Special Education Support Professional 1:1 ACCESS - Mount Tahoma High School

Tacoma Public Schools•Mount Tahoma High 4634 S. 74th St., WA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Tacoma Public Schools is hiring a Special Education Support Professional to provide one-on-one support to an assigned ninth-grade student with a disability at Mount Tahoma High School. The position assists the student with school activities and day-to-day needs during the school day and supports a certificated teacher with instructional and non-instructional activities for the student and, as time permits, other classroom students. The role serves students with a broad range of disabilities and may involve academic interventions, personal care, activities of daily living, and support for medical, behavioral, sensory, or physical needs. The position is 0.8125 FTE, with an expected start date as soon as possible. It is a 10-month Education Support Professional position with 183 workdays. The stated salary levels are $29.50 for no degree, $30.25 with an associate degree, and $30.50 with a bachelor’s degree or higher. The position requires completion of the state-mandated General Paraeducator Certificate. District-provided Fundamental Course of Study training totals 28 hours: the first two days must be completed within four months of hire and the second two days within six months of hire or by September 1 of the next school year. The general certificate is earned after completing ten days (70 clock hours) of professional development training. The employee may provide individual or small-group instruction under teacher direction; support personal care, safety, mobility, and behavior; record student progress and information related to IEP goals and plans; assist with adapted materials, equipment, and classroom activities; and communicate with teachers, school staff, and families as assigned. Duties may include feeding, toileting, medication assistance after appropriate training, physical support, supervision during school activities, and accompanying students on field trips or to off-site work. The work may involve prolonged periods in a work area; lifting or moving students or materials; exposure to bodily fluids, infectious disease, high noise, inclement weather, and potentially distraught or violent situations; and travel to other District sites. The position may require lifting and carrying up to 25 pounds and performing physical activities such as bending, squatting, stooping, kneeling, crouching, walking, twisting, climbing, and remaining mobile.

Requirements

Associate degree, 72 post-secondary credit hours, or a passing state test demonstrating knowledge; demonstrated ability to assist in instructing students; and one year of experience working with individuals with special needs who may have severe disabilities; or an equivalent combination of experience and training meeting federal and state requirements.
Complete the state-mandated General Paraeducator Certificate and required District Fundamental Course of Study training.
CPR/First Aid certification, or willingness to obtain training within the first 90 days of employment.
Attend District restraint training and maintain certification.
Fingerprints and successful Washington State Patrol and FBI background clearance, including sexual misconduct clearance.
Knowledge of assigned developmental, behavioral, or physical disabilities; assigned subject areas; basic learning styles; effective instructional methods for students with disabilities; and safe lifting and positioning methods.
Ability to maintain confidentiality, obtain and exchange information, and communicate and work collegially with staff, students, and community members.
Ability to defuse conflicts and de-escalate situations and to appropriately restrain students when necessary.
Ability to provide feeding, diapering, toileting, and other personal assistance and to respond sensitively to students who cannot communicate their needs.
Ability to walk, sit, squat, crawl, kneel, bend, stoop, reach, and lift to attend to students’ physical needs; work in inclement weather; lift up to 25 pounds individually and team-lift up to 50 pounds.
Ability to organize and coordinate activities and establish effective working relationships in a multicultural, diverse socioeconomic setting.
Ability to demonstrate reasonable, reliable, and regular attendance.

Responsibilities

Provide one-on-one assistance to an assigned student with a disability during school activities and daily needs.
Assist a certificated teacher with instructional and non-instructional activities for the assigned student and other classroom students as time permits.
Provide individual or small-group instruction and implement teacher- or specialist-assigned lessons and activities.
Support students with disabilities, including by providing academic interventions, vocational instruction, sensory support, and assistance with adaptive physical education as assigned.
Assist with personal care and activities of daily living, which may include feeding, dressing, toileting, diapering, grooming, and other hygiene needs.
Monitor student safety and respond to seizures, physical emergencies, self-abusive behavior, or behavior that could harm others; use restraint when trained and required.
Supervise students during recess, lunch, in restrooms or locker rooms, and during bus loading and unloading; transport students around school premises as needed.
Record student progress and data related to academic progress, IEP goals, behavioral plans, and grooming plans; maintain records and prepare reports for teachers.
Communicate with classroom teachers, program administrators, school staff, and parents or guardians as assigned.
Adjust student positioning and implement occupational or physical therapy activities as instructed by specialists; use adaptive equipment and basic sign language as needed.
Prepare and serve student lunches or snacks and clean dishes, utensils, and eating areas as needed.
Model and teach appropriate behavior, support conflict resolution, and assist with classroom management and discipline under District guidelines.
Adapt materials and activities, assist with standardized testing, arrange classroom materials, and use specialized teaching techniques, software, and adaptive equipment as assigned.
Accompany students on field trips, camp activities, off-site jobs, or general education classes as assigned, providing supervision and instruction.
Participate in department staff meetings and provide information regarding students.
Use, adapt, maintain, and troubleshoot specialized adaptive equipment and computer equipment or software as assigned.
Maintain regular, reliable attendance and address concerns with appropriate teaching, therapy, or administrative staff.
Perform other assigned duties, which may include classroom clerical work, supervising students during brief teacher breaks, or working in another classroom.
After required training, perform cleansing intermittent catheterizations or physical restraint when required.