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Teacher (Special Education)

Department of Health and Human Services
Indian Health Service
New Sunrise Regional Treatment Center

Summary

This position is located at the New Sunrise Regional Treatment Center (NSRTC) in Acoma, New Mexico. NSRTC is a 24-bed residential facility that provides culturally appropriate, multidisciplinary treatment for Native American adolescents. The purpose of this position is to provide and manage educational services for residents receiving residential treatment.

A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021).

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted yesterday · Apply by 08/10/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on August 10, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Salary
$75,489 - $98,141 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
IHS-26-HQ-13006642-ESEP/MP
Control number
878658100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

The IHS is required by law to give absolute preference to qualified applicants who meet the Secretary of the Interior's definition of Indian for appointment to vacancies within the IHS in accordance with established IHS policy as outlined in the Indian Health Manual Part 7, Chapter 3.

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Duties

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  • Develops and manages the education program for NSRTC residents, using online learning systems to teach academic, social, and life skills to students in grades 6 through 12. Evaluates student progress individually and in groups on an ongoing basis.
  • Supervises residents as assigned to ensure their safety, health, and well-being in accordance with Federal, State, Tribal, school, and NSRTC policies and procedures.
  • Administers and reviews educational assessments, including academic history, achievement testing, vocational assessments, WRAT, and pre-GED evaluations, to identify student needs.
  • Serves as a member of the multidisciplinary treatment team. Participates in team meetings and is responsible for the educational portion of each resident's treatment plan, including goals and progress. Supports aftercare planning by working with staff, families, and school personnel to ensure continuity of educational services after discharge.
  • Serves as the administrator for the online school program and is responsible for the quality of educational services within the residential treatment facility. Provides administrative supervision for a teacher aide position.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Selectee may be subject to a probationary period
ESEP appointees typically serve a two year trial period
U.S. Citizenship is required
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

This is a designated position covered by Public Law 101-630, requiring contact or control over Indian children. Due to this requirement, the agency must ensure that persons hired for these positions have not been found guilty of or pleaded nolo contendere or guilty to certain crimes.

On-call hours or standby duty may be required.

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.

You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you.

Background Investigation Requirement:

This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment.

A background investigation is a standard process used by the Federal Government to verify an individual's identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for Federal service.

Upon receipt of instructions, applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance. Timely completion is critical to avoid delays in processing or a determination of unsuitability.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize this requirement and to maintain regular communication with their assigned Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process.

Prior to the appointment, candidates must present two valid forms of identification. If one of the documents is a state-issued ID or driver's license, it must be REAL ID-compliant.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part-time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

BASIC REQUIREMENT(S), GS-1710:
Bachelor's degree from an accredited or pre-accredited institution that included or was supplemented by supervised student teaching, and at least one course in each of the following areas: general psychology, human development, history and/or philosophy of education, and teaching methods; AND have had at least 24 semester hours (or the equivalent) of course work in special education that included at least one course covering the teaching of exceptional students and courses in the appropriate field(s) of specialization.

OR

A combination of education and experience equivalent to a bachelor's degree AND at least one (1) full academic year of professional teaching experience at the elementary or secondary school level under general supervision in a recognized or accredited school or other educational institution. Qualifying experience must be at the elementary or secondary school level that includes responsibility for preparation and presentation of lessons and the evaluation of students' progress throughout the learning period, including a determination of students' success or failure according to established criteria.

OR

Teacher certification or licensure in a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

In addition to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS, GS-1710:
GS-11: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Examples include: Adapting general education lessons and teach various subjects to students with mild and moderate disabilities; teach and mentor students as a class, in small groups, and one-on-one; develop individualized education program (IEPs) for each student; implement IEPs, assess student's performance and track their progress; supervise and mentor assistants who work with students with disabilities; prior experience with alcohol and/or substance abuse is highly desirable.

OR

Three (3) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

OR

A combination of graduate education and specialized experience as described above that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

In addition to the Basic Requirements and Minimum Qualifications, you must also meet the Selective Placement Factor stated below.

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: Applicants who do not meet a selective factor are ineligible for further consideration. Must be a teacher certified in New Mexico with specialized training and experience in assessing learning disabilities and planning remediation with an endorsement from a State Educational Department for providing institutions to special education needs. (Must provide a copy of the certification with your application documents.)

Time In Grade
Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP).

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

Education

This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer.

Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://www.ed.gov/accreditation.

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. IHS may offer newly-appointed Federal employees credit for their directly related previous non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave.

This position is covered by a Bargaining Unit.

Recruitment or relocation incentives may be authorized. At least a 1 year service agreement will be required.

You will be evaluated for this position in accordance with the OPM Merit Hiring Plan.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide short essay responses (200 words or less each) to the following four questions.

  1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government?
  2. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness?
  3. How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role?
  4. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements?
  • Your responses are optional and will not be scored.
  • However, they may be reviewed by hiring managers and agency leadership (or designees) during the evaluation process.
  • You will be asked to certify that your responses are written in your own words and that you did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) tool (such as ChatGPT or Copilot).

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

This job announcement uses the USA Hire Assessment to evaluate applicants. There is no "pass/fail" outcome; results are used as part of the overall evaluation process to determine applicant qualifications. However, if you do not take the assessment within the assessment window timeframe you will be found ineligible for this position. For more information, visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13006642

Once the application process is complete, the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications.

All documents above MUST be received by 11:59 pm (Eastern Standard Time) of the closing date of 08/10/2026, to be considered.

Indian Health Service

Become a part of an innovative, dynamic, nationwide organization of dedicated health care providers working to meet the individual health care needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives. Indian Health Service (IHS) employees are considerate in our care, creative in our approach, enthusiastic about our work and compassionate with our patients. Our lifestyle is adventurous, community oriented and focused on service and problem solving as part of a professional interdisciplinary team. Join us in improving the health outcomes of over 2 million American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Agency contact information

Tahnee Stands
Phone
580-507-0574
Email
tahnee.stands@ihs.gov
Address
New Sunrise Regional Treatment Center
PO Box 219
San Fidel, NM 87049
US

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http://www.ihs.gov

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