Special Education Aide

Framingham Public Schools • Framingham, MA

18h • Onsite

About The Position

To assist students with disabilities, under the direction of a certified teacher, in a substantially separate program for students with Emotional Disabilities, as a 1:1 aide. The district’s therapeutic programs for students with emotional and behavioral disorders are for students who have an emotional disability and require a substantially separate setting with specialized staff, a low staff-to-student ratio, and implicit instruction on anger management, conflict resolution, relaxation techniques, social skills, peer mediation, peer pressure, resiliency, and self-advocacy. Additional expertise of a Behavior Specialist and a Social Worker adds to the wrap-around support that the program provides the students and families. Many students participate and excel in attending general education classrooms with support from program staff.

Requirements

• Associate (or higher) degree, or at least two years of post-secondary education that is equivalent to at least 48 credit hours from an accredited higher education institution ( otherwise must pass the Parapro Test ).
• Some experience working with children, especially students with disabilities in the areas of Autism, Developmental Delays, Multiple Disabilities, Learning Disabilities, and Emotional Disabilities.
• Ability to read and comprehend documents such as memos, safety rules, and procedure manuals; to express ideas clearly in written and oral communication; to work as a team member; to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, parents, staff and the community; to embrace a proactive and solution-focused approach to meeting student needs; to work with students of diverse backgrounds with diverse needs in an equitable and inclusive manner, and to perform duties with awareness of all district requirements and School Committee policies.

Nice To Haves

• Additional specialized training in child development, education, or a related field is desirable.
• Framingham Public Schools seeks candidates whose background, teaching, or service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and inclusion in all aspects of education.
• Also, we are interested in candidates who will bring to their professional practice the perspective that comes from a non-traditional educational background or an understanding of the experiences of those underrepresented in the educational field.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the instruction and supervision of students, supporting students academically, socially, and behaviorally in the inclusion, small group, individual, or sub separate setting with direction from the classroom teacher and/or special education teacher, service provider or administrator.
• Support students with special needs by following provisions specified in their Individual Education Program (IEP).
• Assist students with test taking in administering standardized and non-standardized tests/curriculum based measures and other assessments.
• Provide support that may include physical management such as crisis management or taking action or assisting educators, school crisis team and/or administrators in restraining students who are at risk of harming themselves or others by following school/district approved restraint procedures to ensure safety of students and others (training provided).
• Attend training and maintain certification in de-escalation and physical management techniques.
• Collect data for individual students and report concerns and/or progress information on students.
• Escort and supervise students to and from various school facilities and areas.
• Take initiative to work collaboratively with special education, general education,teachers and related service staff.
• Assist in establishing a positive learning environment and respond to the individual needs of students.
• Assist students with common daily tasks such as eating, mobility, communication, dressing and toileting, including diapering.
• Promote independence for students with disabilities.
• Safeguard confidential information to ensure compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
• Responsible for other general duties as indicated by the teacher, principal, supervisors/directors, directives of the Superintendent of Schools or his/her designee, and policies of the Framingham School Committee.

Benefits

• Framingham Public Schools provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree