Gwinnett County Public Schools OPT Eligible Jobs USA
Gwinnett County Public Schools hires OPT students in education-related roles including teaching, counseling, and administrative positions. As one of the largest school districts in Georgia, it has a track record of supporting the OPT-to-H-1B visa transition for qualified candidates in high-need subject areas.
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Position Type:
Teachers/Tchr Sp Ed - Res Interrelated
Date Posted:
5/8/2026
Location:
Trickum Middle
Date Available:
07/27/2026
Job Code:
Tchr Sp Ed - Res Interrelated - 060070
Standard Hours:
40
Department:
Special Education - 101200
Empl Class:
NA
Minimum Salary:
$60,146.00/Annually
Maximum Salary:
$113,000.00/Annually
Scheduled Days:
190
Target Openings:
1
License and Certification Qualifications:
- Meet Georgia certification requirements in appropriate field of education
Education Qualifications:
- in applicable field of education from a Professional Standards Commission (PSC) approved college or university
Experience Qualifications:
- Previous teaching experience
Skills Qualifications:
- Knowledge of Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) curriculum with in-depth knowledge of content in field of certification
- Knowledge of techniques for integrating curriculum, GCPS policies, and effective instructional practices
- Understanding of the teaching/learning process
- Ability to infuse technology into instruction to increase student learning
- Ability to work effectively with administrators, colleagues, central office, and school based staff, students, parents, and community
- Excellent oral and written communication and human relations skills
- Exemplary teaching and diagnostic assessment skills
- Mastery of subject area
- Knowledge of Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) and due process
Primary Responsibilities:
Responsible for planning and providing for appropriate learning experiences for students based on the district's AKS curriculum as well as providing an atmosphere and environment conducive to the intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of individuals.
- Demonstrate command of school subject being taught.
- Provide direct instruction and/or specially designed instruction to students in special programs consistent with the district's curriculum and Individual Education Programs (IEP).
- Consult with classroom teachers and/or local school administrator to develop and maintain academic as well as behavioral management programs.
- Participate as an active member of the regular faculty of the school, assuming school duties shared by classroom teachers.
- Conduct in-service programs to the faculty regarding special education, specific program areas, management techniques, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), etc.
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Communicate and work collaboratively with regular educators to support students with disabilities in regular classrooms.
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Develop and prioritize long and short-term instructional objectives based on the district's AKS curriculum.
- Identify specific prerequisite skills and/or knowledge necessary for students to learn the AKS.
- Plan instruction as needed to promote student mastery of prerequisite skills and knowledge.
- Analyze student work and assessments to determine instructional needs.
- Prepare written lesson plans to support instructional objectives of the AKS for all students.
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Plan appropriate assessment of student learning.
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Evaluate, select, and modify resources and activities.
- Review resources including district core materials.
- Select core materials and other resources that match the AKS.
- Select resources that match the learner(s) needs.
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Select resources that reflect scientifically based research on effective instruction.
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Oversee assessment activities.
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Administer screening and diagnostic assessment instruments in a timely manner to children referred to special education and interpret evaluation results to parents and regular classroom teachers.
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Provide initial focus for the lesson.
- Communicate specific learning objectives to students in a clear manner.
- Link lesson content to students' prior knowledge, background experience, and/or real-world application of content.
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Capture student attention through active involvement.
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Organize content for presentation of the lesson.
- Present information in a logical sequence.
- Organize the presentation of content into blocks or steps based on the students' needs and the complexity of the material.
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Follow research-based organizational plan for content organization, such as anticipatory set, acquisition lesson, guided practice, independent practice, and summarizing.
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Utilize scientifically researched effective instructional strategies and ways of providing information for students to acquire the learning.
- Assess students' learning of the AKS and provide specific feedback to students and parents on a frequent basis.
- Provide collaborative learning opportunities.
- Model strategies and skills and provide multiple opportunities for distributed guided practice followed by independent practice.
- Explicitly teach essential content-related vocabulary.
- Utilize a variety of nonverbal/visual representations of content and skills.
- Explicitly teach students to summarize their learning.
- Explicitly teach skills for improving reading and writing proficiency/literacy across content areas.
- Access and/or build students' background knowledge and experience.
- Use and teach questioning and cuing/prompting techniques.
- Utilize technology effectively to plan, teach, and assess.
- Use inquiry-based problem-solving learning strategies with students in all content areas.
- Teach and require students to set personal goals for improving their academic achievement.
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Teach students to compare and contrast knowledge, concepts, or content.
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Provide formative assessment that measures student progress toward AKS objective(s).
- Monitor students' progress in learning through a variety of techniques on a frequent basis.
- Adjust instructional plans based on formative assessment results.
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Provide criteria that allow students to measure their own progress toward an objective(s).
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Provide summative assessment, which measures student achievement of objectives(s).
- Assess students' learning of the AKS.
- Provide assessments that are appropriate for the learner(s).
- Maintain assessment records for each student.
- Communicate assessment results to students.
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Utilize assessment results to plan for subsequent instruction.
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Organize the learning environment to maximize student time on task.
- Organize and arrange the classroom to facilitate learning.
- Ensure smooth transitions from one activity to another.
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Maintain an orderly system for housekeeping duties including attendance, passes, announcements, distributing and collecting materials, and homework assignments.
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Maintain behavior, which is conducive to learning.
- Define and communicate behavior expectations to students in a clear manner.
- Monitor behavior and provide appropriate feedback to students.
- Deal effectively with inappropriate behavior.
- Focus on student behavior rather than personality.
- Treat sensitive situations with discretion.
- Encourage participation from all students.
- Establish mutual respect between the teacher and students.
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Convey warmth, friendliness, and enthusiasm.
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Assist with the physical needs of special education students when appropriate.
- Assist with toileting, feeding, positioning, lifting, dressing, and other self-help skill areas as needed.
- Ensure safe travel of students within the school environment and on study trips as needed.
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Provide to support ostomy care, catheterization, and/or other medically related procedures as needed.
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Oversee the due process.
- Demonstrate a general understanding of IDEIA and state guidelines for special education and implement specific eligibility/program guidelines in accordance with the program(s) in which they are assigned.
- Coordinate and/or serve on eligibility and placement teams.
- Maintain complete records on children served according to due process and county guidelines as well as the completion of required local, state, and federal reporting forms.
- Inform designated school administrative personnel of program progress, issues, and/or concerns.
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Comply with federal, state, and district due process policies and procedures.
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Participate professional growth activities.
- Participate in professional growth and professional learning activities.
- Apply new knowledge and skills acquired in planning and delivery of student instruction.
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Demonstrate evidence of progress toward individual goals plan.
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Execute professional responsibilities.
- Use standard written expression.
- Use acceptable oral expression.
- Demonstrate punctuality to class, to assigned duties, and to other school activities.
- Submit records, reports, and forms accurately and in a timely manner.
- Provide clear plans for substitute teachers.
- Maintain regular attendance.
- Demonstrate a willingness to share ideas, methods, and materials.
- Cooperate with staff and support the development of activities/goals of the local school.
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Encourage positive home/school communications.
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Perform other duties as assigned.
Physical Demands:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to touch, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, or crouch. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. The employee is required to operate a motor vehicle in performance of duties. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to moving mechanical parts and outside weather conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles and risk of electrical shock. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Gwinnett County Public Schools OPT Eligible Jobs USA
Target high-need subject area postings
Gwinnett County Public Schools consistently recruits for teachers in STEM subjects, special education, and world languages. Focus your applications on these shortage areas, where the district is more likely to invest in retaining an OPT employee through the H-1B transition.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before accepting offers
To use your 24-month STEM OPT extension, your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify. Verify Gwinnett County Public Schools's active enrollment directly through E-Verify before signing any offer letter, so your STEM extension eligibility isn't in jeopardy at onboarding.
Align your degree field to Georgia educator certification
Georgia requires state certification for most classroom roles. Before applying, confirm your degree field maps to an eligible certification pathway. A mismatch between your credential and the certification requirement can stall hiring even when the district is willing to support your OPT employment.
Use Migrate Mate to research H-1B filing history
Before committing to a role, check whether Gwinnett County Public Schools has a history of H-1B filings in your occupation. Migrate Mate surfaces DOL Labor Condition Application data by employer and role, so you can see whether a transition path exists beyond your OPT period.
Request an OPT start date that matches the school calendar
School districts operate on a fixed academic calendar. Coordinate your OPT EAD start date with the district's hiring timeline, typically summer for fall semester starts. A misaligned authorization window can disqualify you from a cohort hire even if you're otherwise a strong candidate.
Document practical training tasks in your offer letter
Your OPT authorization must relate directly to your degree field. Ask Gwinnett County Public Schools to include specific role responsibilities in your offer letter that clearly connect to your major. USCIS looks for this alignment if your OPT work authorization is ever questioned during a status review.
Gwinnett County Public Schools OPT Eligibility: Frequently Asked Questions
Does Gwinnett County Public Schools sponsor OPT visas?
Gwinnett County Public Schools doesn't sponsor OPT directly. OPT is work authorization USCIS grants to you as an F-1 student, not something an employer files for. What the district does is hire students who already hold an OPT EAD, and for eligible STEM roles it supports the 24-month extension by maintaining E-Verify enrollment.
Which roles at Gwinnett County Public Schools are most accessible for OPT students?
Teaching positions in STEM subjects, special education, and world languages are the most actively recruited roles at Gwinnett County Public Schools and align well with common degree fields held by OPT students. Administrative, counseling, and instructional technology roles also appear regularly and may qualify for STEM OPT if the position connects to a qualifying degree.
How do I confirm Gwinnett County Public Schools will support my STEM OPT extension?
Ask your HR contact to confirm the district's active E-Verify enrollment before you accept an offer. E-Verify participation is a USCIS requirement for STEM OPT extensions, and you're responsible for verifying it. Getting confirmation in writing before your OPT standard period ends avoids last-minute complications with your DSO and SEVIS record.
What is the typical timeline for transitioning from OPT to H-1B at Gwinnett County Public Schools?
H-1B sponsorship requires your employer to file a petition in the April lottery for an October 1 start date. If you're on a 12-month standard OPT, you'll need to plan around that cap-subject timeline carefully. The 24-month STEM extension gives you additional runway. Migrate Mate can help you map your OPT end date against the H-1B filing calendar to avoid a gap in authorization.
How do I strengthen my application for an OPT role at Gwinnett County Public Schools?
Obtain or begin the Georgia educator certification process before applying, since most classroom roles require it. Highlight degree coursework that maps directly to the subject area you're targeting. Demonstrating familiarity with Georgia's curriculum standards and showing a clear connection between your academic background and the posted role significantly improves your odds in a competitive applicant pool.
How does Gwinnett County Public Schools hire OPT students?
OPT is work authorization granted directly to F-1 students after graduation — no employer petition is required. Gwinnett County Public Schools can hire OPT students as soon as their EAD card is approved. STEM degree holders can extend OPT by 24 months when their employer is enrolled in E-Verify. Most companies that hire OPT students also support the transition to H-1B when the student's OPT period is ending. Check Gwinnett County Public Schools's individual postings on Migrate Mate to confirm OPT acceptance per role.