SpEd Paraprofessional - Significant Support Needs (SSN)

Academy School District 20•Colorado Springs, CO

12d•$21 - $22•Onsite

About The Position

The SpEd Paraprofessional - Significant Support Needs (SSN) performs day-to-day activities supporting special education students under a teacher’s supervision. The role does not make diagnostic or long-term educational decisions. Assignments may take place in traditional or non-traditional learning environments, including off-campus work sites. The paraprofessional supports the principal and classroom teachers in implementing SSN programs and fostering a positive, safe learning environment, and assists licensed special education teachers, therapists, nurses, and other evaluative staff in carrying out goals for students with severe or profound disabilities. The position supports students’ instructional, personal-care, medical, behavioral, physical, and communication needs, and assists with classroom and community-based activities. It also includes recordkeeping, data collection, clerical and program-support duties, and ongoing training. Student needs may change; the employee may be required to move to another school during the school year if needs arise there. The position is based at Edith Wolford Elementary School. Work is generally performed in a classroom and may include visits to homes, schools, offices, or job sites. Scheduled school/work hours and days are required; extended hours or days may also be required as directed. The work environment may vary from quiet to loud and may involve fumes, conflict situations, or potential student emergencies. The role requires substantial physical activity, including assisting with students’ self-help needs, lifting and moving equipment or students, and physical restraint when necessary under applicable training guidelines. This is a full-time regular, non-exempt position scheduled for 37.5 hours per week, 7.5 hours per day, for 176 days, Monday through Friday. Compensation is $21.02–$22.07. The estimated start date is November 2, 2026. Applicants must submit an online Workday application with a current resume uploaded in PDF format.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Ability to adapt to changing technologies and learn new equipment and systems.
Effective verbal and written communication and ability to communicate with students and adults in varied settings.
Computer proficiency, including office productivity applications and the ability to create, access, input, retrieve, and manipulate information in software systems.
Ability to maintain accurate records, document-management systems, and filing systems.
Ability to establish effective working relationships with supervisors, administrators, coworkers, students, parents, and the public, including people from diverse backgrounds and professions.
Ability to follow oral and written instructions and interact with the public courteously and professionally.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and understand data privacy laws and their implications in education.
Ability to manage simultaneous demands, set priorities, work independently, and work effectively as part of a team.
Ability to work the days, hours, locations, and assignments directed by the supervisor within the position’s responsibilities.
Commitment to students’ education and a student-centered, relationship-focused approach.
Organizational, time-management, interpersonal, listening, problem-solving, and detail-oriented skills; flexibility, creativity, and collaboration.
Knowledge of office methods and procedures, district functions and policies, and special education and related legal requirements relevant to assigned students.
Willingness to attend CO-TOP opportunities and other professional learning, OT-PT training, and ongoing training; receive on-the-job training for specific student needs and training to carry out delegated nursing practices.
Ability to meet students’ physical and self-help needs, including toileting, feeding, dressing, transfers, and, when necessary, physical restraint or escort under Nonviolent Crisis Intervention guidelines.
Ability to sit, stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch or squat; climb stairs, ladders, or stools; reach, hold, grasp, turn objects, and use computer keyboards.
Ability to lift, push, pull, or carry up to 50 pounds; lift students when needed, including safely lifting 50 pounds per person in a two-person lift, with higher demands possible depending on assignment and student needs.
Oral, auditory, visual, and motor coordination capacity sufficient for interpersonal communication, monitoring students, using equipment, and writing.

Responsibilities

Report consistently for scheduled work and perform other duties as assigned.
Attain proficient or higher evaluations on established performance standards and obtain and maintain certifications necessary to support students with special needs.
Assist students with meal preparation, feeding, lunch cleanup, and related communication, oral-motor, sensory-integration, and physical IEP goals.
Carry out instructional programs and lessons in designated learning environments and, under teacher supervision, reinforce material with small groups of students.
Assist students with medical and personal-care tasks, including medication, tube feeding, catheterization, toileting, diapering, and suctioning; clean and disinfect bodily fluids and follow infectious-disease controls.
Work with confidential special education information and maintain student files and records.
Maneuver and secure wheelchairs; assist students with dressing, moving between rooms, lavatory use, and other physical tasks.
Provide initial first aid or emergency care and use physical therapy support equipment and sanitize equipment and materials.
Monitor student behavior contracts and reward systems; use Nonviolent Crisis Intervention techniques when appropriately trained.
Assist with non-standardized testing, develop and implement games and teaching aids, tutor students, and support curriculum tasks such as recitation and reading.
Assist students with preparing, producing, and maintaining materials and equipment; coordinate assignment and job-task completion with teachers or employers.
Work with students one-to-one and in groups, including in community-based settings; assist with library materials, story time, and classroom participation.
Monitor students during recess, hall duty, passing periods, bus loading, computer-program use, and activities in swimming pools, weight rooms, or therapy pools.
Attend required pre-job training, ongoing training, and meetings; serve as a resource to the student personnel evaluation team concerning assigned students as needed.
Work with teachers to integrate assistive technology into classrooms and collect data for assessment and monitoring.
Maintain, order, and organize program materials and equipment; complete daily paperwork and miscellaneous clerical duties; laminate materials and prepare bulletin boards.