How to hire special education teachers, secondary school
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
$74,260U.S. median yearly pay
$60,180–$93,730Middle half, yearly
163,930People in this job in the U.S.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems. • Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, and social development. • Employ special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory. • Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students. • Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to students. • Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations. • Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities. • Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification and positive reinforcement. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree] • Strong learning strategies, reading comprehension, speaking, active listening, monitoring and writing skills • Working knowledge of education and training, English Language, psychology and customer and personal service • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $74,260 a year. [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for special education teachers, secondary school
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, and social development. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to employ special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- How do you teach yourself a new process, and how would you teach it to someone else?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What special education teachers, secondary school do
- Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.
- Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, and social development.
- Employ special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
- Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to students.
- Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
- Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification and positive reinforcement.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for special education teachers, secondary school
- Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
- Job outlook: -0.2% over ten years, little or no change · about 10,400 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay special education teachers, secondary school
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Washington | $101,120 |
| California | $101,060 |
| Maryland | $93,530 |
| Rhode Island | $92,990 |
| New York | $89,310 |
| West Virginia | $55,390 |
| South Dakota | $54,810 |
| Mississippi | $51,970 |
See special education teachers, secondary school pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Special Education Teachers, Middle School
- Special Education Teachers, Preschool
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
- Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors
- Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
- Tutors
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.