School committee approves two job descriptions, adds clarity on special-education role

Westford — The Westford School Committee on Monday approved two 12‑month job descriptions: an assistant director of special education and an instructional technology supervisor. The committee said both positions are budget-neutral consolidations of existing roles and clarified responsibilities before approving the descriptions by voice vote.

Assistant director of special education The committee approved the assistant director of special education job description with two explicit edits requested during the discussion: the qualifications section will be revised to read that the candidate must be able to work collaboratively “with colleagues, families, and the community,” and the responsibilities language was amended to explicitly include “development of IEPs” alongside oversight of out‑of‑district placements. The committee described the position as a consolidation of two part‑time roles into a single full‑time role focused largely on out‑of‑district placement oversight and programming for sub‑separate in‑district programs (examples cited included reach, PATHWAYS and related programs). A committee member moved to approve the description as amended; the motion was approved by voice vote.

Instructional technology supervisor The committee also approved an instructional technology supervisor position, described in the meeting as a 12‑month, central‑office role to bridge curriculum and IT functions. Committee members said the position would support districtwide educational-technology initiatives, vet subscriptions and security practices, and help roll out annual device refreshes and professional development tools. The presenter said the role is not at director level but would work under the director of technology and superintendent. The committee moved and approved the job description by voice vote.

Why it matters: Committee members framed both approvals as operational steps intended to consolidate overlapping duties without increasing personnel costs. Members emphasized the assistant‑director role’s programmatic oversight of special education placements and the technology supervisor role’s function of aligning curriculum needs with IT capacity.

Votes at a glance - Assistant director of special education (job description) — Approved by voice vote; amended to add families and to explicitly include IEP development in responsibilities. Mover not specified in transcript; second recorded as present. Outcome: approved. - Instructional technology supervisor (job description) — Approved by voice vote. Outcome: approved.

Meeting context and follow-up The committee voted unanimously by voice on both job descriptions in the meeting; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript. The administration said both roles are intended to be implemented as budget‑neutral consolidations and gave a brief overview of responsibilities and qualifications; the personnel postings and formal hiring details will follow standard district procedures.