Severe Needs Para Educator - High Plains Elementary School

Cherry Creek•Englewood, 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 position works with licensed special education staff to adapt and deliver curriculum, implement students’ IEP supports and programming, and document progress and behavior. Depending on assignment, duties may include reinforcing behavior, assisting with de-escalation and non-violent crisis intervention, supporting social communication, providing personal and technical care, and helping with medication administration after required training and delegation by a registered school nurse. Remote assignments include supporting online learning, preparing and completing at-home assignments, maintaining progress records, and troubleshooting technology. The role has no direct supervisory responsibilities. Work location may change to meet organizational requirements. Work is performed indoors and outdoors, typically at a moderate noise level, and involves physical activity including standing, walking, bending, climbing, lifting, pushing, and pulling.

Requirements

High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma.
Criminal background check and fingerprinting required.
No professional work experience required.
For Title I assignments, meet at least one of these criteria: completed at least two years of study at an institution of higher education; obtained an associate’s or higher degree; or met a rigorous quality standard and demonstrated 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, including telephones, copiers, fax machines, and email.
Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office.
Intermediate verbal and written communication skills, interpersonal relations skills, and organizational skills.
Ability to work alone and with others, modify curriculum appropriately, implement behavior modification techniques, diffuse and manage volatile and stressful situations, maintain confidentiality, and 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 setting; ability to communicate appropriately and maintain boundaries with families.
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.

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 students with classroom activities and adapt curriculum to individual needs; deliver instruction and practice to individuals and small groups to support skill generalization.
Implement accommodations, supports, modifications, procedures, and programming in students’ IEPs.
Maintain student progress and behavior records with licensed staff, provide feedback, prepare special reports, and report observations to the IEP team.
Assist licensed special education staff with preparing materials, administering tests, taking 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 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, G-tube care, positioning, and range-of-motion support.
After training and delegation by a registered school nurse, follow student medication delivery orders accurately.
In remote settings, support online classroom activities, curriculum accommodations or modifications, skill practice, and student coursework completion.
Prepare assignments for students to complete at home and help them complete assigned work.
Troubleshoot technology issues for students.
In the DHH Program, develop students’ language, vocabulary, reading, and writing using sign language when needed.
Perform other duties as assigned or requested.