Elementary Special Education ASD Self-Contained Classroom Paraprofessional

Kalamazoo Public Schools • Kalamazoo, MI

4d • Onsite

About The Position

This vacancy is for the 2026-2027 School Year for a Special Education ASD Self-Contained Classroom Paraprofessional at Washington Writers’ Academy KSP. The hourly rate is $24.37 for the 2025-2026 School Year. This is a 10-month, Full-Time position. The role involves assisting special education teachers with students in self-contained special education classrooms, supporting students with disabilities who require intensive, specialized programming.

Requirements

• Associate’s Degree or Undergraduate experience at a 4-year university.
• Must speak clearly and express ideas clearly.
• Must handle and restrain students if necessary.
• Good personal appearance and grooming.
• Must handle the physical requirements of the job.
• Willingness to work with various students in the building.
• Must demonstrate the ability to maintain the necessary energy and composure to work successfully with students.
• Ability to develop a rapport with students with special needs.
• Must be able to work seven (7) hours per day.
• Evidence of a desirable work record (i.e., low absenteeism, good attitude, good job performance, flexibility).

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Experience in a self-contained setting and successful work with students with intensive needs.
• Certification in de-escalation through Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (CPI), socio-emotional learning, and/or trauma-informed care.

Responsibilities

• Provide instructional, behavioral, personal care (including assistance with toileting skills and/or changing diapers/pull-ups when needed), and/or medical support as needed to eligible students with special needs throughout the school environment.
• Assist students individually and in groups with academic assignments.
• Perform routine classroom tasks, such as correcting and grading assignments, maintaining records, and ensuring a clean physical environment, as assigned by the classroom teacher.
• Assist in clerical activities involved in documenting the needs and achievements of students.
• Assist with the assessment of student progress in achieving goals and objectives.
• Assist the classroom teacher in creating and maintaining a positive classroom culture.
• Escort students in transition (e.g., entering and exiting the building, in hallways between classes, into and out of breakfast/lunch) as necessary.
• Assist in problem-solving with appropriate strategies, consequences, and incentives that support and reinforce student progress.
• Provide personal care to students, including assisting with lifting, feeding, toileting, and body positioning as needed.
• Apply effective principles and procedures of crisis intervention to students with aggressive behaviors and other social-emotional or behavioral difficulties.
• Ride the bus with students as needed.
• Administer medication with training as needed when offsite per the KSP contract.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree