Teacher - Behavioral Health Hospital

Position Summary:

Create a flexible general education instructional program and classroom environment within a behavioral health hospital setting that is favorable to learning, personal growth, and safe school engagement. The teacher establishes effective rapport with students, motivates students to develop academic skills, attitudes, and knowledge, and provides instruction aligned to Oklahoma Academic Standards, Oklahoma State Department of Education requirements, Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education expectations, and each student's individual educational needs.

This position serves students receiving care in a behavioral health hospital setting, including students with disabilities. Hospital behavioral health technicians and/or designated hospital staff will be present in the classroom at all times and will respond to behaviors, safety issues, or clinical needs that rise above normal classroom management situations. The OKCPS teacher remains responsible for instruction, inclusive access, IEP implementation as applicable, educational documentation, collaboration, and appropriate classroom management aligned with district and hospital procedures.

Essential Duties:

Great Teaching & Learning (Instructional Infrastructure):

Focus: Instruction, curriculum, assessment, coaching, and student learning outcomes.

• Teach assigned general education content using the course of study adopted by the Oklahoma State Department of Education, Oklahoma City's Board of Education, and other appropriate learning activities.
• Provide instruction aligned to Oklahoma Academic Standards and district curriculum expectations while adapting lesson delivery to the needs of students receiving services in a behavioral health hospital setting.
• Educate students with disabilities in the general education classroom in compliance with each student's IEP, including implementing accommodations, modifications, behavior supports, supplementary aids and services, and other required supports within the general education setting.
• Develop lesson plans and instructional materials and provide individualized and small-group instruction to adapt curriculum to student needs and identified instructional objectives.
• Translate lesson plans into learning experiences that maximize available instructional time and support academic progress during hospitalization.
• Use fair and clearly identified grading practices consistent with district expectations and student-specific requirements.
• Evaluate students' academic and social growth, keep appropriate records, prepare progress reports, and communicate student progress through appropriate district procedures.

Great People (Talent Management):

Focus: Professional development, coaching, supporting staff effectiveness.

• Participate in IEP meetings for students taught by the general education teacher and provide input regarding student progress, classroom performance, access to general education curriculum, accommodations, supports, and transition or reintegration needs.
• Consult and collaborate with special education teachers, related service providers, OKCPS administrators, and hospital staff to support effective implementation of IEPs and individualized instructional plans.
• Participate in hospital-specific training, district professional development, and joint training with hospital staff that may exceed the training expectations of a traditional classroom teacher.
• Maintain professional competence through district in-service education, hospital training opportunities, and self-selected professional growth activities.
• Communicate effectively and professionally with students, parents/guardians, OKCPS staff, hospital staff, and receiving school teams.

Great Culture (Systems Leaders):

Focus: Relationships, expectations, communication, and alignment of stakeholders.

• Establish rapport with students and provide a pleasant, safe, structured, and orderly climate conducive to learning within the behavioral health hospital classroom.
• Establish and maintain standards of student behavior needed to achieve a functional learning atmosphere while relying on hospital staff for behaviors or clinical needs that exceed normal classroom management.
• Consult and collaborate with hospital staff to better understand student strengths, triggers, de-escalation supports, reinforcement systems, communication needs, and other information that supports safe and effective instruction.
• Use consistent vocabulary, routines, expectations, reinforcement systems, and procedures, when appropriate, to align OKCPS educational practices with hospital protocols and support continuity for students in the behavioral health facility.
• Treat students with respect and dignity and maintain professional boundaries while collaborating with hospital staff to support instruction, consistency, student safety, and recovery-oriented educational engagement.

Great Systems (Support & Accountability):

Focus: Compliance, processes, documentation, resource development, and operational support.

• Follow OKCPS procedures, hospital safety protocols, confidentiality requirements, emergency procedures, and partnership expectations.
• Maintain appropriate educational documentation and protect sensitive educational, behavioral, and student-support information in accordance with district expectations and applicable confidentiality requirements.
• Participate in professional development and collaboration with hospital staff to support student transition back to a traditional school setting, including reintegration supports and communication with receiving school teams as appropriate.
• Actively participate in full implementation of the OKCPS model for School Improvement.
• Recognize that OKCPS teachers provide educational services and do not provide clinical treatment, therapy, medical care, or hospital-based behavioral health services.
• Perform other duties as assigned in alignment with the district's mission and values.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills and/or Abilities):

• Bachelor's degree in education or a related field required.
• Oklahoma teaching certification in the appropriate secondary subject area or alternative teaching certification as approved by the Oklahoma State Department of Education required.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, parents/guardians, OKCPS staff, hospital staff, and community partners.
• Ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively, demonstrate self-discipline and initiative, and follow state, district, and applicable hospital partnership guidelines.
• Ability to implement IEP accommodations, modifications, supplementary aids and services, and behavior supports within the general education classroom.
• Ability to participate in hospital-specific training and apply aligned vocabulary, routines, and procedures when working with students in the behavioral health setting.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with students with disabilities and/or students with significant social, emotional, behavioral, or mental health needs.
• Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, clinical partners, or community-based service providers.
• Training or experience in trauma-informed practices, de-escalation, positive behavior supports, restorative practices, or behavioral health school supports.

Physical/Mental Requirements:

• Must have adequate manual dexterity to write legibly and perform required duties on the computer.
• Must have adequate visual acuity to read, interpret and transcribe written material and other required duties.
• Requires normal range of hearing and clear speaking abilities to interact appropriately with others in person and on the telephone.
• Physical agility, able to bend, stoop, sit on the floor, walk, reach and climb stairs.
• Ability to lift, push, or pull up to 25 pounds.
• Sitting and/or standing for prolonged periods of time.
• May periodically require work outside of normal business hours, including meetings or trainings, under sometimes stressful conditions in order to meet student, district, hospital partnership, or transition needs.

Work Environment:

• Duties are performed in a behavioral health hospital classroom and related approved educational areas.
• Hospital behavioral health technicians and/or designated hospital staff are expected to remain present in the classroom to respond to safety, clinical, or behavioral needs that exceed normal classroom management.
• The work environment requires close coordination with hospital staff while maintaining OKCPS educational roles, responsibilities, and professional boundaries.

Reports To: Site Principal & OESS Administrator

FSLA Status: Exempt

Compensation: Schedule 003

Work Days: 181

FTE: 100
 

This job description is not intended to be all inclusive. The employee will also perform other reasonably related business duties as assigned by the supervisor or appropriate administrator. Oklahoma City Public Schools reserves the right to, update, revise or change job duties as the need prevails. This document is for communication only and not intended to imply a written or implied contract of employment. The Board of Education and Superintendent may approve alternatives to the listed qualifications.