Job Description

Position Type:

Administration and Professionals

Date Posted:

2026-06-11 Location:Administration or As Assigned

ABOUT CLEVELAND METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) is Ohio's third-largest public school system, serving more than 35,000 students.

CMSD strives to ensure that every child receives a high-quality education, regardless of the provider. To that end, CMSD lets families choose which District schools their children attend, with options that include STEM, the arts, single-gender education, International Baccalaureate, Montessori, and early college.

Our schools have autonomy over human and financial resources in exchange for accountability for performance. The principal has primary responsibility and accountability for establishing their school as a high-quality, high-expectation academic center focusing on personalized instruction, professional support for teachers, and school-wide practices that lead to measurable results.

CMSD ensures that students have access to technology and training to prepare them for the future. The District provides a free laptop or tablet for every student and connects every family that needs internet access. Graduating seniors leave commencement with not only a diploma but also a laptop.

In our pursuit of a more fair, just, and good system of education, we strive to ensure that all of our learners, both scholars and educators, to be challenged with academically and intellectually complex tasks that are worthy of their efforts and provide them opportunities to demonstrate their best work.

BUILDING BRIGHTER FUTURES

The Cleveland Board of Education adopted the Building Brighter Futures (BBF) initiative on December 9, 2025. Building Brighter Futures is a strategic and data-driven plan shaped by more than a year of community engagement, information analysis, and thoughtful deliberation. The goal of this plan is to strengthen enrollment and ensure scholars attend a newer school building that offers more educational opportunities, including algebra in the eighth grade, more sports and extracurricular activities, and college credits and college and career pathways in high school. BBF is ensuring academic excellence so every CMSD scholar can thrive.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

THE OPPORTUNITY
The Director, Occupational and Physical Therapy, will report to the Executive Director of Integrated Health Services The mission of the Department of Integrated Health Services is to ensure the provision of appropriate services and supports to all children with physical therapy and occupational health needs and their families in every school, so that all students graduate from high school prepared for college, careers, and fulfilling independent lives. The Director, Occupational and Physical Therapy, will lead the District’s related services from the perspective of an integrated service delivery model. The Director serves as an expert in the field and understands the role that these service providers play in school-based settings. The Director will serve as a coach and provider of professional development, and he/she will also play a supervisory role. The Director will also play a role in shaping the long-term direction of the Integrated Health Department.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee supervision and evaluation of school-based Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, and Orientation and Mobility Specialists using the Teacher Development and Evaluation System (TDES)
• Ensure OT PT and OM staff is assigned across the district to cover the known needs of the CMSD students
• Set clear goals, procedures, and expectations for the work of school-based therapists with guidance from the Executive Director.
• Set expectations for the varied responsibilities of school-based therapists: conducting and writing evaluations, completing Individualized Education Plans, serving on Student Support Teams, providing direct and consultative services, and performing other duties
• Hold employees accountable for execution of services including but not limited to provision of direct and consultative services, provision of timely and thorough evaluations, documentation of all services and Medicaid reporting
• Set expectations for the provision of high quality, evidence based, best practice treatments and evaluations.
• Act as the liaison between school buildings/assignments and the OT PT OM staff for crisis management, trouble shooting and problem resolution in the field
• Provide professional development and coaching on a variety of topics related to the TDES, including integrated service delivery
• Recruit, hire, and retain highly qualified and effective employees
• Maintain regular in-person and email communication with employees to keep them updated on expectations and changes within the field and within the District
• Collaborate with the Union Conference Committee(s) of the Cleveland Teachers Union to advocate for school-based employees, ensure equity in assignments, and resolve issues.
• Forecast and implement a cost-conscious budget that ensures the planned procurement and provision of essential supplies and services
• Mange and develop numerous process systems to deploy limited staff to numerous duties in a planned manner. Processes include but are not limited to Open building, Summer Staffing, District staffing, Department equipment and supply distribution, large equipment deployment, referral basis etc.
• Manage support staff in the Office of Occupational and Physical Therapy to ensure that administrative tasks are completed smoothly and in a timely manner
• Approve and monitor Workday attendance and timecards
• Collaborate with other managers and directors within Special Education; prioritize actions that support the district’s efforts to move toward more inclusive practices for students with disabilities
• Make decisions that impact the Office of Occupational and Physical Therapy, with support and guidance from the Executive Director and in collaboration with other Directors
• Demonstrate flexibility in adjusting practices and procedures to ensure the execution of services for all students
• Implement and direct the implementation of District and/or Board of Education policies and procedures
• Maintain a Cleveland community presence and interface in a manner that puts the district’s best interests forward
• Participate in District meetings as requested and assigned
• Perform other related duties as required

QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree in Occupational Therapy or Physical Therapy required
• At least five years of work experience in the field
• A recognized credential from a professional organization is preferred
• At least two years of leadership and/or professional development experience preferred
• Experience with the Teacher Development and Evaluation System (TDES) and/or the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES)

Additional Qualifications

• A strong commitment to the students in CMSD and a personal sense of accountability around the ultimate success of the CMSD transformation
• Deep knowledge of the issues and dynamics of inequity in education and a passion for CMSD’s mission
• Knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of school-based therapists
• Ability to provide objective feedback and coaching on job performance
• Knowledge of laws relevant to special education (IDEIA, Ohio Operating Standards, FERPA/HIPAA)
• Must be proficient in the use of technology
• Proven experience working collaboratively in a team-oriented environment
• Results-driven, with excellent planning and organizing skills
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, both verbal and written
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including experience leveraging staff and developing talent
• Successful with overcoming significant barriers to meet goals in a fast-paced and changeable environment
• Able to critically assess challenges and identify flexible, effective solutions
• Ability to perform multifaceted tasks with minimum supervision
• Regular travel to schools required; must have reliable transportation

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The characteristics listed below are representative of the work environment typically encountered by an individual while performing the essential duties of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

• Expected moving, walking, and standing consistently with an office environment and occasionally lifting to 15 pounds
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, and sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms
• The employee is frequently required to talk and/or hear.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to a normal office environment.
• Local travel may be required for training/meetings.

NOTE: The duties listed above outline the functions typically performed by individuals assigned to this classification. This description of duties is not intended to be all-inclusive or to limit the discretionary authority of management to assign other tasks of a similar nature or level of responsibility. .

EEO STATEMENT

We believe that equity and inclusion at CMSD is an essential call to action, a catalyst to ensure value and appreciation among all our employees, so we may be fair and welcoming now and in the future. CMSD provides equal opportunities for employment, retention and advancement of all personnel by administering all terms and conditions of employment regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, sex, disability or genetic information, age, citizenship status, military status, sexual orientation or expression, socio-economic status, title, other dimensions of identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The District’s Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, and Sexual Harassment and the District’s Title IX grievance procedures, including information on how to report or file a complaint of discrimination, how to report or file a formal complaint of sexual harassment, and how the District will respond, may be accessed on the District’s Civil Rights Notices webpage, available at ClevelandMetroSchools.org/domain/105

The District’s Title IX Coordinator Director of Equal Employment Opportunity may be reached at:

1111 Superior Avenue East, Suite 1800

Cleveland, Ohio 44114

(216)-838-0070

TitleIX_EEO@ClevelandMetroSchools.org

Education

To Apply

EEO Statement

We believe that equity and inclusion at CMSD is an essential call to action, a catalyst to ensure value and appreciation among all our employees, so we may be fair and welcoming now and in the future. CMSD provides equal opportunities for employment, retention and advancement of all personnel by administering all terms and conditions of employment regardless of race, color,ethnicity , ancestry, national origin, sex, disability orgenetic information, age, citizenship status, military status, sexual orientation or expression, socio-economic status, title, other dimensions of identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.