Early Childhood Severe Needs Para Educator - Polton Elementary School
Job Summary
The Severe Needs Para Educator assists students with severe special education needs under the guidance of licensed special education staff. Duties include helping individuals or small groups of students with curriculum, implementing programming, generalizing learned skills, and implementing behavior strategies. The position also involves preparing materials, monitoring students, and recording student achievement and progress.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Assist students with classroom activities, including adapting the curriculum to individual student needs. Implement student accommodations, supports, modifications, procedures, and programming outlined in the student's Individual Education Plan (IEP).
Maintain records of student progress and behavior in conjunction with licensed staff, which may include special reports, providing feedback, and reporting observations to the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team.
Absorb materials, administer tests, attend to attendance, and assist with paperwork and documentation as needed. Assist with other classroom events, such as fire drills, as necessary.
Perform other duties as assigned or requested.
Integrated Learning Center (ILC) and Homebound (FAPE) Program Assignment
Monitor students and reinforce appropriate behavior for individual student needs. Assist in verbal de-escalation and non-violent crisis interventions to reduce the risk of self-harm and harm to others. Assist student development of social interactions or communication between students with special needs and general education peers.
Provide technical physical care for students with special needs as assigned, which may include toileting, grooming, cleaning ventilation devices, feeding, care of gastrostomy tube (G-tube), positioning, and improving range of motion (Autism Classroom or ILC). Follow student medication delivery orders as delegated by a registered school nurse.
Serious Emotional Disability (SED) Assignment
Monitor students and reinforce appropriate behavior for individual student needs. Assist in verbal de-escalation and non-violent crisis interventions to reduce the risk of self-harm and harm to others. Assist student development of social interactions or communication between students with special needs and general education peers.
Online/Remote Environment
Assist small groups of students or individuals with online classroom activities, during synchronous or asynchronous learning, including curriculum accommodations or modifications. Assist with curriculum delivery or practice to ensure generalization of skills. If working in DHH Program, develop student language, vocabulary, reading, and writing using sign language for students who need a signing para-educator.
Prepare assignments for students to complete at home and support students in completing assigned work. Maintain records of student progress and behavior in conjunction with the licensed staff, which may include special reports, providing feedback, and reporting observations to the Individualized Education Program team. Support students in troubleshooting technology issues.
Perform other duties as assigned or requested.
Reporting Relationships
This job has no direct supervisory responsibilities.
Minimum Qualifications
No professional work experience required.
Title I assignments must meet one of the following requirements: Completed at least two years of study at an institution of higher education; obtained an associate’s or higher degree; met a rigorous standard of quality, and can demonstrate through a formal state or local academic assessment, knowledge of and the ability to assist in instructing, as appropriate: Reading/language arts, writing, and mathematics; or Reading readiness, writing readiness, and mathematics readiness.
Mandatory biennial Crisis Prevention Intervention training provided by the District for staff working in an Autism, Behaviorally Disordered, or ILC assignment.
CPR and First Aid certification.
Desired Qualifications
Experience working in the public sector, specifically public education.
Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Racially conscious and culturally competent with the skill, will, capacity, and knowledge to commit to a culture of continuous improvement.
Associate’s degree.
Work with special needs children in a paid program or licensed special education teaching experience.
Experience working with students with autism, behavior challenges, medically fragile conditions, hearing or vision loss, or intellectual disabilities.