Job Openings

Outreach at Missouri School f/t Blind

06/02/2026

The Blindness Skill Specialist (BSS), under the division of special education within the department of elementary and secondary education shall provide a blindness skills specialist available at each regional professional development center to support schools, families, and educators of students birth through 21 years of age.

What you'll do:

• Act as a resource for school districts under the regional office of professional development with regard to eligible students
• Make programming and placement recommendations to schools under the regional office of professional development using assessments and information developed within the IEP process
• Provide in-service training in alternative techniques of blindness to classroom teachers and teachers' assistants for the blind engaged in the education of eligible students
• Provide parents of eligible students with referrals and information regarding services available within the state
• Coordinate services available from other entities who serve eligible students and the families of eligible students
• Assist and support local school districts in providing special education and related services for eligible students
• Support the application of appropriate technology in the education of eligible students
• Contribute to the development and implementation of in-service training, regionally and statewide, which responds to the needs of educators, other professionals and parents pertaining to the needs of eligible students, which include, but are not limited to, high expectations with regard to academic and vocational performance, facilitation of the discussions of Braille instruction during IEP conferences, introduction of appropriate technology, development of blindness skills and daily living skills
• Report yearly to the Blind Task Force on essential functions.
• Prepares written reports of services with appropriate instructional strategies and methodology recommendations students suspected of a vision impairment including deafblindness.
• Collaborate with Outreach staff in provision of Visual Impairment Inservice in America (VIISA), In-home Sensory Impaired Training for Educators (INSITE) and other Outreach professional development
• Travel is required as you cover the East and Southeast regions of Missouri.  Three other BSS cover other parts of Missouri.
• Perform related work as assigned.

All you need for success:

Minimum Qualifications:

Certification as an Orientation and Mobility Specialist AND Certification in the area of Vision Impairments

E_mail: jane.herder@msb.dese.mo.gov

Phone: 314-633-1582

Cert: TSVI

See https://msb.dese.mo.gov/outreach-services/staff/ for more information.