Special Education Paraprofessional (5) - DCS

Montgomery-Public-Schools; Decatur (AL); On-site; USD 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Decatur City Schools in Decatur, AL is seeking an instructional assistant to support teaching staff with individualized instruction. This role directs class activities under supervision and helps manage students during arrival, class, and departure.

The position involves assisting students with special attention, supervising during lunch and field trips, and setting up AV equipment. A minimum of two years of post-secondary credits or an associate degree is required, with opportunities for

Qualifications

• Requires at least two years of post-secondary education or an associate degree.
• Ability to read and follow simple instructions and memos.
• Experience supporting students in a classroom setting is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Directs class activities under supervision of a certified teacher.
• Works with small groups to reinforce material initially introduced by teacher.
• Assists teacher in managing students upon arrival to class, during class and departure from class.
• Assists students in need of special attention.
• Helps supervise students during lunch periods, assemblies and field trips.
• Sets up audio-visual equipment for classroom use.

Skills

Classroom support

Small group instruction

Assisting students in need

Ethical conduct

Education

Two years post-secondary education or associate degree

Job description

SUMMARY:

• Performs any combination of the following tasks in the classroom to assist teaching staff with the individualization of instruction.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Directs class activities under supervision of a certified teacher.
• Works with small groups to reinforce material initially introduced by teacher.
• Assists teacher in managing students upon arrival to class, during class and departure from class.
• Assists teacher in performance of routine responsibilities.
• Assists students in need of special attention.
• Assists students with non-instructional classroom activities, such as feeding, toileting, clothing routines, and personal hygiene needs.
• Helps supervise students during lunch periods, assemblies and field trips.
• Participates in planning and in-service activities as appropriate.
• Sets up audio-visual equipment for classroom use.
• Checks notebooks, corrects papers, and supervises testing and make-up work.
• Supervises small groups who leave the classroom to do library work.
• Assists in preparing class displays and bulletin boards.
• Maintains high level of ethical behavior and confidentiality of information about students.
• Participates in professional development activities.
• Maintains hygiene in the classroom and ensures instructional materials and equipment are maintained in accordance with accepted practice.
• Other duties may be assigned as related to specific areas of disability.

NON-ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Requirements may vary with exceptionalities.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum of two years post-secondary earned credit (48 hours) or associates degree or passing scores on WorkKeys Level 3 assessment.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

• Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos.

• Ability to write simple correspondence.

• Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:

• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using who numbers, common fractions, and decimals.

REASONING ABILITY:

• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions.

• Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and talk or hear.

• The employee frequently is required to reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

• The employee is occasionally required to sit.

• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• The noise level in the wok environment is usually moderate.

SALARY:

• Salary schedules are found on the main Decatur City Schools website, available here. (Please right-click and select Open in New Tab to view our salary schedules.)

• Listed below are items that may be necessary to complete your employment process in order to compute your annual salary. It is your responsibility to provide us with this requested information in order to receive your accurate salary.

• We need verification of previous public school teaching experience. Use the following information when requesting verification of experience from your past employment at other boards of education:

  • Within the state of Alabama, experience must be verified on Supplement EXP

  • Outside the state of Alabama, we must have a letter (on school district letterhead) or public school district form showing beginning and ending dates stating your years of service and position held while employed

  • Credit is awarded for public school experience only, private, parochial, or similar experience will not be accepted

  • Experience must be full time at least 50%-100% of the academic year

  • Administrative credit will be awarded only for experience in the same position, i.e., principal for principal position as stated in the salary schedule

  • Transfer Sick Leave: If you have sick leave from another state school system or from another state of Alabama agency, you must have a Sick Leave Transfer form sent from your previous employer to our Human Resources department

Equal Opportunity Employer:

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by an employee(s) within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of an employee(s) for this job.

The Decatur City School System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, disability, sex, religion, national origin, or age in its programs, activities, or employment and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The Title IX Coordinator for Decatur City Schools is responsible for handling inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies. The Title IX Coordinator can be reached by calling the Decatur City Board of Education at [phone].