Emotional disabilities paraprofessionals work under the supervision of the special education teacher to support the academic and social emotional needs of students with disabilities. Responsibilities include assisting in the implementation of behavior intervention programs in conjunction with individual education plans (IEPs). Weekly service hours are thirty-five (35) hours per week.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Provides small group support to elementary aged students with disabilities in accordance with the students' IEP and supervising teacher's lesson plans.
• Works under the direct supervision of and in close and frequent proximity to the special education teacher.
• Remains certified in Crisis Response Team (CRT) procedures.
• Assists in emergency situations involving aggressive or uncontrolled behavior episodes according to approved CRT procedures as trained.
• Documents actions following emergency behavior incidents.
• Pushes into classes and/or pulls students out to provide academic and behavioral support.
• Reports student data to special education teachers.
• Implements behavior intervention plans and positive reinforcement strategies.
• Communicates proactively with special education teachers regarding student observations.
• Monitors students' movement throughout the building to other classrooms and learning areas.
• Assists during standardized testing to support state testing processes and policies.
• Assists in the preparation of manipulatives, games, and other materials required for daily instructional activities.
• Improvises when necessary and is able to deviate from the instruction in a positive manner to support ever changing needs of the students.
• Maintains the physical appearance of the special education classroom to help ensure a fun and safe classroom environment for children to learn.
• Operates a wide variety of classroom and office equipment including copiers, computers, chrome books, and software (i.e., Google classroom, email, etc.)
• Supports student supervision by participating in non-special education duties, including but not limited to, morning/afternoon supervision, lunch/recess duty, field trips, bus duty, etc.
• Substitutes for classroom teachers or other areas of the school depending on building needs.
• Attends training, staff meetings, and district meetings to stay abreast of changing developments and policies.
• Maintains positive professional relationships with staff, students, parents/guardians, and administrators.
• Maintains confidentiality and a need-to-know policy with regards to staff and student information.
• Maintains regular daily attendance following the expectations of the classified handbook.
• Completes online safety training in a timely manner and participates in safety drills to remain fully knowledgeable of responsibilities in the event of an emergency.
• Remains knowledgeable of procedures for reporting suspected child abuse and/or neglect.
• Complies with all district policies and procedures.
• Communicates regularly with the teacher, director of special education, and/or principal regarding issues and concerns.
• Other duties as assigned by the teacher, director of special education and/or principal.

Essential Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Previous experience working with children with social-emotional needs in an elementary or early childhood educational setting is preferred.
• Must pass a criminal background check and drug screen per district policy.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Frequent sitting, standing, walking, bending over, carrying, crouching, holding, and lifting.
• May occasionally be required to run and physically restrain a student according to CRT/CPI procedures.
• Hearing and speaking to exchange information with the ability to speak in a clear and loud voice.
• Experiences frequent interruptions.
• The ability to lift and physically manage students who weigh up to 100 pounds may be required on occasion.

Environmental Conditions:

Works in a school building around others. The noise level is usually low to moderate but can arise to high volume during student behavior episodes. The job is performed under conditions with a higher-than-average risk of injury. Exposure to illness including communicable diseases is possible.

Terms of Employment and Evaluation:

Employed for 180 service days. Pay is $16.00/hour with benefits as outlined in the classified handbook. Performance of said duties will be evaluated in accordance with district policy. Please contact Director of Special Education, Mr. Dustin Robinson, at [email protected] with any questions.