Early Childhood Severe Needs Para Educator - Eastridge Community Elementary 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 includes adapting and delivering curriculum, implementing student IEP accommodations and programming, maintaining progress and behavior records, assisting licensed staff with materials and administrative tasks, and supporting classroom activities. Depending on assignment, the position may also include behavior monitoring and de-escalation, non-violent crisis intervention, social interaction support, and physical care such as toileting, grooming, feeding, positioning, and delegated medication administration. In online or remote settings, the paraeducator supports student learning and coursework, maintains records, and helps troubleshoot technology.

Requirements

High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma.
No professional work experience required.
Criminal background check and fingerprinting required.
For Title I assignments, meet at least one of these requirements: complete at least two years of study at an institution of higher education; obtain an associate’s or higher degree; or meet a rigorous quality standard and demonstrate relevant instructional knowledge and ability through a formal state or local academic assessment.
For staff working in Autism, Behaviorally Disordered, or ILC assignments, complete mandatory biennial Crisis Prevention Intervention training provided by the District.
Complete District-provided medication administration training as needed.
Basic knowledge of typical office equipment, such as 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 Program work, ability to understand the impacts of hearing loss on learning and social interaction.
For Homebound program work, ability to set appropriate boundaries and build appropriate relationships with families and other student healthcare providers while working in the home.
For Homebound program work, ability to communicate appropriately and maintain boundaries with families while working in their homes with students.
Ability to meet the physical demands of medium work, including lifting or carrying up to 50 pounds, prolonged standing and walking, frequent bending, reaching, climbing, lifting, pulling or pushing, squatting, overhead work, eye-hand coordination, and visual concentration.
Ability to work indoors and outdoors and be exposed to outdoor weather conditions.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in the public sector, specifically 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 special-needs children 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 student needs.
Deliver curriculum to individuals and small groups to support skill generalization.
Implement student accommodations, supports, modifications, procedures, and programming outlined in the IEP.
Maintain student progress and behavior records 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 behavior appropriate to individual needs.
Assist with verbal de-escalation and non-violent crisis interventions to reduce risks of self-harm or 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.
Follow student medication delivery orders after training and when delegated by a registered school nurse.
In online or remote settings, assist individuals and small groups with synchronous or asynchronous classroom activities and curriculum accommodations or modifications.
Prepare assignments for students to complete at home and support completion of assigned work.
In the DHH Program, develop language, vocabulary, reading, and writing using sign language for students who need a signing paraeducator.
Support students in troubleshooting technology issues.
Perform other duties as assigned or requested.