Liberty Common School is seeking a special-education paraprofessional beginning August 2024 at the Liberty Common Elementary School (Aristotle campus). Liberty Common School is a public, tuition-free school chartered by the Poudre School District in Fort Collins, Colorado utilizing the Core Knowledge© curriculum and timeless principles of classically oriented education. The Aristotle campus currently enrolls over 400 students grades k-6.

Liberty Common School follows the Core Knowledge© curriculum in grades k–8. This curriculum encompasses language arts, mathematics, science, history, geography, fine arts, and physical education. The curriculum is characterized by content-rich instruction, cumulative knowledge, content-specific lessons, and coherent sequencing. The school’s mission is to provide excellence and fairness in education by teaching a contextual body of organized knowledge, the skills of learning, and the values of a democratic society. This is done through parental choice, partnership with teachers, and student acceptance of responsibility for her/his academic effort.

The special education paraprofessional is part of the special education and academic support collaborative team. Successful applicants report to the Academic Support Team (AST) Coordinator. Applicants should be dedicated to the mastery of an academic discipline and knowledge-based curriculum.

FLSA CLASSIFICATION: Hourly Non-Exempt

EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Regular, Full-time

WORK HOURS: 35-40 hours per week

PAY RANGE: $15.00-$18.00/hour

REPORTS TO: AST Coordinator

REVISION DATE: March 25, 2024

Minimum Essential Duties:

• Provide tutoring and organizational help to both students with special education plans and other students at risk under the direct supervision of the coordinator and interventionist.
• Help implement individualized educational plans as specified by IEP documents.
• Assist small groups and individuals with lessons, practice exercises, and monitor seatwork for understanding.
• Help provide support to all Liberty students who are at risk, have grades below a C, and are on Read Act, ELD, 504, and IEP plans.
• Assist in the implementation of any behavioral management system as specified by the special education team.
• Construct and acquire instructional materials designed by the supervising teachers.
• Share ideas and concerns clearly and professionally with the rest of the team.
• Maintain confidentiality of information as required by school policy.
• Assist students with specialized reading or math techniques under supervision of special-education coordinator.
• Help with teacher communication regarding the progress and interventions for students who receive AST service.
• Provide paraprofessional support as outlined above to other professionals on the special education team when needed.
• Other responsibilities as directed by the Academic Support Coordinator.

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to maneuver uneven surfaces.
• Must be able to carry or transfer up to 20lbs of supplies frequently.
• Must be able to work in occasionally loud environments.
• Must be able to frequently use office technology including computers, copiers, and printers.
• Must be able to use commercial office tools including paper cutters and staplers.

Minimum Requirements:

• Desire and willingness to learn about Liberty’s history and philosophy and to uphold and promote the mission and values of the school.
• Demonstrated competence in a relevant discipline.
• Ability to support effective instructional delivery.
• Ability and willingness to work effectively with peers & other staff as a team to improve students' education.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Outlook, internet utilization, and general aptitude for learning new software applications.

Preferred Characteristics:

• Experience in early literacy and math intervention.

Benefits:

• Enrollment in Colorado’s Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) and employer contributions to your PERA retirement account.
• Health, dental, vision, long-term disability, short-term disability insurance.
• Earned sick leave in accordance with Colorado’s Healthy Families and Workplaces (HFWA) Act.

EEO STATEMENT

Liberty Common School is an EEO employer. Applicants are considered for positions for which they have applied without regard to gender (regardless of gender identity or gender expression), race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy, or other characteristics protected by law.

Studies indicate women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they can perform all job descriptions identified in the job-vacancy announcement. Liberty Common School prioritizes identifying the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may come from a less-traditional background. Liberty Common School may consider an equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education, and lived experiences to meet minimum qualifications.

Liberty Common School is located in the City of Fort Collins in Northern Colorado. Northern Colorado is an integral part of the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute Nations. European-American trappers and traders arrived by the early 1800s but rarely established permanent settlements. Gold and silver discoveries in the Colorado mountains in the mid-1800s and the prospect of land for farming and ranching attracted people from across the globe to the Colorado Territory, including what would become the town of Fort Collins; an agricultural colony that emerged from its founding days as a military fort. The expansion included the sugar-beet industry's growth, which brought new residents whose descendants still live here today, including Mexican-American families from southern Colorado, New Mexico, and northern Mexico, as well as Germans from Russia. Since 1879, Fort Collins has been the home of the state’s land-grant institution, Colorado State University, which currently enrolls 34,000 students. Along with the university, the city’s major high-tech and manufacturing companies and high performing charter-public schools attract new residents from all over the country and world. The community’s overall social diversity continues to grow.

Liberty Common School is an EEO employer.

AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT

All employment with Liberty Common School is voluntary and is subject to termination by you or Liberty Common School at-will, with or without cause, and with or without notice, at any time. There is no guarantee, in any manner, Liberty Common School will continue employment for any set period of time. This applies to all aspects of employment at Liberty Common School including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, promotion, placement, discipline, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and access to benefits and training.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES

Please note this job description is not a comprehensive list of activities, duties, and responsibilities required of this position. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice from Liberty Common School.

For more information about Liberty Common School, visit www.libertycommon.org

A complete application includes nothing less than the following items:

• Letter of application
• Resume
• Statement of educational philosophy
• Transcript photocopy
• Three references with phone numbers.

This job posting will remain open until positions are filled.

Mail to:

Mr. Keith Churchill, Principal

Liberty Common School

2130 West Horsetooth Road

Fort Collins, CO 80526

Or e-mail to: cchurchill@libertycommon.org

Liberty Common School is an EEO employer.