Instructional Aide (Horticulture)

Los Angeles Unified School District; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 32,000 - 42,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Insurance plans

CalPERS retirement

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

Job summary

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Mission Continuation High School seeks an Instructional Aide - Horticulture to support hands-on horticulture instruction. The 6-hour position equates to about 30 hours per week, aligned with CTE pathways and safety protocols for power tools and facilities.

The role involves assisting teachers, preparing demonstrations, tutoring students, and reinforcing core horticulture concepts.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent AND one of: 48 semester units or 72 quarter units, OR an associate degree, OR passing scores on district tests.
• Experience in horticulture or related field encouraged but not required.
• Ability to communicate in a language other than English may be required for some positions.

Responsibilities

• Assist a teacher by presenting horticulture topics and reinforcing lesson content.
• Prepare materials, exhibits, and equipment for demonstrations and activities.
• Tutor students individually or in groups and review student work to build skills.

Skills

Horticulture knowledge

Plant propagation

Gardening

Safety procedures

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Associate degree option

Job description

We are LAUSD. We are at the forefront of innovation in public education, focused on a clear and inspiring vision of the future for all of our students as they venture forward on their journey as lifelong learners. Here, you will have the opportunity to exercise your potential in a role supporting the business of education. Our work directly contributes toward the goal of ensuring that our students graduate ready for the world – ready to thrive in college, career and life. LAUSD is the second largest school district in the nation with an enrollment of nearly 575,000 students. We serve an area totaling 710 square miles, with over 1,190 schools and educational centers, and we employ over 74,000 individuals, making us one of the largest employers in our city.

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DEPARTMENT OR SCHOOL SITE

Mission Continuation High School serves a high-needs student population, including students experiencing homelessness, foster youth, probation-involved youth, teen parents, and students facing significant social-emotional and behavioral challenges. Operating on a 4x4 schedule (four 10-week terms annually), the school serves approximately 60 to 100 students across four daily instructional periods (averaging 15–25 students per class) within its Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways. Because the hands-on CTE pathways, specifically Agriculture Science and Building & Construction, frequently collaborate on community project-based learning involving power tools and specialized facilities, dedicated technical support is required to ensure safety, supervision, and operational success.

The Instructional Aide-Horticulture position currently offered at Mission Continuation High School will be a 6-hour position (30-hour work week).

BENEFITS

Insurance: Paid premiums for your choice of several medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans.

Retirement: Membership in the California Public Employee Retirement System (CalPERS).

Vacation: Full-time employees earn up to two weeks of paid vacation to start. Three weeks after five years of year-round paid service.

Paid Holidays: Up to 13 days.

NOTE: Positions in this job classification may be offered on a 9-month basis - salary and paid time off for 9-month positions will be adjusted accordingly.

JOB DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

An Instructional Aide- Horticulture assists a teacher in developing and presenting specialized educational materials and conducting instructional activities in the field of horticulture, and reinforces subject matter that has been introduced by a teacher.

Typical duties include:

• Assisting a teacher by performing the following duties to reinforce subject matter that has been introduced by a teacher:
  • Presenting topics, such as plant reproduction, botany, plant physiology, soils, and soil conservation, to students in horticulture classes.
  • Locating and compiling information and preparing exhibits, demonstrations, equipment, and other materials used in horticulture.
  • Demonstrating methods, procedures, techniques, and uses of materials, tools, and equipment required in horticulture.
  • Arranging and conducting educational visits related to instructional activities in horticulture.
  • Tutoring individual students or groups in subjects that require basic and advanced knowledge of horticulture.
  • Reviewing student work for correct procedures in order to develop skills and techniques related to plant propagation, control of pests and diseases, landscape design and construction, and nursery operations.
• Performing related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education: In compliance with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 and other related legislation, candidates for this classification must meet the following standards:

Paraprofessionals who provide instructional assistance are required to possess a high school diploma or equivalent AND one of the following:

Completion of 48 semester units or 72 quarter units from a recognized college or university,

OR

Possession of an associate or higher degree, from a recognized college or university

OR

Receipt of a passing score on the District Proficiency Test and the Instructional Assistance Test.

Experience: One year of paid experience in horticulture or any equivalent combination of horticulture or a related area of work experience and study.

Special: Ability to communicate in a language other than English may be required for some positions.

*PLEASE NOTE:

All entrance requirements must be met by the end of the filing period in order to move forward with the assessment process. To verify the education requirement, transcripts, diplomas, and/or certifications, it must be presented at the time applications are screened. As such, please be sure to upload it as an attachment to your candidate profile. Candidates who have completed college or university course work at an institution in a country other than the United States, must obtain a complete evaluation of foreign transcripts and degrees. Please be sure to request a DETAILED report. For a list of approved evaluation organizations visit: https://www.lausd.org/Page/7876

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate has hands-on knowledge of horticulture, including plant propagation and growth, gardening and nursery practices, plant diseases, plant structure, and soils. They are able to demonstrate horticultural methods, techniques, tools, equipment, and safety procedures and communicate this specialized information clearly to students with varying levels of comprehension.

A successful candidate can effectively support classroom instruction by preparing materials and demonstrations, tutoring individual students or groups, and reinforcing concepts introduced by the teacher. They understand how to identify the steps involved in sexual and asexual plant reproduction and apply their knowledge to areas such as pest and disease control, landscape practices, and nursery operations. Strong communication skills, sound judgment regarding student safety and behavior, and the ability to work collaboratively with a teacher are important to success in this role.

EMPLOYMENT SELECTION PROCESS

We anticipate receiving a number of well-qualified applicants for this position; therefore, there will be a competitive process. The hiring departments have requested that we proceed with the selection process in an expeditious and timely manner. To honor this request, we will be adhering to a preplanned employment assessment schedule.

The employment selection process for Instructional Aide- Horticulture TENTATIVELY consists of a training and education evaluation and other test parts as needed.

TESTING PROCESS

• All candidates must submit education documents to verify that they meet the education requirements.
• If we do not receive education documents by the provided deadline, your application will be automatically withdrawn from the selection process.
• Candidates who meet all entrance requirements will be invited to complete a training and education evaluation, which will be completed remotely, and a Candidate Confidentiality Agreement will be required prior to completing the training and education evaluation.
• If you are successful on all the assessments and meet the minimum education and experience requirement, you will be added to the eligibility list provided you submit official education documentation (e.g. official transcripts or diplomas) when requested during the recruitment process.

Please be sure to include correspondence from @lausd.net and @successfactors.com asapproved senders so that messages aren't accidentally placed into your spam/junk e-mail folder.

ADDITIONAL POSTING INFORMATION

Selection and promotion are based on a competitive employment assessment process. Candidates who pass all parts of the assessment process are placed on a hiring (eligibility) list based on their assessment score. Hiring departments may make job offers to candidates on the top three ranks of the hiring list. Eligibility typically lasts for 12 months. The hiring list resulting from this assessment process may be used to fill open positions in related job classifications.

The Los Angeles Unified School District is committed to providing a working and learning environment free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, abusive conduct, or bullying. The District prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, abusive conduct or bullying based on actual or perceived race or ethnicity, gender/sex (including gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding/lactation status and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, religion, color, national origin (including language use restrictions and possession of a driver’s license issued under Vehicle Code), ancestry, immigration status, physical or mental disability (including clinical depression and bipolar disorder, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, epilepsy, seizure disorder, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and heart disease), medical condition (cancer related and genetic characteristics), military and veteran status, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age (40 and above), genetic information, political belief or affiliation (unless union related), a person's association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law, ordinance, or regulation in any program or activity it conducts or to which it provides significant assistance. For inquiries or complaints contact our Equal Opportunity Section, [phone].

LAUSD Talent Acquisition and Selection Branch