2025-26 Substitute Paraeducator

North Thurston Public Schools • Lacey, WA

4h • Onsite

About The Position

The Paraeducator performs a variety of instructional and/or support duties to assist the school and teachers in instruction, supervision, and education of students within groups or one-on-one teacher to student situations. May work with students individually and small groups to complete assigned work. Keep students on task. The District represents a diverse community with a population of more than 50% of students with diverse backgrounds. We seek an individual who has successful experience in working with culturally diverse families and communities. The selected candidate must demonstrate a commitment to strengthening community engagement and communication with the District’s diverse populations.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Able to work in an environment with frequent interruptions and changing tasks and priorities.
• Able to assist, console, and manage students who may be emotional, distraught, or frustrated.
• Able to remain calm, focused and in control when working with students, parents, guardians, and community members who may be difficult and challenging to engage.
• Able to follow written and verbal direction and take the initiative to seek clarity and take action when needed.
• Able to report to work with regular and reliable attendance and punctuality.
• Be or become knowledgeable and supportive of classroom management and student discipline procedures.
• Constantly exhibit command and proper annunciation, spelling, syntax and use of the English language to assist and model proper language usage by students.
• Able to organize work and set priorities for accomplishing work in a timely and effective manner.
• Able to protect the confidentiality of student information consistent with FERPA requirements and good judgment.
• Able to work collaboratively and effectively with staff, students, parents, volunteers, and community members.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• pursuant to Public Law 92544 all new employees must complete a satisfactory fingerprint and sexual misconduct background check.
• Proof that the fingerprinting process has begun must be supplied to Human Resources prior to the first day of employment.

Nice To Haves

• Two years of experience that demonstrates the ability to work successfully with children in a learning environment.
• Education beyond the high school level may be substituted for experience on a year-for-year basis with thirty (30) semester hours, or portion thereof, considered one year, or portion thereof, of education and/or experience.
• Bilingual skills.
• Familiarity, or willingness and ability to be trained, in inclusive strategies utilized to meet the educational needs of students with disabilities.

Responsibilities

• Works collaboratively by assisting teachers in assessment, curriculum implementation, student interactions, enforcing safe behaviors, and enhancing social growth of students in the classroom.
• If working in special education classrooms, paraeducators may assist students with common daily tasks such as eating, dressing, toileting, including diapering.
• May provide colostomy care including emptying colostomy bags and cleaning of the skin.
• May provide health services and assistance to include changing dressings, assisting with oxygen, assisting with insulin, assisting with nebulizers or inhalers, and assisting with walkers, wheelchairs, canes, crutches.
• Takes action, or assists in taking action, to restrain students who are at risk of harming themselves or others by following school/district approved restraint procedures.
• May escort students in one-on-one or small groups to and from recess and playground, to and from bus locations.
• Communicates with students, parents, and community members with respect and confidentiality and consistent with the direction and guidance of staff, administrators, and school/district policies and procedures.
• May oversee student safety by such activities as recess and playground supervision, bus duty, crossing guard duty, hallway supervision, etc.
• Takes steps to intervene when students are not in control or may be in dangerous or unsafe situations.
• Provides instructional support and tutoring to students in large groups, small groups, and one-on-one situations.
• Proactively supports the implementation of necessary visual supports and modifications to the instructional environment to facilitate student engagement in all settings.
• Provides necessary social skills and organizational instruction unique to each student's needs under the direction of certificated personnel.
• Uses behavior management plans to assist staff with problem solving ideas to maintain an environment conducive to learning.
• Prioritizes daily tasks and ensures implementation of those tasks in an efficient manner.
• Actively and openly communicates with teachers and other certified staff to maintain effective and consistent behavioral plans.
• Listens to concerns, uses language appropriate for the student’s understanding, and observes body language before making active decisions.
• Uses interpersonal and communication skills to influence, persuade, motivate, and resolve conflicts or sensitive problems.
• Supervises limited discipline measures such as time-out, loss of recess, removal from classroom if being disruptive to the learning environment.
• Documents behavior of students to assist teachers in assessing progress with education plans.
• Maintains, or assists in maintaining, student weekly progress reports.
• Assists staff in limited clerical duties such as making copies, operating a fax machine, answering telephones, ordering supplies, and record keeping.
• When other duties do not interfere with 1:1 student-specific paraeducator responsibilities, teachers, with administrator approval, may assign this position to provide supervision, instructional support, and/or oversee student safety.
• Required to follow Board policies and stay abreast of updates and changes.
• Performs Other Duties as Assigned

Benefits

• Employees who are anticipated to work 630 hours during the school year (September 1 through August 31) are eligible for medical, dental, vision, long term disability and basic life insurance benefits.
• Eligible employees are required to be a member of the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems Plan.
• Employees also have the ability to participate in tax deferred 403(b) and 457 Deferred Compensation Plans (DCP).

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED