Special Education Aide- Resource Programming

Grand Rapids Public Schools•Grand Rapids, MI

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Special Education Aide is responsible for working as a team member in providing a quality educational program for scholars with disabilities. This role involves participating in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of strategies for individual and group behavioral management, academic, or transitioning goals. The aide will actively participate in building activities, meetings, conferences, IEPs, and other assigned duties to support scholars' educational and personal development. This position requires assisting with instruction, preparing materials, and implementing reward systems as directed by the certified teacher. Additionally, the aide will assist with scholar transportation, including loading/unloading buses and transporting scholars to activities. Informing the certified teacher of scholar needs and concerns, following through with suggestions from related service providers, and assisting in implementing community-based functional instructional programs are key responsibilities. The role also includes assisting scholars with medical, adaptive daily living, and self-care needs, such as eating, hygiene, toileting, and diapering, as well as lifting and transferring scholars. Participation in pool activities under supervision and assisting with behavioral/academic/vocational interventions are also part of the role. Record-keeping tasks, such as attendance, behavior charting, and Medicaid billing, are required. The aide will interact professionally with colleagues, administration, scholars, parents, and the community, serving as a positive role model and assisting in arranging the physical setting for learning. Supervision during school day activities, including before/after-school programs, lunch, recess, and bus loading/unloading, is necessary to ensure scholar safety. Dependable attendance and punctuality are essential.

Requirements

Completed a minimum of 60 college credits earned: or Obtained an associate’s or higher degree; or Obtained a passing score on an MDE approved ETS Paraprofessional assessment.
Must be able to work in a variety of weather conditions.
Must be capable of safely and appropriately restraining scholars, when necessary, in accordance with approved protocols.
Must be able to enter and participate in swimming and/or pool activities with students.
Must be able to provide supervision during field trips, activities, and while transporting students.
Must be able to physically push wheelchairs and assist with lifting and transferring students.
Ability to supervise scholars (observe, listen, assess, react) as needed to ensure a safe environment.
Consistently demonstrate dependable attendance and punctuality.
Effective written and oral communication skills.
Ability to work well with others.
Ability to deal with parents, public, and staff members in a tactful and courteous manner.
Ability to work with confidential information.
Ability to work in a diverse environment.
Stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, talk, and hear (in a quiet or noisy environment).
Occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds.
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and ability to adjust/focus.
Compare, analyze, communicate both orally and in writing, copy, coordinate, instruct, compute, synthesize, evaluate, use interpersonal skills, compile, and negotiate.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree.

Responsibilities

Participate in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the effectiveness of strategies for individual and group behavioral management, academic or transitioning goals.
Actively participate in building activities, meetings, conferences, IEPs, swimming or pool activities, lunch, community-based instruction, or activities, etc. as determined by the building administration, or assigned certified teacher.
Present lessons, assist in instruction of information and concepts, selection and preparation of materials, establishment of reward systems, as determined by the certified teacher.
Assist with transportation-loading and unloading of buses, city transportation.
Transport small numbers of scholars to activities in school vehicles when necessary.
Inform the certified teacher of any specific needs or concerns regarding the scholars.
Follow through with suggestions by related service providers as directed by the teacher.
Assist in implementing a community based functional instructional program.
Assist in the medical, adaptive daily living, and self-care needs of scholars which could include assisting scholars with eating, hygiene, toileting, and diapering.
Lift and transfer scholars as needed.
Assist in preparing scholars for pool activities and assist in the pool with scholars under WSI supervision.
Assist in behavioral/academic/vocational interventions as needed.
Perform record keeping and organizational tasks as appropriate such as: attendance, food service records, behavior plan charting, cumulative files, Medicaid billing for personal care services, information sent home, community-based information, etc.
Interact with co-workers, administration, scholars, parents, and the community in professional, supportive, and cooperative ways.
Serve as a positive role model.
Assist in arranging and managing the physical setting so that it is conducive to learning.
Assist with the school day activities such as before and after-school supervision, lunch and recess and bus loading and unloading supervision, to ensure the safety of all scholars.
Consistently demonstrate dependable attendance and punctuality.
Perform other duties as assigned.