Severe Needs Para Educator - Laredo Middle School

Cherry Creek•Aurora, CO

About The Position

Assist students with severe special education needs under the direction of licensed special education staff. Support individuals and small groups with curriculum, skill development, behavior strategies, and assignment completion. Prepare instructional materials, monitor student progress, and maintain achievement records. Provide technical physical care and help ensure a clean, safe, and hygienic environment. In remote learning settings, assist students with technology access, curriculum reinforcement, executive functioning strategies, skill generalization, and coursework completion. Assignments may include Autism, BD, Early Childhood Education, Homebound (FAPE), ILC, SED, and Transition Programming. The role has no direct supervisory responsibilities. Work location may change to meet organizational requirements. Work is performed both indoors and outdoors, typically in a moderate noise environment, and may involve contact with students and families in classroom, homebound, or online settings.

Requirements

High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma.
Criminal background check and fingerprinting are required.
No professional work experience is required.
For Title I assignments, meet one of these requirements: complete at least two years of study at an institution of higher education; hold an associate’s or higher degree; or meet a rigorous quality standard and demonstrate through a formal state or local academic assessment the knowledge and ability to assist with instruction in reading/language arts, writing, and mathematics, or readiness in those subjects.
Complete mandatory biennial Crisis Prevention Intervention training provided by the District when working in an Autism, Behaviorally Disordered, or ILC assignment.
Complete District-provided medication administration training as needed.
Basic knowledge of typical office equipment, including telephones, copiers, fax machines, and email.
Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office.
Intermediate verbal and written communication skills.
Intermediate interpersonal relations skills.
Intermediate organizational skills.
Ability to work alone and with others.
Ability to appropriately modify curriculum and implement behavior modification techniques.
Ability to diffuse and manage volatile and stressful situations.
Ability to maintain confidentiality in all aspects of the job.
Ability to work one-on-one and in small groups with students.
For DHH assignments, ability to understand the impacts of hearing loss on learning and social interaction.
For Homebound assignments, ability to set appropriate boundaries and build appropriate relationships with families and other student healthcare providers while working in the home, and to communicate appropriately with families.
Meet the position’s physical demands, including medium work strength involving lifting or carrying up to 50 pounds, prolonged standing and walking, frequent bending, reaching, climbing, lifting, pulling and/or pushing, squatting, overhead work, eye-hand coordination, and visual concentration.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in the public sector, particularly public education.
Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Racially conscious and culturally competent, with the skill, will, capacity, and knowledge to commit to a culture of continuous improvement.
Associate’s degree.
Experience working with children with special needs in a paid program or licensed special education teaching experience.
Experience working with students with autism, behavior challenges, medically fragile conditions, hearing or vision loss, or intellectual disabilities.
CPR and First Aid certification.

Responsibilities

Assist students with classroom activities and adapt curriculum to individual needs; deliver curriculum to individuals and small groups to support skill generalization.
Implement student accommodations, supports, modifications, procedures, and programming outlined in Individual Education Plans (IEPs).
Maintain student progress and behavior records in conjunction with licensed staff; provide reports, feedback, and observations to the IEP team.
Assist licensed special education staff with preparing materials, administering tests, attendance, paperwork, documentation, and classroom events such as fire drills.
Monitor students and reinforce appropriate behavior; assist with verbal de-escalation and non-violent crisis interventions to reduce risks of self-harm and harm to others.
Support social interaction and communication between students with special needs and general education peers.
Provide assigned physical care, which may include toileting, grooming, cleaning ventilation devices, feeding, G-tube care, positioning, and range-of-motion support.
After training and as delegated by a registered school nurse, follow student medication delivery orders accurately.
In online or remote learning, assist individuals and small groups with synchronous or asynchronous classroom activities, curriculum accommodations or modifications, and skill practice.
For DHH assignments, develop students’ language, vocabulary, reading, and writing using sign language when needed.
Prepare assignments for students to complete at home and support completion of assigned work.
Support students in troubleshooting technology issues.
Perform other duties as assigned or requested.