Nisswa Elementary Special Education Paraprofessional

Brainerd Public Schools; Nisswa (MN); On-site; USD 10,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Brainerd Public Schools seeks a dedicated Special Education Paraprofessional for Nisswa Elementary for the 2025-2026 school year. The successful candidate will work closely with special needs students, assist in their educational goals, and provide support across various settings. Full benefits are included, and applicants must meet qualifications such as an Associate's degree or equivalent credits.

Benefits

Full Benefits including paid sick leave

Professional Development opportunities

Qualifications

• Must meet highly-qualified requirements for paraprofessional.
• Experience with students with physical and cognitive needs is essential.

Responsibilities

• Assist students in individual and group settings.
• Carry out duties in students’ individual education plans (IEPs).
• Support classroom instruction under a teacher's supervision.

Skills

Communication

Flexibility

Data collection

Interpersonal Skills

Crisis Management

Education

Associate's Degree or 60 college credits

Para-Pro Certification

Job description

Nisswa Elementary Special Education Paraprofessional

Join to apply for the Nisswa Elementary Special Education Paraprofessional role at Brainerd Public Schools

Nisswa Elementary Special Education Paraprofessional

1 week ago Be among the first 25 applicants

Join to apply for the Nisswa Elementary Special Education Paraprofessional role at Brainerd Public Schools

Get AI-powered advice on this job and more exclusive features.

SIGNMENT DETAILS

Position Title: Educational Assistant

Location: Nisswa Elementary

Assignment: 2025-2026 School Year - Ongoing

Hours: 7 hours per day

Duty Days: 173 duty days per school year

Compensation: $16.50-$17.15 per hour (Based on education and experience; wages outlined in Education Assistant contract located on district website)

Non-Exempt

Full Benefits including paid sick and personal leave

Union: ED MN - Educational Assistant

SECTION II: JOB GOAL/SUMMARY

The Special Education Educational Assistant will assist and carry out the goals, objectives and adaptations in the individual education plan of special needs students in various settings; homerooms, art, music, resource rooms, physical education, lunchroom, playground, bus hallways, media center, bathrooms, etc.

SECTION III: QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

• Meet highly-qualified requirements for paraprofessional (two year associate's degree, 60 college credits, para-pro or para e-link certification).
• Experience working with students with physical, cognitive and/or mild behavioral needs.
• Willingness to become certified in Handle with Care Behavior Management System.
  
  

SECTION IV: SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

• Must possess strong communication and interpersonal skills and be able to be a member of a team.
• Ability to be flexible based on program and student needs.
• Ability to assist students in individual or group settings whether in the resource room or inclusive education setting.
• Ability to implement and follow through on specific therapies and programs for an individual as prescribed by the individual education plan. This could involve lifting, transferring, positioning, assisting with daily living activities such as toileting, feeding, and restrictive procedures when necessary.
• Ability to collect data on student progress as defined in the individual education plan.
• Ability to remain calm and patient in volatile situations and react and respond quickly in a variety of situations.
• Ability to work under the supervision of a site principal and/or special education teacher.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks at once while dealing with constant interruptions.
• Ability to work with students, families, professionals, and staff of various cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
• Ability to interact with and maintain cooperative relationships with all levels of staff and the public.
• Must possess the ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism.
• Maintain current certification in CPI / Handle with Care Training
  
  

SECTION V: DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential Functions

Essential functions may include, but are not limited to:

• Carrying out the duties and responsibilities outlined in a student’s individual education plan.
• Assist student(s) in individual and group settings whether in the resource room or inclusive educational setting.
• Provide specialized instruction/interventions/accommodations as outlined in the IFSP/IEP.
• Team with the classroom teacher and/or special education teacher to deliver classroom instruction.
• Demonstrate and model appropriate developmental and behavioral skills through play or interaction with the child.
• Assist the individual student in self-help and independent living skills – this can include the following 1. Dressing and undressing, 2. Toileting – which may include changing diapers, training pants, cleaning the child and implementing toilet training techniques, 3. Supervise and assist with eating skills, this could include but is not limited to adapted feeding utensils or feeding tubes, 4. Supervise and assist child with an assistive device, this could include but is not limited to, any prosthetic device, brace, wheelchair, communicative or assistive technology device.
• Supervise student(s) during lunch, time out situations, recess, field trips, and emergency situations or in temporary absence of the teacher due to emergency or restrictive procedure situations.
• Monitor classroom instruction for the purpose of ensuring student progress and a safe learning environment.
• Bus duty that could involve riding the bus and following through with prescribed bus programs, meeting the bus, and reporting about student’s bus behavior/needs to the case manager.
• Participate physically with the students in activities being taught.
• Collaborate with Special Education Teachers, Classroom teachers and related service providers to ensure student safety and success.
• Maintain confidentiality
• Develops effective working relationships with students.
• Support building and classroom discipline policy.
• Maintains good communication skills and a cooperative working environment with other school staff.
• Participates in assigned professional development.
• Maintains knowledge of building procedures manual and school district policies.
• The employee works cooperatively with the building administrator, accepting constructive feedback and direction.
• Disagreements with fellow employees are addressed constructively and respectfully.
• Monitors student progress on assigned tasks.
• Follows school district policy in reporting suspected abuse/neglect.
• Prompt and reliable attendance.
  
  

Other Responsibilities

• Participate in assigned professional development.
• Participate in employer mandated training and retraining programs.
• All other duties as identified by the team in the IEP process for individual situations.
  
  

SECTION VI: PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS

The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The employee is regularly required to hear and speak to exchange information in a proficient manner; and smell. While performing the duties of this class, employees are regularly required to use hands and fingers to feel, grasp, manipulate and operate objects, equipment and tools and to reach overhead, above the shoulders and horizontally. The employee must have sufficient strength to manipulate, lift, push, pull, and/or carry on a frequent basis, as much as 50 pounds on an occasional basis. Lift, carry, transfer, and push students in wheelchairs or students with orthopedic impairment. The employee is regularly required to stand or sit for extended periods of time, walk on even/and or uneven surfaces, stoop, kneel, bend, twist, crawl, crouch, make repetitive motions, climb up and down steps, stairs and ramps. Run quickly for brief spurts. The employee may be subject to physical and emotional outbursts by students, including such behaviors as kicking, spitting, scratching, biting and running. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus. The employee must have hand-eye coordination.

MENTAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to use written and oral communication skills; read and interpret data, information and documents; analyze and solve problems; observe and interpret situations; learn and apply new information or skills; use math and mathematical reasoning; perform highly detailed work; work on multiple and concurrent tasks; work with frequent interruptions; work under intensive deadlines; demonstrate judgment and professionalism when interacting with District and program personnel, school administrators, managers, staff, vendors, students, the public, and others encountered in the course of work; establish and maintain cooperative relationships throughout the work environment; learn quickly and follow verbal procedures and standards to accomplish assigned duties and to apply new skills. The employee must be able to work independently. The employee occasionally may deal with dissatisfied or quarrelsome individuals, including students, parents and District employees. Employees may be exposed to students who ask inappropriate personal questions; display socially unacceptable personal behaviors; use profanity and/or sexually explicit phrases; exhibit defiance, dishonesty, threats, accusations and/or theft, assaultive behaviors and/or self destructive behaviors. Some stress may be encountered while performing the duties of this position.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Employees regularly work in an indoor environment, a classroom environment, job site and an outdoor working environment, including exposure to seasonal heat and cold or adverse weather conditions. Employees are subject to exposure to minor contagious illnesses, blood and other bodily fluids and possible exposure to blood borne pathogens. The noise level is usually moderate, but occasionally loud. The employee occasionally drives to District sites, training facilities, community meetings and other locations as needed. The employee is subject to constant interruptions.

Employees of the Brainerd Public School District #181 are expected to support the goals, model and promote an environment that is respectful for all, and work collaboratively with other staff to focus on the needs of the learner. A quality, customer focus that conveys a welcome attitude, an adaptability to change, and a desire for continuous improvement is also expected of all employees. In addition, staff is to respect confidential matters, encourage a safe and secure environment throughout the schools, and be dependable and accountable employees.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Entry level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Education and Training

• Industries

  Education Administration Programs

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Brainerd Public Schools by 2x

Get notified about new Special Education Paraeducator jobs in Nisswa, MN.

Early Childhood Special Education Teacher (2 Full-Time Openings)

EBD Level III Special Education Teacher (K-5)

We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.