Special Education Teaching Assistant - 1.0 FTE - SY 25/26

Wellesley Public Schools•Wellesley, MA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The role of the Special Education Teaching Assistant is to support the implementation of the Individual Education Program for students with disabilities throughout the school environment, including general education and special education settings. The Special Education Teaching Assistant will provide instructional, social-emotional and behavioral supports needed for student progress toward Individual Education Program goals under the direction of a certified teacher. This role involves assisting with specific student supports, either individually or in small groups, guided by teaching staff to implement IEP goals and benchmarks and related behavior plans. Support services are provided in all school environments under the guidance of special education liaison, related service providers, BCBA, Department Heads and/or Principal. The assistant will support the academic program, social-emotional needs, behavior programming, physical requirements, and ADLs of individually assigned students, including mastering adaptive equipment, assistive technology, and instructional materials. Positive relationship building and engaging instruction are key to supporting students' social and emotional needs. Data collection across settings and domains is also a responsibility, under the supervision of various educators, to inform progress and challenges. The assistant may provide coverage for special education staff and general education classroom teachers, participate in in-service trainings and meetings, and reinforce learning. Working in conjunction with the classroom teacher, the assistant supports learning experiences, focusing first on identified students with IEPs and then for the broader group of students, aiming for active engagement in the learning environment. Implementation of strategies, accommodations, and modifications to reinforce learning, social-emotional, and behavioral goals outlined in IEPs is crucial. The role also includes supporting social facilitation throughout all school-sponsored activities and assisting in implementing school-wide goals for maintaining a safe environment, promoting safety management during non-class times such as recess, lunch, emergency drills, and field trips. Essential functions include maintaining regular attendance, completing district-approved de-escalation and safety training, ensuring confidentiality regarding student information, maintaining professional boundaries, demonstrating flexibility, teamwork, responsiveness to changes, and the ability to adapt and acquire new skills to support student engagement.

Requirements

Demonstrate aptitude for work to be performed.
Successful completion of a Criminal Record Check (C.O.R.I.), Sexual Offender Record Check (S.O.R.I.) and fingerprints.
Passion for working with children/students.
Basic knowledge of child growth and development.
Knowledge of basic behavioral strategies.
Knowledge of basic learning strategies.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s Degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Assist with specific student supports, either as individual or small group, with guidance from teaching staff in the implementation of IEP goals and benchmarks and related behavior plans.
Provide student support services in all environments of the school setting under guidance of special education liaison, related service providers, BCBA, Department Heads and/or Principal.
Support the academic program, social-emotional needs, behavior programming, physical requirements and ADL’s of individually assigned students, as well as, mastering adaptive equipment, assistive technology, and instructional materials in accordance with individual student needs.
Support the social and emotional needs of students through positive relationship building, appropriate support and engaging instruction.
Collect data across settings and domains under the supervision of the special educator, related service providers, classroom teacher, and/or BCBA in order to inform them of the progress and challenges experienced by assigned students in addressing their IEP goals.
As appropriate, provide coverage for special education staff and general education classroom teachers.
Participate in in-service trainings and meetings, as well as training programs specific to students being served.
Reinforce learning of materials or skills introduced by classroom teachers or special education staff.
Work in conjunction with the classroom teacher to support the learning experiences in the classroom, focusing first on the identified students with IEPs and then for the broader group of students. The goal is to be actively engaged in the learning environment, providing support for all learners.
Implement strategies, accommodations and modifications to reinforce the learning, social-emotional, and behavioral goals of students as outlined in their IEP.
Support social facilitation throughout all school-sponsored activities.
Assist in implementing the school wide goals for maintaining a safe environment.
Promote safety management during non-class times of the school day including but not limited to: recess, lunch, emergency drills, school arrival and departures, hallways, field trips, bathrooms, assemblies, and other situations as deemed appropriate for the grade and level position.
Perform other job-related tasks and duties as assigned.
Maintain a record of regular attendance, arrive and depart at specified contractual times, and notify appropriate personnel when absent.
Ability to complete district approved de-escalation and safety training.
Ensure confidentiality regarding all personal information and educational records concerning students and their families.
Maintain professional boundaries with students and their families.
Have a flexible attitude, work well in teams, be responsive and able to adjust when changes in routines are made.
Adapt and acquire new skills and knowledge and use them consistently to support student engagement with learning activities, social interactions, and the school day.
Integrate into the classroom setting, working under the direction of the classroom teacher and/or special education department head to support student engagement.