3rd Grade Instructional Teaching Assistant for the 2026-2027 School Year

Decatur Public School District; Decatur (IL); On-site; USD 21,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Decatur Public School District is seeking a 3rd Grade Instructional Teaching Assistant for the 2026-2027 school year at Ellsworth Dansby Jr. Magnet School. ASAP start, salary terms per negotiated agreement.

You will assist the teacher in maintaining a productive classroom and learning environment, supporting daily academics and student safety. Responsibilities include grading support, student record-keeping, and ensuring supervision during activities.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 60 semester hours of college credit.
• Hold or be eligible for teacher assistant certificate.

Responsibilities

• Assist all students in their assigned daily academics as instructed by teachers.
• Assist in grading work and assigning students individual academic work.
• Alerts the teacher to special needs of individual students.
• Provides escorts and assistance to students as necessary.
• Helps maintain individual records for each student.
• Distributes and collects workbooks, papers, and other materials for instruction.
• Changes will be implemented as needed to meet the individual needs of students.
• Is responsible for student safety education and accident prevention.
• Reports all unsafe conditions to the school principal promptly.
• Reports all accidents or injuries to the principal as soon as possible.
• Supervises and intervenes to regulate student behavior so as to alleviate the risk that inappropriate behaviors will place students or staff at risk of harm.

Skills

Classroom support

Student supervision

Safety awareness

Education

60 semester hours

Teacher assistant certificate eligibility

Job description

3rd Grade Instructional Teaching Assistant for the 2026-2027 School Year JobID: 10263

• Position Type:
  Teaching Assistant
• Date Posted:
  8/11/2026
• Location:
  Ellsworth Dansby Jr. Magnet School
• Date Available:
  ASAP

500.052A
TITLE: Teacher Assistant
QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of 60 semester hours of college credit.
• Hold or be eligible for teacher assistant certificate.

REPORTS TO: Building Administrator
JOB GOAL: To assist the teacher in maintaining appropriate classroom activities and environment in order that students may learn effectively.

• Assist all students in their assigned daily academics as instructed by teachers.
• Assist in grading work and assigning students individual academic work.
• Alerts the teacher to special needs of individual students.
• Provides escorts and assistance to students as necessary.
• Helps maintain individual records for each student.
• Distributes and collects workbooks, papers, and other materials for instruction.
• Changes will be implemented as needed to meet the individual needs of students.
• Is responsible for student safety education and accident prevention.
• Reports all unsafe conditions to the school principal promptly.
• Reports all accidents or injuries to the principal as soon as possible.
• Supervises and intervenes to regulate student behavior so as to alleviate the risk that inappropriate behaviors will place students or staff at risk of harm.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT:
Wages, hours, terms, and conditions of employment pursuant to negotiated agreement.

EVALUATION: Performance in the position will be evaluated once every two years in accordance with District's plan for evaluation.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Handle work which deals mostly with people, objects, equipment in a general setting; depth perception and field of vision are important. Employee regularly is required to bend, stoop, twist, turn, reach, lift (up to 50 pounds), carry, pull, push, climb, and kneel; walking and standing approximately 50-75% of each shift. Employee must recognize differences in sound, such as voices/noises that are loud and playful instead of angry and combative; ability to differentiate tones and volumes in conversation.

MENTAL DEMANDS:

The Teaching Assistant must ensure that children are supervised at all times, and that children are involved in safe and appropriate activities. There may be a number of situations happening at once, and the Teaching Assistant must be prepared to handle accidents and emergencies at any time.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The Teaching Assistant will be working in a busy and occasionally noisy environment. There may be a number of activities and situations happening at once, and the Teacher will have to supervise all students at all times.
This position falls under the Decatur Federation of Teaching Assistants - July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2025.
The Salary Schedule is attached above. Benefit information can be found HERE .