Severe Needs Para Educator - Dakota Valley Elementary School

Cherry Creek Schools•CO, CO

14h

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 assists students with classroom activities and adapts curriculum to individual needs; implements accommodations, supports, modifications, procedures, and programming outlined in students’ Individual Education Plans; maintains progress and behavior records with licensed staff; and helps prepare materials, administer tests, and complete documentation. Depending on the assignment, the para educator may monitor and reinforce behavior, assist with de-escalation and non-violent crisis interventions, support social interaction and communication, and provide delegated physical care and medication assistance after required training. In online or remote settings, the position supports individuals and small groups during synchronous or asynchronous learning, prepares assignments, helps students complete coursework, maintains progress and behavior records, and troubleshoots technology. The role has no direct supervisory responsibilities. Work location may change to meet organizational needs.

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 the following: 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 knowledge and ability through a formal state or local academic assessment.
For staff working in an Autism, Behaviorally Disordered, or ILC assignment, 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, 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.
Ability to 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 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 while working in the home setting with families and other student healthcare providers.
For Homebound assignments, ability to communicate appropriately and maintain boundaries with families while working in their homes with students.
Ability to perform the stated physical demands, including medium work involving lifting or carrying up to 50 pounds, prolonged standing and walking, frequent bending, reaching, climbing, lifting, pulling or pushing, squatting, overhead work, and visual concentration and eye-hand coordination.

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 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 individuals and small groups with classroom activities, curriculum delivery, curriculum adaptations, and skill generalization.
Implement student accommodations, supports, modifications, procedures, and programming outlined in Individual Education Plans (IEPs).
Maintain student progress and behavior records with licensed staff; provide feedback and report 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 and harm to others.
Support social interactions and communication between students with special needs and general education peers.
Provide assigned technical physical care, which may include toileting, grooming, cleaning ventilation devices, feeding, gastrostomy tube care, positioning, and range-of-motion support.
Following training and delegation by a registered school nurse, accurately follow student medication delivery orders.
In online or remote settings, assist students with classroom activities, curriculum accommodations or modifications, and skill practice during synchronous or asynchronous learning.
Prepare assignments for students to complete at home and support them in completing assigned work.
Troubleshoot student technology issues in remote learning settings.
In the DHH Program, develop students’ language, vocabulary, reading, and writing using sign language when working as a signing para educator.
Perform other duties as assigned or requested.