Educational Aide (Special Education k-5)

About the position

At Southwest Licking Schools, we believe in the power of positive relationships, and we are committed to fostering a thriving environment for our staff, students, and the entire community. Our dedication to excellence is reflected in our unwavering focus on academics, athletics, and the arts. If you are a passionate educator who values positive relationships and believes in the importance of academics, athletics, and the arts, we encourage you to apply for this position to become a part of our Southwest Licking Schools family. The position is for an Educational Aide (Special Education) located in K-5 (TBD), reporting to an assigned administrator/supervisor. The salary is based on the negotiated agreement.

Responsibilities

• Arrives prepared to start working on time and follows established sign in/out procedures.
• Performs non-teaching support services as a collaborative member of the educational team.
• Prepares/distributes classroom materials and keeps program areas orderly.
• Assists with classroom records and verifies the accuracy of data as directed.
• Provides student assistance with daily living activities, behavior management, and instructional support.
• Reinforces instructional objectives introduced by the teacher.
• Supports an inclusive educational environment and helps students assimilate into the school environment.
• Works with program staff to identify effective student assistance strategies.
• Encourages student accountability, active participation, cooperation, and punctuality.
• Attends to student concerns discreetly when assistance is requested.
• Assists students with personal care as trained by a health care professional.
• Assists with non-classroom activities such as arrival/departure, lunch, recess, and field trips.
• Exemplifies professionalism and fosters goodwill to enhance the district's public image.
• Maintains open/effective communications and serves as a reliable information resource.
• Pursues opportunities to enhance personal performance and keeps current with professional standards.
• Takes precautions to protect student and staff safety and helps manage risks.
• Performs other specific job-related duties as directed.

Requirements

• Valid state department of education license/permit as determined at the time of appointment.
• Meets mandated state/federal criteria (i.e., approved degree, completion of requisite higher education credit hours/courses, or acceptable score on an authorized professional standards test).
• Displays flexibility, reliability, self-discipline, and a willingness to take on challenging tasks.
• Embodies high ethical standards/integrity and accepts responsibility for personal decisions/conduct.
• Maintains a record free of criminal violations that would prohibit public school employment.
• Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (CPI) or similar training may be required for some assignments.
• Physical demands may require providing physical assistance to students.

Nice-to-haves

• Blood-borne pathogen/communicable disease, child abuse/neglect, CPR and/or first aid/injury prevention training may be required as a condition of employment.
• Some positions require specialized skills using communication boards, sign language, finger spelling, etc.