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Special education teacher resume example

A resume for a special education teacher with seven years in resource and special day class settings. Special education directors look for credential fit, IEP compliance, caseload size and student outcomes, and they read closely for how you work with families and general education teachers.

Special education teacher resume example, page 1 of 1Bethany OkoroEducation Specialist, Mild to Moderate Support NeedsSUMMARYSpecial education teacher with seven years in elementary and middleschool settings, now running a middle school resource program. I writeIEPs families can understand, co-teach so my students stay in generaleducation classes, and use data to adjust support every few weeks.EXPERIENCEEducation Specialist, Resource Program (Grades 6Aug 2021 – Presentto 8)Laguna Vista Middle School, Delta Oaks Unified · Sacramento, CA•Manage a caseload of 26 students with IEPs (learning disabilities, ADHD,autism); 100% of annual and triennial IEPs held on time for three years.•Co-teach 3 math and English classes with 4 general education teachers;students on my caseload passing core classes rose from 68% to 89%.•Write and monitor behavior plans with the school psychologist; officereferrals for my caseload fell 45% in one year.•Supervise 3 paraprofessionals and set up the data routines they usedaily.•In 2025, 82% of my students’ IEP goals were met at annual review.Special Day Class Teacher (Grades 3 to 5)Aug 2019 – Jun 2021Riverbank Elementary School, Delta Oaks Unified · Sacramento, CA•Taught a class of 12 students with moderate learning needs in reading,math and life skills.•Introduced visual schedules and a token system that cut classroomremovals from about 20 a month to 5.EDUCATIONM.A. in Special Education2017 – 2019California State University, Sacramento · Sacramento, CAB.A. in Child and Adolescent Development2013 – 2017California State University, Sacramento · Sacramento, CACONTACTbethany.okoro@example.com(916) 555-0115Sacramento, CACREDENTIALS AND TRAININGClear Education SpecialistInstruction Credential: Mild toModerate Support NeedsCalifornia Commission on TeacherCredentialing · 2021Nonviolent Crisis InterventionCrisis Prevention Institute · 2025SKILLSIEP developmentMeasurable goal writingSEISProgress monitoringBehavior intervention plansCo-teachingUniversal Design for LearningStructured literacy interventionAccommodations andmodificationsAssistive technologyParaprofessional supervisionDe-escalation
Special education teacherUse this example

What recruiters look for

  • The right credential: the exact area (mild to moderate, extensive support needs, early childhood) and state. It decides which jobs you can legally fill.
  • Caseload and compliance: number of students, disability categories, IEPs on time. Compliance problems are expensive for districts.
  • Student outcomes: IEP goals met, time in general education, grades, reading growth, fewer behavior incidents.
  • Collaboration: co-teaching, working with psychologists and therapists, supervising aides, partnering with families.
  • Behavior support: functional behavior assessments, behavior plans and de-escalation training.

Writing the summary

State your credential area, years, grade levels and setting (resource, special day class, inclusion, autism program). Add one line on how you work: IEPs, co-teaching, behavior or literacy intervention.

The summary in this example

Special education teacher with seven years in elementary and middle school settings, now running a middle school resource program. I write IEPs families can understand, co-teach so my students stay in general education classes, and use data to adjust support every few weeks.

Teacher in an extensive support needs program

Special education teacher with six years in a K-5 program for students with extensive support needs, including autism and intellectual disabilities. I build communication systems with speech therapists, train aides daily, and keep every IEP on time.

General education teacher adding a special education credential

Fifth grade teacher with five years in inclusion classrooms, now finishing a mild to moderate special education credential. I have co-taught with resource teachers for three years and want to move into a resource specialist role.

Bullet points that work

Strong lines for this role, beyond the ones in the example. Borrow the shape and put in your own numbers.

  • Raised the share of IEP reading goals met from 55% to 80% by switching to a structured literacy intervention with weekly checks.
  • Increased time in general education for 8 students from under 40% to over 80% of the school day within a year.
  • Led 40 IEP meetings a year with families, interpreters and service providers, with zero procedural complaints.
  • Completed 12 functional behavior assessments with the school psychologist and wrote plans that cut incidents by half on average.
  • Trained 15 general education teachers on accommodations in a series of 4 after-school sessions.
  • Set up assistive technology (text-to-speech, speech-to-text) for 14 students, improving written assignment completion by 35%.
  • Coordinated transition plans for 18 students aged 16 and over, including work experience with 6 local employers.
  • Brought caseload documentation into full compliance after an audit found 9 overdue IEPs, within 6 weeks.
  • Built a family workshop series on reading at home, attended by 30 families.

Skills to list

Hard skills

  • IEP writing and present levels
  • Measurable goals and progress monitoring
  • IEP software (SEIS, SpEd Forms, Frontline or similar)
  • Functional behavior assessment and behavior plans
  • Co-teaching models
  • Reading intervention (Orton-Gillingham based, Wilson, SPIRE)
  • Accommodations, modifications and assistive technology
  • Special education law basics (IDEA, Section 504)

Soft skills

  • Building trust with families
  • Calm in a crisis
  • Collaboration with general educators and therapists
  • Supervising and coaching paraprofessionals

Certifications and licenses worth listing

  • State special education license or credential: list the area exactly, for example “Education Specialist: Mild to Moderate Support Needs” in California.
  • Crisis prevention training (CPI, Safety-Care or PCM): often required in behavior-heavy settings.
  • Reading intervention certifications (Wilson Reading System, Orton-Gillingham training): a strong plus for resource roles.
  • Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA): worth listing if you have it; it opens behavior specialist roles.

Length and format

One page for most teachers; two if you have ten or more years or several program types to describe. Keep the credential section on page one and state the caseload size in your current role.

Common mistakes

  • Describing duties (“wrote IEPs”) without caseload size, compliance record or outcomes.
  • A vague credential line. Directors must check the exact area and state.
  • Sharing student information, even anonymized stories that could identify a child in a small school.
  • Ignoring collaboration. Special education is team work; show how you work with teachers, families and specialists.
  • Leaving out behavior training when applying for programs with high behavioral needs.

Questions and answers

How do I describe my caseload on a resume?

Give the number of students, grade levels, general disability categories and the setting (resource, special day class, inclusion). Never include names or details that identify a student.

Should I list IEP compliance on my resume?

Yes. On-time IEPs and clean audits are exactly what special education directors worry about. A line like “100% of IEPs on time for three years” is strong.

Is it worth listing an intern or emergency credential?

Yes, with its exact name and the date you expect your preliminary or clear credential. Districts often hire on intern credentials when they know the plan.

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