"Assistant Professor of Special Education"

Position Description

The Department of Special Education at San José State University is pleased to announce a search for an Assistant Professor of Special Education beginning in August 2026. We seek candidates who possess strong potential for scholarly research, writing, and teaching in the Master of Arts (MA) in Special Education and Education Specialist Credential programs across undergraduate, credential, and MA degree pathways. Candidates with expertise in working with students with Mild to Moderate disabilities, including those who are multilingual and those from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds are especially welcome to apply.

The Department of Special Education within the Lurie College of Education at SJSU takes pride in preparing transformative special educators who possess the knowledge and skills to meet the intersectional identities of all learners and work as change agents to create equitable and inclusive environments in schools. The Department offers a Master’s in Special Education program and three Education Specialist credential programs accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. The department prepares candidates to work in over 40 school districts across the diverse communities of the greater San Jose area, including satellite programs in the Tri-Valley area and Santa Cruz County. The department has developed strong collaborative relationships with many Local Education Agencies and operates three Teacher Residency Programs. In addition, the department partners with the Liberal Studies, Child and Adolescent Development, and Math departments to run five-year blended BA to MA programs that include the Education Specialist credential. Applicants can learn more about the Department of Special Education by previewing the program website at https://www.sjsu.edu/specialed/

The Department of Special Education and San José State University value institutional excellence and are committed to advancing equity through research, teaching, and service. We enroll nearly 40,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved; approximately 45% of our undergraduate students are first-generation college students and 38% are Pell Grant recipients. In addition, we are both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). SJSU aspires to create holistic learning environments that facilitate both individual and collective transformation. We seek teacher-scholars who cultivate inclusive, empowering spaces for mutual learning, skill-building, and knowledge exchange for all students. Our commitment to lifelong learning supports meaningful connections among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader communities we serve.

We invite all applicants to include a Statement of Inclusive Excellence (or incorporate it into your cover letter) to share how your lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSU community—particularly in relation to student success and inclusive education. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Inclusive Excellence Statement Guidelines.

Required Qualifications

• PhD or EdD in Special Education or related field
• Demonstrated potential for research and scholarly writing
• Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching, and other comparable experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Priority will be given to candidates who possess one or more of the following:

• Minimum of three years of public school teaching experience with students with mild to moderate disabilities, including those who are emerging bilinguals
• Ability and interest in supporting teacher candidates earning a bilingual authorization, including field supervision in bilingual settings across SPED and TED programs
• Ability and interest in preparing teacher candidates to use AI and related emerging technologies in their teaching and scholarly activities
• Ability and interest in teaching and/or advising dissertations for doctoral students in Lurie College’s EdD program.
• Strong potential for research and scholarly work in the field of special education, as evidenced by one or more of the following: publications in professional journals, grant proposals, or conference presentations in the field of special education

Key Responsibilities

• The candidate will teach a range of courses in the Department of Special Education, which may include any combination of Master’s, credential, and/or undergraduate students.
• The candidate will maintain an active scholarly agenda as necessary for tenure and promotion.
• The candidate will provide service to the Department of Special Education through a variety of tasks as deemed necessary for the department’s operation, such as advising students, curriculum development, assessment and accreditation tasks, and recruitment activities.
• The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
• Faculty shall organize all their classes within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
• The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience in understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity – in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation – through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies, and advisement.

Compensation

Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule. Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $90,000 - $100,000

Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher education sector. See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s excellent benefits package.

Target Start Date

August 17, 2026

Application Procedure

Click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents:

• letter of interest
• curriculum vitae
• institutional excellence statement (dedicated statement or addressed in letter of interest)
• statement of teaching interests/philosophy
• research plans
• Three references with contact information (Letters of recommendation may be requested at a later date.)

Inquiries may be directed to the Department Chair: Dr. Lisa Simpson lisa.simpson@sjsu.edu