Paraeducator Special Education - Mild to Moderate Disabilties (CASE)

Employment Type: Full-time, 6.5 hours/day

About the Role

Provide instructional support under the supervision of the special education teacher in a special education environment or as required by an individual education plan (IEP). Support students with mild to moderate cognitive and/or physical needs in a specialized classroom.

Responsibilities

• Student Support & Instruction: Reinforce material by providing one-on-one or small-group instruction to students. Assist with academic, physical, and emotional needs, following each student's IEP guidelines.
• Personal Care & Medical Assistance: Safely lift and transfer students to help with daily activities. Provide support with personal care needs (e.g., toileting, feeding, dressing, suctioning, and tube feeding). Administer basic first aid and emergency rescue medications to ill, medically fragile, or injured students.
• Social-Emotional Development: Assist students with their social and emotional needs, helping them build positive behaviors and navigate social situations. Implement behavioral plans and strategies to foster a productive and positive learning environment.
• Behavioral & Safety Management: Implement behavioral plans to help students modify behaviors that conflict with a positive learning environment. Supervise students during school activities, ensure their well-being and safety, and report concerns such as substance use, child abuse, or dangerous situations.
• Collaboration & Administrative Duties: Assist with assessments and data collection under the supervision of the certified teacher. Participate in required meetings and training. Translate for students, parents, and staff when required.
• General Operations: Help maintain a quiet and orderly classroom. Operate and care for instructional equipment and perform all duties safely and prudently, following district policies and supervisor directives.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent plus an Associate's degree or 60 semester hours from an accredited university, or satisfactory results on an AZ state-approved competency exam.
• CPR/First Aid certification (provided).
• Ability to operate standard office equipment, including a computer and related software.
• Satisfactory criminal background check.
• Meet the physical demands as described below.

Skills

• Respond to all internal and external customers in a prompt, efficient, friendly, and patient manner.
• Function effectively as a team member.
• Be responsible, reliable, and punctual.
• Be flexible and adaptable to change.
• Positively accept direction.
• Maintain courteous, cooperative working relationships with students, staff, and parents.
• Direct constructive criticism toward improving the district.
• Exercise positive problem-solving behavior and conflict resolution skills.
• Adhere to the dress code appropriate to the site and job.
• Share sensitive student and staff information on a need-to-know basis.
• Be a positive role model for students.
• Work with a large cross-section of people in a professional and non-judgmental manner.

Core Values

• Excellence: Excellence in all we do, valuing it as a quality and our most important product.
• Equity and Fairness: Education as the great leveler, providing opportunity, tools, and ability to succeed and excel.
• Collaboration: An effective decision-making and morale-enhancing model.
• Integrity: Honesty, integrity, and reliability as the foundations of our organization.
• Efficiency: The essence of being a good steward of public trust.

Physical Requirements

• Mobility and Movement: Must be able to stoop, kneel, crouch, stand, walk, and sit. Involves repetitive finger and manual dexterity.
• Sensory and Communication: Requires the ability to speak, hear, and see (with correction) to perform essential job functions.
• Physical Exertion:
  • Occasionally: Lift or move objects weighing up to 50 pounds.
  • Frequently: Lift or move objects weighing up to 20 pounds.
  • Constantly: Lift or move objects weighing up to 10 pounds.
• Work Environment: May be exposed to odors, dust, poor ventilation, workspace restrictions, bloodborne pathogens, and loud noises.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Pay

Base Salary: $18.41/hour (Grade 108, Support Hourly). Performance pay available annually.

• New Hire Experience: 1% for two or more years of full-time like experience, plus an additional 1% per year, not to exceed the maximum hiring range of 5%.
• New Hire Education: 1% of hourly rate for a college degree in a similar field, combined with work experience credit, not to exceed the maximum hiring range of 5%.

Schedule

Full-time, 9-month position (July 13–May 20, 2027).

• 184 work days.
• 11 paid holidays.
• 195 total paid days.

Benefits

• Paid time off (PTO) and holidays.
• Matched retirement through the Arizona State Retirement System.
• Health and life insurance.
• Wellness programs.
• Professional growth credit.