Educational Assistant: High School

Southbridge Public Schools; Southbridge (MA); On-site; USD 38,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Southbridge Public Schools in Massachusetts is seeking an educational assistant to support teachers in classrooms and across school operations, helping provide a safe, supportive learning environment for students.

The role emphasizes assisting with instruction, behavior management, data collection, and development of learning materials, with preferred qualifications including an Associate or Bachelor’s degree, Spanish language skills, and experience with 9–12 grade students.

Qualifications

• Associates or Bachelors Degree Preferred
• Spanish Language Skills Strongly Preferred
• Experience with 9-12 grade students Strongly Preferred

Responsibilities

• Assists teachers in the supervision of classroom and school-wide learning activities, providing assistance and learning support to students.
• Provides instruction to students as prescribed by the supervising teacher and reinforces skills to help students master concepts and skills introduced by teacher.
• Assists teachers in checking and objectively evaluating students’ work; teaches students individually and in small groups reinforcing skills based upon instructional guidelines.
• Uses professionally developed positive behavior strategies in managing student behavior and maintaining classroom and school-wide order.
• Attends meetings and in-services as required.

Skills

Classroom support

Student supervision

Spanish language

Education

Associates degree

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Southbridge Public Schools serve approximately 2,200 students across six schools—and we’re in the midst of an exciting and measurable transformation. In particular, our secondary schools are on a trajectory of rapid improvement. This brief video, Southbridge Middle School Celebrates Recent Improvement, highlights the results of a process of improving culture, climate, and instruction that empowered Southbridge Middle School to take dramatic steps forward even in the challenging aftermath of the COVID pandemic. Over the past couple of school years, SMS has continued to thrive and has been recognized for outstanding student achievement gains in Math, and by the University of Connecticut as a PBIS success story. We are now also seeing the same kind of transformative change at Southbridge High School, with culture & climate among both staff and students improving dramatically in the current 2024-25 school year, and we are confident that significant academic gains will soon follow.

This success is no accident—it’s the result of passionate educators, high-quality curriculum, targeted professional development, and a deep commitment to providing a better education to children in a community that has long been under-served. We are a district with many high-needs students, but they prove to us on a daily basis that when we provide them with high expectations and consistent support, they can excel. Most of all, our students thrive when the adults in our schools unite as a team to provide a safe and positive climate, when we uphold high expectations for both behavior and academics, and when we show our kids that we believe in them, we care about them, and we will never give up on them.

If you’re an educator who wants your work to matter—who wants to be part of a team that believes deeply in growing people and improving student outcomes—Southbridge is a place where you can see the impact of your efforts every day.

Job Duties

• Assists teachers in the supervision of classroom and school-wide learning activities, providing assistance and learning support to students.
• Provides instruction to students as prescribed by the supervising teacher and reinforces skills to help students master concepts and skills introduced by teacher.
• Assists teachers in checking and objectively evaluating students’ work; teaches students individually and in small groups reinforcing skills based upon instructional guidelines.
• Uses professionally developed positive behavior strategies in managing student behavior and maintaining classroom and school-wide order.
• Assists in the development of communication skills, progressive learning skills; making the teacher aware of students learning deficiencies; documents records of learning activities.
• Assists students with developmentally appropriate self-care skills.
• Assists professionals with the development/preparation of learning materials/instructional resources and the environment.
• Prepares instructional reports and completes required forms, schedules, records, and other data as required.
• Responsible for keeping up to date on current technology and practices, as job appropriate, being used by SPS.
• Attends meetings and in-services as required.
• Reinforces rules of the school.
• Responds to emergency situations.
• Attends training and maintains certification in district offered physical management and verbal de-escalation.
• Performs monitoring duties as assigned.
• Use of universal health precautions for preventing illness and infections and proper body mechanics for interacting with students and moving heavy objects.
• Maintains confidentiality of student records.
• Establishes and maintains cooperative, congenial and supportive working relationships with others.
• Carries out TEAM decisions and provides services required by IEPs as assigned by the teacher/provider, related service provider or Tier 4 educational assistant.
• Adapts classroom activities, assignments and/or materials under the direction of the supervising teacher, (e.g. reinforcement of IEP goals and objectives, etc.) for the purpose of supporting and reinforcing classroom objectives as well as providing an opportunity for all special education students to participate in classroom activities.
• Prepares and uses adaptive equipment and assistive technology prescribed by professionals.
• Assists PTs, OTs, SLPs and nurses to maintain adaptive equipment.
• Assists students in transferring to and from supportive/functional positions.
• Supports and assists students with activities designed by specialty service providers.
• Assists and supports students with fine motor activities as appropriate to individual development.
• Assists and supports students with gross motor activities as appropriate to individual development.
• Assists and supports students with Activities of Daily Living (toileting, dressing, feeding, care of service animals, etc.) as appropriate to individual development.
• Assists nurses with procedures required for learners who have special health care needs.
• Provides, under the supervision of assigned teacher, support and skill-building to students in a variety of individual and group activities for the purpose of reinforcing instructional objectives; implementing IEP plans; and ensuring students success in school.
• Provides instructional, vocational, and developmental assistance to mentally, physically, emotionally disabled, and other special needs students, as prescribed by the supervising teacher.
• Transfers dependent students into and out of wheelchairs to other supportive surfaces for learning and personal care.
• Provides dependent assistance to students with gross motor activities as appropriate to individual development.
• Provides dependent assistance to students with Activities of Daily Living (diapering, feeding, dressing, etc. ) skills as appropriate to individual development.
• Assists professionals in conducting functional behavior analysis.
• Assists professionals in implementing advanced behavioral strategies.
• Carries out professional plans in community-based vocational and transitional programs.
• Adapts instructional materials to the needs of the learner, under the direction of a certified professional.
• Monitors, observes, and charts behavior of students in their exploratory classes and documents behavioral changes, outbursts, and other actions specific to the student.
• Independently supervises students in the absence of certified professional staff or Tier 4 educational assistant.
• Performs other related duties as assigned by the building Principal for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of the work environment.

Preferred Qualifications

Associates or Bachelors Degree Preferred

Spanish Language Skills Strongly Preferred

Experience with 9-12 grade students Strongly Preferred

Note:

The Receiver may review and adjust the salary of an individual employee in order to attract or retain a highly qualified employee or when he otherwise determines such an adjustment is in the best interest of the district.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Southbridge Public Schools is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, gender identity, disability, religion, age, or sexual orientation.