What are the responsibilities and job description for the Full-Time Special Education Paraeducator position at Washakie Co School District 1?
Special Education Paraeducator, 35-40 hours/week
Full-time with comprehensive benefit package.
GENERAL STATEMENT: The Special Education Para-Educator:
This job description describes in general terms the normal duties that the paraeducator will be expected to undertake. However, the job or duties described may vary or be amended from time to time without changing the level of responsibility associated with the job.
Special education para-educators work under the overall supervision of their building principal with direct supervision provided by special education teachers. They are employed when required to implement special education or related services for a class and/or to provide direct assistance to students. Their duties will vary depending upon the age of students served as well as the nature and severity of the student's disabilities.
PRIORITY: The Para-Educator:
- Will be able to provide high school diploma and degree or credit equivalency within the required time frame set by W.C.S.D. #1 needed to be a para-educator.
- Will be able to maintain confidentiality at all times and in all situations.
- Will be able to follow district and classroom procedures for maintaining healthy and safe environments for learners and staff, while practicing legal and ethical standards of conduct established by W.C.S.D. #1.
- Will be able to support the teachers by helping individual and small groups of students understand and complete their assignments.
- Will be able to carry out activities with students as planned and directed by the teacher.
- Will be able to carry out accommodations and modifications as set by the IEP Team in the classroom setting.
- Will be able to be supportive of all classroom (general, resource, specials, etc.) teachers and be able to adjust to conditions in the classroom based on any particular teacher's style, personality, and methodology work as a team.
LIFE-SKILLS: The Para-Educator:
- Will be able to work as a team member with the special education teacher, other paraeducators, related service providers, and building staff.
- Will be able to assist students with personal needs (diaper changing, feeding, bathroom).
- Will be able to assist students with academic needs (math, reading, language arts).
- Will be able to implement behavioral programs (positive reinforcements, response cost, etc.).
- Will be able to demonstrate and monitor individual living activities.
- Will be able to modify regular education assignments.
- Will be able to assist students with getting on and off school transportation.
- Will be able to demonstrate appropriate social skills and monitor student's social skills.
- Will be able to work with various computer programs and computerized communication devices.
- Will be able to demonstrate and monitor student's organizational and study skills.
- Will be able to teach community mobility and post-secondary skills for secondary students.
- Will be able to carry out accommodations and modifications as set by the IEP Team in the classroom setting.
RESOURCE ROOM: The Para-Educator:
- Will be able to assist in working on IEP goals and / or daily assignments in small groups in and outside of the classroom setting.
- Will be able to provide documentation and objective information about student performance to supervising teacher.
- Will be able to be a direct liaison between regular education and resource teachers and / or other special education teachers involved in student's case.
- Will be able to maintain a flexible balance between high standards of expectations and student support.
- Will be able to keep the resource teachers current on assignments, notes, study guides, and changes in classroom expectations from classes assigned to on a daily basis.
- Will be able to assist with classroom setup and organization.
- Will be able to carry out accommodations and modifications as set by the IEP Team in the classroom setting.
BEHAVIOR: The Para-Educator:
- Will be able to maintain and administer classroom management during classroom instruction.
- Will be able to be a direct liaison between regular education and behavior teacher and / or other special education teachers involved in student's case.
- Will be able to administer behavior plans with behavior teacher when dealing with a one-on-one situation.
- Will be able to maintain a flexible balance between high standards of expectations and student support.
- Will be trained and able to defuse potentially aggressive situations without harming or threatening students de-escalation.
- Will be able to facilitate and observe the process of change of placement from a restrictive environment to a less restrictive environment.
Will be able to carry out accommodations and modifications as set by the IEP Team in the classroom setting
Culture
We are a culture of collaboration that supports Professional Learning Communities (PLC):
"An ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. Professional learning communities operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous job-embedded learning for educators."
--Richard DuFour
FLSA Status: Non-exempt