Educational Assistant - DCD/ASD
Location: Brainerd High School
Assignment: School Year - Ongoing
Hours: 7.5 hours per day
Duty Days: 173 duty days per school year
Compensation: $16.50-$17.15 per hour (Based on education and experience; wages outlined in Education Assistant contract located on district website)
FLSA: Non-Exempt
Full Benefits including paid sick/ESST and personal leave, health, dental, vision, PERA & 403b
Union: ED MN - Educational Assistant
Job Summary:
The Special Education Paraprofessional will assist and carry out the goals, objectives and adaptations in the individual education plan of special needs students in various settings; classrooms, physical education, lunchroom, bus loading area, cafeteria and common spaces.
Essential Functions:
- Carrying out the duties and responsibilities outlined in a student's individual education plan.
- Assist student(s) in individual and group settings whether in the resource room or inclusive educational setting.
- Provide specialized instruction/interventions/accommodations as outlined in the IEP.
- Team with the classroom teacher and/or special education teacher to deliver classroom instruction.
- Demonstrate and model appropriate developmental and behavioral skills through play or interaction with the child.
- Monitor classroom instruction for purpose of ensuring student progress and a safe learning environment.
- Bus duty that could involve riding the bus and following through with prescribed bus programs, meeting the bus, and reporting about student's bus behavior/needs to the case manager.
- Participate physically with the students in activities being taught.
- Collaborate with Special Education Teachers, Classroom teachers and related service providers to ensure student safety and success.
- Maintain confidentiality.
- Develop effective working relationships with students.
- Support building and classroom discipline policy.
- Maintain good communication skills and a cooperative working environment with other school staff.
- Participate in assigned professional development.
- Maintain knowledge of building procedures manual and school district policies.
- Work cooperatively with the building administrator, accepting constructive feedback and direction.
- Address disagreements with fellow employees constructively and respectfully.
- Monitor student progress on assigned tasks.
- Follow school district policy in reporting suspected abuse/neglect.
- All other duties as identified by the team in the IEP process for individual situations.
- Other special education related duties as assigned by the proper administrative authority.
Qualifications:
- Meet highly-qualified requirements for paraprofessional (two-year associate degree, 60 college credits, para-pro or 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 being hired and maintained during employment.
- Must possess strong communication and interpersonal skills and be able to be a member of a team.
- Ability to be flexible based on program and student needs.
- Ability to assist students in individual or group settings whether in the resource room or inclusive education setting as well as in the community as a job coach.
- Ability to implement and follow through on specific therapies and programs for an individual as prescribed by the individual education plan.
- This could involve lifting, transferring, positioning, assisting with daily living activities such as toileting, feeding, and restrictive procedures when necessary.
- Ability to collect data on student progress as defined in the Individual Education Plan.
- Ability to remain calm and patient in volatile situations and react and respond quickly in a variety of situations.
- Ability to work under the supervision of a site principal and/or special education teacher.
- Ability to handle multiple tasks at once while dealing with constant interruptions.
- Ability to work with students, families, professionals, and staff of various cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
- Ability to interact with and maintain cooperative relationship with all levels of staff and the public.
- Must possess the ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism.