Special Education Para Educator 3 - 2026-27 Tyee Middle School

Bellevue School District • Bellevue, WA

20h • Onsite

About The Position

The Para Educator III assists and supports students with identified individual learning needs to maximize student success. The role provides physical, health, safety, social, emotional, behavioral, and educational support, particularly for students with significant disabilities and emotional regulation challenges. It implements required components of students’ Individual Education Programs and provides direct academic, functional, vocational, and specifically designed instruction. The Para Educator advocates for and supports students with disabilities in their least restrictive environment, encourages independence, collects data as directed by the case manager or teacher, and responds to student medical needs within the position’s scope. The position reports to and is supervised by the building administrator and receives direction from assigned certificated staff. The location may change during the school year, and mandatory continuing professional education is required by state requirements.

This is a 34-hour-per-week position with a 192-day annual assignment. The listed schedule is Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The pay range is $29.51 to $31.41 per hour, with a starting rate of $29.51, based on the negotiated collective bargaining agreement. Eligibility for medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, and life insurance is based on working 630 hours within a school year. Retirement is provided through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems. Employment offers are contingent on identity and work authorization verification, background and reference checks, fingerprinting, review of sexual misconduct information from prior school district employers, and Bellevue School Board approval. The District does not currently provide visa sponsorship.

Requirements

• High school graduation or equivalent.
• In addition to high school graduation or equivalent, meet at least one of the following: pass the ETS Paraeducator Assessment; hold an Associate of Arts degree; have earned 72 quarter credits or 48 semester credits at an institution of higher education; or have completed a registered apprenticeship program. Original transcripts are required for degree or credit qualifications, and a certificate is required for apprenticeship completion.
• Foreign degrees must be evaluated by a NACES member company.
• First Aid/CPR certification is required.
• A Washington State Driver’s License Type II may be required for some assignments.
• Understand the basics of child development and children’s behavior, and have knowledge of reading, writing, and arithmetic.
• Understand safety procedures for students and staff, behavior modification programs including restraint techniques, non-violent crisis intervention and de-escalation strategies, basic therapy techniques and procedures, and functional life skills and activities of daily living.
• Utilize adaptive technology and equipment to meet student needs.
• Demonstrate effective oral and written communication, teamwork, and the ability to follow oral and written directions.
• Work with students in a warm and confident manner; model and monitor appropriate student behavior; and maintain confidentiality and respectful, positive relationships with students, parents, teachers, staff, and the public.
• Perform activities of daily living, including feeding and toileting by various means; provide appropriate care for students who experience seizures; and provide proper physical restraint when a student’s severe behavior poses danger to themselves or others.
• Demonstrate multicultural sensitivity and the ability to work effectively and collaboratively with diverse populations.
• Perform duties in accordance with applicable Board policies and district and legal requirements.
• Meet and maintain punctuality and attendance expectations.
• Meet the physical requirements of the position, including the stated lifting requirements; the employee may be tested to determine lifting ability.
• Complete identity and authorization-to-work verification and meet the stated background-check and employment-approval conditions.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with students in self-contained learning settings.
• Experience working individually with students with diverse aptitudes and levels of achievement.
• Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) training.
• Right Response Training.
• Experience working individually with students with diverse aptitudes and levels of achievement and/or with behaviorally disabled students.

Responsibilities

• Provide for students’ physical, health, and safety needs.
• Provide social, emotional, behavioral, and educational support for students with significant disabilities.
• Implement required components of Individual Education Programs (IEPs).
• Provide direct academic, functional, vocational, and specifically designed instruction.
• Advocate for and support students with disabilities in their least restrictive environment.
• Support students with significant emotional regulation challenges.
• Ensure the safety of students and staff during escalated behavior, based on students’ needs.
• Encourage and foster student independence in all settings.
• Collect data as directed by the case manager or teacher.
• Respond to student medical needs within the scope of the position.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, and life-insurance eligibility based on 630 hours worked within a school year.
• Retirement provided through Washington State Department of Retirement Systems.
• Mandatory continuing professional education per state requirements.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED