Special Education Paraprofessional

Duluth Edison Charter School is hiring Paraprofessionals.  We are dedicated to the achievement of academic and personal excellence for every student.  Join our team today!

Summary

A Special Education Paraprofessional at Duluth Edison Charter School (DECS) is committed to academic and personal excellence for every student.  They will understand what it means to be a lifelong learner and participate in ongoing professional development goal setting, learning and reflection in each school year.  The Special Education Paraprofessional will be assigned to work directly with and under the guidance of a licensed Teacher.
 

Key Position Specific Roles & Responsibilities:

Participation in Supervisory Relationship

• Attend and participate in meetings regularly scheduled by supervising teacher; complete morning and/or afternoon check-in with supervising teacher

• Follow direction from general education teacher(s) with guidance from supervising special education supervisor; consult with supervising teacher if direction from special education supervisor and general education teacher conflicts

Delivery of Instruction/Academic Support

• Be familiar with students IEP goals/objectives and accommodations

• Assist students in accessing and utilizing accommodations

• Observe and record student progress in academic areas related to IEP goals/objectives

• Help student in drill and practice lessons (vocabulary, math facts etc.); pre-teach assignments/lessons; read/repeat/paraphrase directions to students

• Modify instructional materials; support students in reading/writing process in all curricular areas; assist students with individual projects

• Facilitate student’s active participation in cooperative groups

• Provide instruction during pull-asides and/or pull-out groups

• Help students develop organizational skills

• Assist students in accessing resource rooms

Supervision of Students

• Supervise individual students or groups of students on arrival and/or departure and during lunch and recess times

• Monitor students during passing periods

• Supervise students during field trips and on bus, as applicable

Behavior Management

• Implement behavior intervention plans under the direction of supervising teacher, Autism TOSA and/or social worker

• Engage in de-escalation intervention techniques during crisis situation, ensuring the safety of the student and others

• Observe and document individual student behavior according to specific goals/objectives

• Circulate in the classroom to provide behavioral support per accommodations

• Enforce class and school rules across school settings when necessary

• Assist students who are self-managing their behavior (with cues, prompts) as needed

• Facilitate appropriate social interactions among students (model, pre-teach)

Team Participation

• Participate in meetings as scheduled/directed, including in student-specific planning and problem-solving meetings

• Engage in appropriate conflict management and problem-solving steps to resolve problems

• Participate in performance evaluation process

• Actively participate in training, including in non-violent crisis intervention training

Other

• Maintains confidentiality of sensitive information, adheres to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations, (and HIPAA if this position requires).

• Demonstrates familiarity with policies of the Duluth Public Schools District and state and federal regulations pertaining to education.

• Participates on committees and special projects and other related duties as assigned.

• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Language / Communication Skills

  • Ability to read, write, speak, listen and understand the English language.
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Ability to effectively present and communicate information and respond to questions.
  • Gets along well with others and effectively works with teams.

• Reasoning Ability

  • Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. 
  • Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
  • Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common journals, reports, and education related documents. 

• Availability & Attendance

  • Work schedule may include hours up to eight hours in a day, or 40 hours in a week.
  • Follows all attendance policies and procedures, including punctuality and proper timeclock or timesheet reporting.

• Computer Skills

  • Computer proficiency with software programs and the ability to learn new computer technology and programs. 
  • Strong knowledge of instructional technology platforms and Google Workspace.

• Mathematical Skills

  • Ability to apply concepts of basic math.
  • The ability to analyze and understand data represented multiple ways (charts, graphs, etc.); identify trends or ‘root causes’ in data; and calculate with percentages.

• Psychology 

  • Basic knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation.
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.

Desired Qualifications:

• Education 

  • High School Diploma or equivalent required.

  • A two-year degree or an equivalent of 60 semester credits earned from an accredited college or university or achieve a passing score on the ParaPro examination preferred.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and is regularly required to talk and hear.  The employee is frequently required to stand and walk.  The employee is occasionally required to sit; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.