2026-2027 Special Education Assistant

Robertson County Schools; Springfield (TN); On-site; USD 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Robertson County Schools in Springfield, Tennessee, seeks an Educational Assistant for Special Education. This role involves providing teaching assistance to students with disabilities, preparing instructional materials, and supporting classroom activities.

The ideal candidate will have a high school diploma or GED, experience in educational environments, and skills in tutoring and classroom management. The position includes both educational and clerical responsibilities, making it essential for maintaining an effective learning environment.

Qualifications

• Assist students with special needs and disabilities.
• Develop and implement Individual Education Programs.
• Provide tutoring in basic educational skills.

Responsibilities

• Support special education students in classroom settings.
• Tutoring or one-on-one assistance for students.
• Clerical tasks in support of teaching activities.

Skills

Educational assistance

Tutoring

Monitoring student activities

Clerical work

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Computers

Copy machine

Audio/visual equipment

Job description

ROBERTSON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, TENNESSEE

Classification Title

Educational Assistant, Special Education

Purpose of Classification

The purpose of this classification is to provide teaching assistance involving students with special needs or in special learning situations, which may include providing general physical assistance to students with various disabilities, assisting teachers with classroom projects and activities, providing classroom coverage for teachers, providing tutoring to students, monitoring student activities in cafeteria and common areas, performing clerical work, or providing other assistance. Individuals in this class may be assigned to work with special education students in a general population classroom, one‑on‑one or in small group settings, or with special, more narrowly defined programs.

Essential Functions

• Provides educational assistance to students with special needs, disabilities, special learning situations, or special classroom environments; assists in preparing, modifying, and utilizing instructional materials to meet individual needs of students; assists with development and implementation of Individual Education Program for each student; assists with the assessment of student’s physical, emotional, and educational levels of development; uses special educational strategies and techniques to improve development, perception, memory, language, cognition, and social/emotional development; identifies students appropriate to refer for vision/hearing screening; works with parents to accept and develop skills in dealing with student’s learning impairments.
• Provides general physical assistance to students with disabilities such as physical limitations, visual impairment, autism, or other disabilities; assists students with various classroom activities; provides visual assistance and general physical support with basic life activities and academic work; escorts students to/from classrooms, restrooms, or other areas as needed; assists with self‑help and hygiene issues, including transfers and lifting with toileting and moving to different types of equipment; assists with crisis prevention and/or recovery as appropriate; provides encouragement and positive reinforcement to students.
• Assists teachers in classroom or other educational setting; oversees, monitors, or conducts classes during the temporary absence of teachers; assists teachers in setting up and conducting various class activities and projects; works with and assists students during class activities and projects; prepares instructional materials for classroom use; copies materials for use by teachers; sets up audio/visual equipment for viewing of films or videos; assists in administering and grading tests; assists in evaluating student performance and skill levels; creates bulletin boards, displays, or wall decorations; and assists with cleanup activities.
• Provides tutoring or one‑on‑one assistance to students in basic educational skills; assists students with word study, spelling, sentence writing, reading, math, science, physical education, or other areas; utilizes computerized instruction programs and selects appropriate reading levels; instructs students in individual sports or exercising techniques as appropriate; assists with development of lesson plans.
• Monitors students in cafeteria, auditorium, halls, bus zones, or other common areas; organizes groups of students upon arrival or departure; seats students in appropriate areas; assists in cleaning tables or spills; chaperones students during field trips.
• Monitors behavior and activities of students; mediates disputes between students; handles situations involving excessive noise, disruptive behavior, or other problems; initiates disciplinary action per prescribed policies; monitors students in an isolated environment during detention.
• Performs clerical tasks in support of teaching activities, office operations, or other school functions; answers telephone calls, provides information, or records messages; enters and retrieves various data into student records manually or via computer system; transfers student records to/from other schools; generates various reports; copies, laminates, assembles, and mails documentation; organizes/distributes materials for school pictures, school sales, or other projects; sends or receives faxes; sorts and distributes mail; orders supplies for office or school bookstore; assists with routine tasks in the library or other school functions.
• Performs miscellaneous tasks as needed; checks students for possible illness; administers basic first aid to sick or injured students; contacts parents regarding sick children, student detentions or suspensions, needed supplies or other issues; makes announcements over public announcement system; assists parents with dismissal of children from school.
• Prepares and receives various documents pertaining to student instruction and school operations, including forms, reports, correspondence, logs, lesson plans, progress reports, charts, instructional materials, policies and procedures manuals, reference material, enrollment records, attendance records, or other documents; reviews, completes, processes, forwards or retains as appropriate.
• Operates a computer to enter, retrieve, review or modify data; verifies accuracy of entered data and makes corrections; utilizes word processing, database, academic instruction, or other programs; performs basic maintenance of computer system and office equipment, such as backing up data or replacing paper, ink, or toner; coordinates service or repair activities as needed.
• Operates various equipment and tools associated with projects and work activities, which may include a printer, fax machine, copy machine, laminator, paper cutter, die‑cut machine, television, VCR, filmstrip projector, tape recorders, public announcement system, intercom, telephone, calculator, fans, heaters, sports paraphernalia, or art supplies.
• Communicates with supervisor, employees, other departments, school officials, teachers, students, parents, vendors, the public, and other individuals as needed to coordinate work activities, review status of work, exchange information, or resolve problems.
• Attends staff meetings, parent meetings, IEP team meetings, or other meetings as needed.

Additional Functions

• Provides assistance to other employees or departments and conducts various errands as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

High school diploma or GED; in addition, any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.

Performance Aptitudes

• Data Utilization: Requires the ability to calculate and/or tabulate data.
• Human Interaction: Requires the ability to apply principles of persuasion and/or influence over others in a supervisory capacity.
• Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to start, stop, operate, and monitor the functioning of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.
• Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference and descriptive data and information.
• Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of rational systems; to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule form; and to exercise independent judgment to adopt or modify methods and standards to meet variations in assigned objectives.
• Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving evaluation of information against measurable or verifiable criteria.

ADA Compliance

• Physical Ability: Tasks require the ability to exert very moderate physical effort in light work, typically involving some combination of stooping, kneeling, crouching and crawling, and which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of moderate weight (12‑75 pounds).
• Sensory Requirements: Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate sounds and visual cues or signals. Some tasks require the ability to communicate orally.
• Environmental Factors: Performance of essential functions may require exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as dirt, odors, violence, disease, or pathogenic substances.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Robertson County Board of Education, Tennessee, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Board of Education will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

Reports To Principal