Elementary Special Education Educational Assistant

Position Type:
Student Support Services
Date Posted:
9/8/2026
Elementary Special Education Educational Assistant
This position will be for the School Year
About HOPE Community Academy
HOPE Community Academy is an accredited, public co-educational charter school comprising primary, intermediate, middle school, and high school levels. The entire school community seeks to provide a safe and trusting learning environment where each student is valued and challenged to grow academically, socially, emotionally, and physically.
Mission:
To inspire students to achieve high academic success while embracing Hmong language and culture.
Vision:
To be a public school of excellence, with high-quality staff, diverse programs, and successful students.
Culture Statement:
HOPE is a safe space where all feel valued, empowered, and inspired. Learning at HOPE promotes cultural appreciation, character, and lifelong growth. Our scholars leave ready to lead with purpose and contribute to their community.
HOPE's Values:
High-Impact; Scholar-Focused; Sense of Belonging; Leadership; and Joyful Excellence.
Our work for the next two years is illustrated in our Strategic Plan, focused on four priorities: Radical Growth, Stabilizing Operational Systems, Being Data-Centered, and Building Community Impact. All employees are expected to operate with high impact to continue improving the experiences of HOPE's community.
Position Details
Position Title: Elementary Special Education Educational Assistant
Salary Range: $16.19 $26.62 per hour
Reports To: Special Education Teacher / Elementary Teacher / Educational Leader / Educational Assistant Lead
Status: Non-Exempt, Full-Time | Hours align with the school day
Contract Type: School-year contract
Schedule: Follows the school calendar, including breaks and holidays
About This Role
At HOPE, we know that early, consistent, and individualized support can make a lasting difference in a scholar's academic, social, emotional, and developmental growth. The Elementary Special Education Educational Assistant is a visible, active, and essential member of the instructional team who helps create a safe, structured, inclusive, engaging, and supportive learning environment for elementary scholars receiving special education services.
This is not a background role. Every day, the Elementary Special Education Educational Assistant works closely with special education teachers, classroom teachers, related service providers, and school staff to support scholars in accessing instruction, participating meaningfully in classroom activities, developing independence, and making progress toward their Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals.
The Educational Assistant may provide one-to-one, small-group, or classroom-based support. Duties may include helping a scholar follow a visual schedule, practice an academic or communication skill, complete a learning task, use a sensory or self-regulation strategy, transition between activities, participate in peer interactions, or access accommodations and modifications identified in the scholar's IEP.
This role requires patience, consistency, flexibility, emotional stamina, and a genuine commitment to supporting young children with diverse learning, communication, behavioral, developmental, sensory, and social-emotional needs. The Elementary Special Education Educational Assistant helps scholars build confidence, independence, communication, self-regulation, positive relationships, and foundational academic skills.
This role directly supports HOPE's Scholar Impact and Radical Growth priorities by ensuring that scholars with disabilities, multilingual learners, and scholars with additional learning needs receive meaningful, dignified, and individualized support to access instruction, experience belonging, and make progress in school.
Primary Duties
Special Education Instructional Support

• Assist special education teachers and elementary classroom teachers with classroom instruction, small-group instruction, individual scholar support, learning routines, and implementation of instructional activities.
• Reinforce teacher-led lessons and provide support with literacy, mathematics, writing, communication, fine-motor activities, organization, task completion, and foundational learning skills.
• Work with individual scholars and small groups to review concepts, clarify directions, practice skills, and participate actively in learning activities as directed by the teacher.
• Support scholars in using accommodations, modifications, assistive technology, visual supports, communication systems, sensory tools, and other instructional supports identified in their IEPs.
• Help scholars access grade-level content and classroom activities in ways that are developmentally appropriate and aligned with their individual learning needs.
• Prepare, organize, and maintain classroom materials, instructional resources, adaptive tools, visual schedules, learning stations, and special education spaces as directed by the teacher.
• Collect and share observational information or data related to scholar participation, behavior, skill practice, and progress as directed by the special education teacher.

IEP and Inclusion Support

• Implement accommodations, modifications, behavior plans, visual supports, communication supports, and instructional strategies as directed by special education teachers, classroom teachers, related service providers, and school leadership.
• Support scholars in participating meaningfully in general education classrooms, special education settings, specialist classes, recess, lunch, field trips, assemblies, and school-wide activities.
• Provide support in a way that promotes dignity, independence, belonging, and meaningful participation rather than unnecessary dependence on adults.
• Encourage scholars to attempt tasks independently, make choices, use learned strategies, and ask for help appropriately before receiving additional support.
• Follow all assigned IEP-related supports with fidelity while maintaining flexibility and responsiveness to the scholar's needs throughout the day.
• Collaborate with teachers and specialists to ensure supports are consistent across learning environments and daily routines.
• Maintain appropriate boundaries and avoid making instructional, placement, disciplinary, or IEP decisions outside the scope of the Educational Assistant role.

Social-Emotional and Behavioral Support

• Support scholars in developing self-regulation, communication, social interaction, coping skills, problem-solving, responsible decision-making, and positive classroom behaviors.
• Use proactive, positive, and school-approved behavior-support strategies, including redirection, relationship-building, visual cues, first-then language, sensory supports, restorative conversations, goal-setting, and positive reinforcement.
• Help scholars recognize emotions, communicate needs, manage frustration, recover from disappointment, and use appropriate strategies during challenging academic, social, or behavioral situations.
• Support scholars in developing peer relationships, participating in cooperative learning, taking turns, sharing materials, and navigating age-appropriate social interactions.
• Respond calmly, consistently, respectfully, and safely when scholars experience dysregulation, conflict, disengagement, sensory needs, or behavioral challenges.
• Communicate relevant behavioral observations, concerns, successful strategies, and changes in scholar needs to the supervising teacher and appropriate school staff.
• Follow school and individual safety procedures, including crisis-response or behavior-support plans, as trained and directed.

Independence and Elementary Success Skills

• Help scholars develop foundational independence skills, including following routines, using classroom materials, organizing belongings, completing tasks, transitioning between activities, and caring for shared spaces.
• Support scholars in using visual schedules, checklists, timers, planners, communication tools, teacher feedback, and other available resources to stay engaged and successful.
• Encourage scholars to build self-advocacy skills by identifying needs, making choices, asking questions, requesting assistance, and communicating preferences in developmentally appropriate ways.
• Reinforce expectations related to attendance, punctuality, preparedness, safe choices, respectful communication, classroom routines, and responsible decision-making.
• Help scholars identify strengths, celebrate progress, set age-appropriate goals, and build confidence in their ability to learn and grow.
• Support scholars during arrival, dismissal, class transitions, restroom routines, lunch, recess, assemblies, field trips, and other activities as assigned.

Supervision and Safety

• Actively supervise scholars throughout the school day to ensure a safe, respectful, inclusive, and supportive learning environment.
• Supervise scholars during classroom instruction, small-group learning, transitions, lunch, recess, arrival, dismissal, assemblies, field trips, school events, and other assigned duties.
• Maintain awareness of scholar behavior, emotional state, communication needs, sensory needs, and physical safety in assigned settings.
• Report injuries, safety concerns, unusual incidents, suspected abuse or neglect, significant behavioral changes, or changes in a scholar's wellbeing promptly to the supervising teacher and school leadership, following all required procedures.
• Support teachers and school staff in maintaining clean, organized, accessible, and safe learning spaces.
• Follow all school emergency, safety, health, confidentiality, and professional procedures.
• Provide physical assistance only as trained, authorized, and directed by the school, including support related to mobility, positioning, toileting, feeding, health plans, or personal care when applicable to the assignment.

Family Partnership and Communication

• Help create a welcoming environment for scholars and families during arrival, dismissal, family events, conferences, and school activities.
• Build positive, respectful, and professional relationships with scholars and families while maintaining appropriate boundaries and confidentiality.
• Share scholar successes, observations, needs, and relevant information with the supervising teacher or designated school staff as appropriate.
• Refer family questions related to IEPs, services, academic progress, behavior plans, or sensitive scholar information to the appropriate teacher or school administrator.
• Support family-engagement activities, school events, and opportunities that strengthen the connection between home and school.
• Approach scholars and families with cultural humility, warmth, and respect for the knowledge, language, identity, culture, and experiences each family brings to the HOPE community.

Inclusion and Culturally Responsive Practice

• Support the meaningful inclusion and participation of scholars with disabilities, multilingual learners, and scholars with diverse academic, behavioral, communication, sensory, social-emotional, and developmental needs.
• Use respectful, strengths-based, identity-affirming language and practices that promote confidence, belonging, leadership, and joy.
• Help create a learning environment that honors and celebrates the identities, languages, cultures, and lived experiences of HOPE's Hmong and Karen scholar community.
• Support scholars in accessing learning and relationships without lowering expectations for their growth, participation, and potential.
• Maintain a commitment to equity by ensuring scholars receive the individualized support they need to participate in rigorous, joyful, and culturally responsive learning experiences.

Professional Responsibilities and School Community Involvement

• Maintain punctual and dependable attendance, including arriving prepared to support the full school day.
• Follow all school policies, procedures, confidentiality expectations, professional standards, and directions from supervising staff.
• Maintain confidentiality regarding scholar records, IEPs, disability status, medical or health information, academic information, behavioral information, and sensitive family situations.
• Participate in staff meetings, professional development, team planning, school-wide initiatives, special education trainings, and required safety trainings.
• Collaborate respectfully and proactively with special education teachers, elementary teachers, the Educational Assistant Lead, school leaders, related service providers, specialists, and other staff members.
• Seek guidance when needed and communicate promptly when a scholar's needs, safety, behavior, or access to instruction requires additional support.
• Contribute to a positive, inclusive, high-impact, and joyful school culture.
• Participate in at least three or more school events throughout the school year.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Associate's degree, 60+ college credits, or coursework in Education, Special Education, Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Youth Development, Psychology, Social Work, or a related field preferred.
• Candidates currently pursuing a degree in Education, Special Education, Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Youth Development, Psychology, Social Work, or a related field are encouraged to apply.
• Previous experience working with elementary-aged children in a school, special education, childcare, tutoring, mentoring, camp, youth-development, therapy-support, or community setting preferred.
• Previous experience supporting children with disabilities, IEPs, behavior-support needs, communication needs, autism, developmental disabilities, sensory needs, or social-emotional needs preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with young children in a structured, diverse, active, and fast-paced educational environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build positive, appropriate, and respectful relationships with scholars, families, and staff.
• Patience, flexibility, creativity, sound judgment, and the ability to remain calm, supportive, and professional in challenging situations.
• Ability to follow directions from special education teachers, classroom teachers, and school staff while using initiative and professional judgment when appropriate.
• Ability to support scholars with foundational academic skills, communication, organization, transitions, social-emotional needs, independence, and positive behavioral expectations.
• Basic proficiency in technology, including email, Google Workspace, and educational software.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality regarding scholar records, disability status, IEPs, academic information, behavioral information, medical information, and sensitive family situations.
• Experience working with Hmong, Karen, multilingual, and/or other diverse communities strongly preferred; proficiency in Hmong is a significant asset.
• Deep commitment to HOPE's mission, values, and strategic priorities.
• Ability to interact effectively with scholars, families, and staff from diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Physical ability to stand, walk, bend, move throughout the school building, and lift as needed throughout the school day.
• Ability to support active elementary-aged scholars in a dynamic school environment.
• Ability to perform assigned personal-care, mobility, health, or safety supports when applicable to the position and after receiving required training.

Work Environment
Duties are performed across the elementary school environment, including primary and intermediate classrooms, special education learning spaces, hallways, cafeterias, gymnasiums, playgrounds, common areas, arrival and dismissal areas, outdoor spaces, and other school settings. The school building is multi-level, has an elevator, and is accessible.
This position requires frequent movement, active supervision, and direct engagement with elementary scholars throughout the school day. The Elementary Special Education Educational Assistant must be comfortable moving between classrooms, supporting scholars during transitions, monitoring common areas, assisting with learning activities, supporting recess and lunch routines, and responding appropriately to changing scholar and classroom needs.
The role requires patience, energy, emotional stamina, consistency, attentiveness, and a strong commitment to inclusion. Elementary scholars are developing foundational academic skills, independence, communication, relationships, self-regulation, and confidence as learners. The Elementary Special Education Educational Assistant plays an important role in helping scholars feel supported, capable, respected, included, and prepared to succeed. Some school events may occasionally require time outside of regular school hours.