Special Education Assistant - ASD

Location: Brainerd High School
Assignment: 2026-2027 School Year – Ongoing
Hours: 7.5 hours per day, 173 duty days per school year

Pay

$16.50–$17.15 per hour (based on education and experience; wages outlined in the Education Assistant contract on the district website).

Benefits

• Full benefits package including paid sick/ESST, paid personal leave, and paid holidays
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• PERA retirement plan
• Long-term disability (LTD) and life insurance
• 403(b) retirement savings plan

About the Role

The Special Education Paraprofessional will assist and carry out the goals, objectives, and adaptations in the Individual Education Plan (IEP) of special needs students in various settings, including classrooms, physical education, lunchroom, bus loading area, cafeteria, and common spaces.

Responsibilities

• Carry out duties and responsibilities outlined in a student's IEP
• Assist student(s) in individual and group settings, whether in the resource room, inclusive educational setting, community, or volunteer setting
• Provide specialized instruction, interventions, and accommodations as outlined in the IEP
• Team with classroom teachers and/or special education teachers to deliver instruction
• Demonstrate and model appropriate developmental and behavioral skills through play or interaction
• Assist students with self-help and independent living skills, including:
  • Dressing and undressing
  • Toileting, which may include changing diapers, training pants, cleaning the child, and implementing toilet training techniques
  • Supervising and assisting with eating skills, including use of adapted feeding utensils or feeding tubes
  • Supervising and assisting with assistive devices, such as prosthetic devices, braces, wheelchairs, or communicative/assistive technology
• Support students in Developmentally Adaptive Physical Education activities and Special Olympics events
• Supervise students during lunch, recess, field trips, time-out situations, and emergencies, or in the temporary absence of the teacher
• Monitor classroom instruction to ensure student progress and a safe learning environment
• Perform bus duty, including riding the bus, following prescribed bus programs, meeting the bus, and reporting student behavior/needs to the case manager
• Participate physically in activities with students
• Collaborate with special education teachers, classroom teachers, and related service providers to ensure student safety and success
• Maintain confidentiality and develop effective working relationships with students
• Support building and classroom discipline policies
• Maintain good communication and a cooperative working environment with staff
• Participate in assigned professional development
• Maintain knowledge of building procedures and district policies
• Work cooperatively with administrators, accepting constructive feedback
• Address disagreements with colleagues constructively and respectfully
• Monitor student progress on assigned tasks
• Follow district policy in reporting suspected abuse or neglect
• Perform other special education-related duties as assigned by administrative authority

Requirements

• Meet highly-qualified requirements for paraprofessionals (two-year associate degree, 60 college credits, or para-pro/para e-link certification)
• Experience working with students with physical, cognitive, and/or mild behavioral needs
• Handle with Care Training certification (required within three months of hire and maintained during employment)
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work as part of a team
• Flexibility based on program and student needs
• Ability to assist students in individual or group settings, including resource rooms, inclusive education settings, and community-based job coaching
• Ability to implement and follow through on specific therapies and programs outlined in the IEP, including lifting, transferring, positioning, and assisting with daily living activities (toileting, feeding, restrictive procedures when necessary)
• Ability to collect data on student progress as defined in the IEP
• Ability to remain calm and patient in volatile situations and respond quickly to a variety of scenarios
• Ability to work under the supervision of a site principal and/or special education teacher
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and constant interruptions
• Ability to work with students, families, professionals, and staff from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism

Union: ED MN – Educational Assistant