2026-27 Paraeducator - HSLS - Evergreen Forest Elementary

North Thurston Public Schools • Olympia, WA

9h • Onsite

About The Position

The Paraeducator provides instructional and support assistance to teachers and school staff working with students with special needs. The role may support students in special education or general education classrooms, individually, or in small groups, helping with instruction, supervision, student safety, and social and educational development. The position is assigned to a school and works under the day-to-day direction of supported staff and the direct supervision of the Principal, Principal Designee, or District Designee. Teachers and educational staff provide specific direction and oversight.

This opening is for Evergreen Forest Elementary for the 2026–2027 school year. The schedule is 3.25 hours per day, five days per week, for 189 days per year. The position requires familiarity with applicable school and district policies and procedures, as well as knowledge of IDEA and Section 504 requirements. The District serves a culturally diverse community and seeks someone experienced in working with diverse families and communities, or otherwise committed to strengthening community engagement and communication.

Depending on assignment, duties may include personal care and health-related assistance, implementation of instructional and behavioral supports, student supervision and safety interventions, progress documentation, and limited clerical work. The position involves frequent interaction with students who may have emotional or behavioral needs, and may include exposure to bodily fluids, infectious disease, aggressive student behavior, and other challenging school environments. The role is non-exempt and part of the NTPA bargaining unit. Eligible employees may receive insurance benefits, and eligible employees are required to participate in the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems plan.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Either an associate’s degree, 72 quarter credits of college courses numbered 100 or above, or a passing ETS Para Pro test.
• Successful experience working with culturally diverse families and communities, or demonstrated commitment to strengthening engagement with a diverse community and skill communicating with diverse populations.
• Ability to work amid frequent interruptions and changing tasks and priorities.
• Ability to assist, console, and manage students who may be emotional, distraught, or frustrated, and to remain calm and focused when engaging with challenging students, parents, guardians, or community members.
• Ability to follow written and verbal directions, take initiative to seek clarity, and act when needed.
• Regular and reliable attendance and punctuality.
• Knowledge of and support for classroom management and student discipline procedures, or ability to develop that knowledge.
• Strong command and proper annunciation, spelling, syntax, and use of English to model appropriate language usage for students.
• Ability to organize work and set priorities to complete tasks in a timely and effective manner.
• Ability to protect confidential student information consistent with FERPA requirements and good judgment.
• Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with staff, students, parents, volunteers, and community members.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Skill using office and computer equipment, standard office software, and student information system software.
• May be required to obtain certification in first aid, CPR, and/or defibrillator operation.
• May be required to receive training in instructional methodologies, including reading, writing, and mathematics, and special education topics such as student restraint, safety, and medication.
• Ability to lift and/or move 25 to 50 pounds and, when required for student safety, assist, move, or restrain students weighing more.
• Ability to sit, lift, carry, move about, hear, and speak frequently; may need to perform extensive computer-terminal work or stand for more than two hours.
• Ability to meet the position’s visual requirements, including close and distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and adjustment of focus.
• Ability to work in the described environment, which may include outside weather, wet or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, blood or other potentially infectious materials, infectious disease, high noise levels, aggressive student behavior, and bodily fluids and waste.
• May be required to wear and use safety equipment and travel in school-owned or leased vehicles while supervising and assisting students.
• New employees must complete satisfactory fingerprint and sexual misconduct background checks; proof that fingerprinting has begun must be supplied to Human Resources before the first day of employment.

Nice To Haves

• Two years of experience demonstrating the ability to work successfully with children in a learning environment; education beyond high school may substitute for experience on a year-for-year basis, with 30 semester hours or a portion thereof considered a corresponding year or portion of a year.
• Bilingual skills.
• Familiarity with inclusive strategies for meeting the educational needs of students with disabilities, or willingness and ability to be trained in those strategies.

Responsibilities

• Assist teachers with assessment, curriculum implementation, student interactions, safe behaviors, and students’ social growth in special education or general education settings, individually or in groups.
• Help students complete assigned work and remain on task; provide instructional support and tutoring in large groups, small groups, and one-on-one settings.
• Assist students with daily living tasks, including eating, dressing, toileting, and diapering; may provide specified health-related care and assistance as authorized and directed.
• Teach independent living skills such as cooking, laundry, personal hygiene, and cleanliness.
• Follow approved procedures to restrain students when necessary to address risk of harm to themselves or others.
• Support physical and occupational therapy plans by assisting students with range of motion, mobility, and positioning.
• Escort or supervise students traveling to and from recess, playgrounds, buses, and other locations; may ride school buses with students.
• Supervise student safety in settings such as recess, playgrounds, buses, hallways, and crosswalks, and intervene in unsafe or uncontrolled situations.
• Implement visual supports, instructional-environment modifications, social-skills instruction, organizational instruction, and behavior management plans under the direction of certificated personnel.
• Communicate and coordinate with teachers and certified staff to maintain consistent behavioral plans; communicate respectfully and confidentially with students, parents, and community members in accordance with staff guidance and district policies.
• Use appropriate interpersonal and communication skills to listen to concerns, respond to students’ needs, and help resolve conflicts or sensitive problems.
• Supervise limited discipline measures, such as time-outs, loss of recess, or temporary removal from the classroom when appropriate.
• Document student behavior and assist with weekly progress reports to support assessment of progress on educational plans.
• Prioritize daily tasks and carry them out efficiently; follow written and verbal directions and seek clarification when needed.
• Assist with limited clerical tasks, including copying, operating a fax machine, answering telephones, ordering supplies, and record keeping.
• Follow Board policies and remain informed about policy updates and changes; perform other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Eligible employees anticipated to work 630 hours during the school year may receive medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, and basic life insurance benefits.
• Eligible employees are required to participate in the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems plan.
• Employees may participate in tax-deferred 403(b) and 457 Deferred Compensation Plans.

What This Job Offers

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