Ed Para,Ex Ed,Nc,Non-Title I

Orange County Public Schools • Apopka, FL

7d • Onsite

About The Position

Under direct supervision, the position provides staff support in an educational or child care environment by assisting teachers and students. The paraprofessional works with certified teachers, occupational therapists, and other certified specialists in the education, care, and development of students with mental, physical, emotional, and other special needs. The role provides instructional, vocational, and developmental assistance to trainable and educable exceptional students under the direction of a certified teacher or other school official. Essential functions are performed according to the needs of assigned students, and related work is performed as directed.

Candidates who have passed the Para Assessment, or have an associate’s degree or 60 completed semester credits, may be eligible for a higher hourly rate in a certified position. Evidence must be provided by uploading official transcripts or a certificate showing a passing assessment score.

New hires must successfully complete ESE Training within 45 days of hire. The work involves very heavy physical effort, including lifting and moving items up to 100 pounds and occasionally heavier, and regular exposure to adverse conditions such as violence when working with developmentally disabled or emotionally disturbed children. The district will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED.
• At least two years of experience working with school-age children in an educational environment, providing broad familiarity with the physical and emotional behaviors and challenges of children with exceptional needs, demonstrated stress-management skills, and the ability to meet the dexterity and physical requirements of the work and attend effectively to special needs; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Successfully complete ESE Training within 45 days of hire.
• Ability to exert very heavy physical effort, including lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling heavy objects and materials up to 100 pounds and occasionally heavier items.
• Ability to operate, maneuver, or control special-needs equipment and devices and standard office equipment.
• Ability to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions and perform routine work according to prescribed standard practices, with some independent judgment.
• Depending on the assigned classroom grade, ability to perform arithmetic operations and potentially calculate decimals and percentages, use fractions, or interpret graphs.

Nice To Haves

• Additional HRS training is preferred.
• Passing the Para Assessment, an associate’s degree, or 60 completed semester credits may qualify candidates for a higher hourly rate in a certified position, subject to providing evidence.

Responsibilities

• Provide instructional, vocational, and developmental assistance to students with special needs as prescribed by the supervising teacher.
• Assist students arriving by bus and escort them to and from learning areas, including transferring students from wheelchairs to desks or floor mats.
• Assist students with gross motor activities, including grasping, holding objects, posture, crawling, walking, and running, as appropriate to individual development.
• Assist students with fine motor activities, including playing with toys, cutting materials, and coloring, as appropriate to individual development.
• Assist students with daily living skills, including dressing, eating, lavatory needs, grooming, and personal hygiene.
• Monitor, observe, and chart student behavior, documenting behavioral changes, outbursts, and other student-specific actions.
• Apply crisis-intervention principles and procedures with students displaying aggressive behavior or other social difficulties, including providing physical restraint when necessary in violent circumstances.
• Reinforce school and learning-environment rules, encourage appropriate behavior, and help students distinguish inappropriate behavior.
• Assist with lesson plans, behavior-modification plans, teacher pre-planning, learning activities, and preparation of instructional and vocational materials.
• Maintain accurate and complete records of student activities and behavior; enter student information and data using a computer terminal as needed; and complete applicable forms, schedules, and instructional reports as directed.
• Assist teachers in supervising classroom learning activities and provide students with learning support.
• Perform assigned monitoring duties in areas such as hallways, lunchrooms, restrooms, and buses; ensure appropriate student conduct and escort students to designated activities.
• Provide assistance in assigned labs and instruction or information to students; translate lesson plans and other information when needed to support student understanding.
• Keep current with job-appropriate technology used by OCPS and attend district-supported training to maintain the technology skills required for the position.
• Provide timely and accurate information maintained as part of job responsibilities.
• Perform related duties as directed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED