Teacher Assistant - Division Wide

Sylvania; Virginia (MN); On-site; USD 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

Rockbridge County Public School is seeking a paraprofessional to support students in the Special Education program. You will work under the classroom teacher to reinforce instruction, assist with activities of daily living, monitor behavior, and help maintain an inclusive learning environment.

You will collaborate with families and staff, uphold safety and confidentiality, and contribute to individualized learning plans to help every student participate and thrive.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED is required.
• CPR certification is required.
• VDOE required training courses must be completed.

Responsibilities

• Communicate effectively with parents/guardians, colleagues, and administrators to support student success.
• Provide individualized support to students and teachers, including assistive tasks and ADLs to promote independence.
• Maintain confidentiality and uphold ethical standards in all interactions.

Skills

Communication

Adaptability

Organization

Teamwork

Confidentiality

Safety

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Tools

Microsoft/Google Suite

Zoom/Teams

PowerSchool/Canvas/Infinite Campus

Job description

Equal Opportunity Statement

Rockbridge County Public School is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, age, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity and transgender status), national origin, veteran status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. Our workplace culture values and promotes diversity, inclusion, equal employment opportunities, and a work environment free of harassment and hostility. Rockbridge County Public School is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities.

Job Summary

• Job Title: Paraprofessional – 10-month contract
• Department: Special Education
• Location: RCPS Schools On-Site
• Supervisor: Director of Special Education and Classroom Teacher
• Job Type: Full-Time
• Employment Classification: Exempt
• Supervisory Role: No

Job Overview

The Paraprofessional plays a vital role in supporting classroom instruction and maintaining a positive learning environment. Working under the direction of the classroom teacher, the Paraprofessional provides direct assistance to students, particularly those with special needs. Paraprofessional reinforces instruction, monitors behavior, and offers emotional and physical assistance tailored to each student’s individual needs.

Essential Job Functions

• Communication & Collaboration: Maintain open communication with parents/guardians, colleagues, and administrators to support student success.
• Individualized Support: Provide support to both the classroom teacher and students to foster a conducive and inclusive learning environment. Assists students with essential life skills, including Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), to promote independence and functional ability. These tasks may include personal hygiene, dressing, feeding, toileting, and mobility.
• Moral & Ethical Integrity: Maintain a high ethical standard in teaching, grading, and student/parent interactions, ensuring a respectful environment for all parties.
• Recordkeeping: Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by the district and VDOE.
• Safety: Adhere to established infection control standards, health management procedures, and safety protocols to maintain a clean, healthy, and secure classroom setting.
• Other: Demonstrates exceptional interpersonal skills, including empathy and patience. Provides clear communication and collaborates effectively with colleagues who administer individualized learning plans tailored to each student’s unique needs. Exhibits sensitivity and adaptability to respond to multi-faceted challenges, while supporting a safe, inclusive, and supportive classroom environment where every student can thrive and feel comfortable.

All other duties as assigned.

Core Competencies

• Adaptability & Accountability: Adapts to changes in the work environment, manages competing demands, open to criticism and feedback, changes approach or method to best fit the situation, and takes responsibility for own actions.
• Attendance & Punctuality: Schedules time off in advance, begins working on time, keeps absences within guidelines, ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent, and arrives at meetings and appointments on time. Coordinate substitute teacher coverage in advance of absence.
• Business Ethics: Works with integrity and ethically, upholds the school district's values, and abides by written school board policies and processes.
• Communication: Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in English and take direction from supervisors. Expresses ideas and thoughts both verbally and in written form, exhibits good listening skills and comprehension, responds well to questions, and writes clearly and informatively. Edits work for spelling and grammar. Presents accurate numerical data effectively.
• Compliance: Within the specified functional area of authority, is personally accountable to understand and ensure regulatory and policy compliance with state and federal requirements in accordance with their respective job duties and responsibilities.
• Confidentiality: Maintains a high degree of confidentiality.
• Culture: Demonstrates and supports a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion through cultivating awareness, continuous development, and modeling inclusive behaviors.
• Customer Service: Provides prompt and high-quality service to parents/guardians, colleagues, and any internal/external customers. Ability to remain calm in stressful situations. Resolves issues in a timely and professional manner.
• Independence of Action: Sets goals and determines how to accomplish defined results with some guidelines. Follow precedents and procedures. Seeks assistance when confronted with difficult and/or unpredictable situations.
• Judgment: Displays willingness to make decisions timely, exhibits sound and accurate judgment, supports and explains reasoning for decisions, includes appropriate people in decision-making process, and takes responsibility for communication, including what is heard.
• Organization: Maintains a clean, safe, and functional classroom. Maintains a continuous workflow to meet daily/weekly/monthly deadlines.
• Safety: Attends required safety training, follows any established injury and illness prevention plans, reports unsafe conditions, and keeps the workspace in a safe condition.
• Teamwork / Morale: Treats others with professionalism, gives and welcomes feedback, inspires the trust of others, displays a solution-driven mindset, offers assistance and support to colleagues, consistent with this role, and works cooperatively and collaboratively in group situations. Engages consistently in professional behavior.
• Training: Successfully completes school-required training in a timely manner to maintain compliance and professional growth.

Other Duties

• Attendance of Meetings: Actively and consistently participate in staff and committee meetings to collaborate, share insights, and contribute to school initiatives in alignment with the agreed-upon covenants outlined in the RCPS annual employment contract.
• Professional Development: Engage in conferences, workshops, and training sessions while collaborating with peers to continually enhance teaching effectiveness.
• Reporting Obligations: Promptly reports any concerns of child abuse or neglect to the leadership team to ensure student safety and well-being.
• School Bus Duty Obligations: Comply with the bus duty schedule. Supervise students while they board and exit cars and buses to ensure safety.
• Student Teacher Involvement: Support aspiring educators by volunteering to host student teachers in your classroom, providing mentorship and hands-on learning opportunities.
• Student Safety & Supervision: Maintain a safe and structured environment by ensuring students are never left alone and are always properly supervised, to include time out of the classroom and before and after school.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications, Experience, and Education

• High School Diploma or GED Equivalent (REQUIRED)
• Classroom Experience (PREFERRED)
• CPR - Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Certification (REQUIRED)
• VDOE Required Training Courses (REQUIRED)

Computer and Equipment Skills

• Advanced skills with Microsoft/Google Platform applications, which may include GMAIL, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and/or other web-based applications.
• Use of the internet and online teleconferencing software (e.g., Zoom or Teams).
• Ability to navigate web-based programs such as PowerSchool, Canvas, Infinite Campus, etc.

Working Environment and Physical Requirements

• Standing - X
• Walking - X
• Sitting - X
• Using hands to touch, handle, or feel - X
• Reaching with hands and arms - X
• Climbing stairs - X
• Bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, or crawling - X
• Computer use - X
• Phone use - X
• Talking and hearing - Clear speech and good hearing, both face to face and on the phone; hears well in noisy social environments
• Seeing - Clear vision at 20 inches or less with or without corrective lenses; vision sufficient to drive motor vehicles safely with or without corrective lenses
• Lifting - Lifts up to 10 pounds routinely, up to 35 pounds occasionally