POSITION:  Substitute/Relief Education Assistant, Special Education

HOURLY RATE:  $16.39/hour

DUTIES RESPONSIBILITIES:  The Substitute/Relief Education Assistant, Special Education is an on-call, temporary position.  The position assists teacher(s) and/or other certificated personnel by performing a variety of instructional support duties to individual or small groups of Special Education pupils in a classroom or resource environment encompassing a range of physical, emotional, intellectual, and communication disabilities for severely and non-severely handicapped pupils; assists in the establishment and maintenance of appropriate classroom and site behavior; and performs a routine of clerical tasks as assigned.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:  The Substitute/Relief Education Assistant, Special Education provides responsible clerical, care-taking, and/or paraprofessional activities in support of the educational/training objectives of certificated staff and requires a high degree of positive contact with special education students, community members, and both district and county office staff.  Substitute/Relief workers in this class receive direct supervision within a framework of well-defined policies and procedures.

Depending on assignment, Substitute/Relief workers work with students who have moderate to severe learning, physical and emotional disabilities, assisting in the implementation of classroom behavior intervention plans where necessary.  Substitute/Relief workers in this class may be assigned to work in the classroom(s), learning laboratory, community setting, and/or an office situation.

ESSENTIAL/TYPICAL DUTIES

Works with students in small groups or in prescribed one-to-one assignments to tutor, reinforce, or follow up learning activities in basic academic, language, and/or specialized subject areas related to the level of achievement; under direction of teacher, provides individualized instruction by matching instruction to needs of each learner

Basic behavior management skills

Assists in the implementation of assigned sections of the students Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) and behavior intervention plans which may involve use of approved behavior modification, physical management techniques or other skills or knowledge to establish and maintain appropriate behaviors

Assists the teacher in establishing and maintaining a clean, safe, and cooperative classroom and learning environment

Assists in organizing learning environment; prepares and sets up instructional materials and/or equipment for use in classroom activities; maintains instructional material and equipment.  Assists teachers in implementing the course of study through one-to-one and group instruction; accompanies or assists students to and from school bus or other transportation and in moving to and from activities on school site

Assists in the supervision and monitoring of students during lunch, recess, bus loading/unloading etc.; accompanies and assists students in “mainstream classroom activities”, computer lab, library, etc.

Accompanies and supervises students on community based instructional outings, work programs, and/or field trips; reinforces positive behavior in public settings; assists students in learning life skills such as crossing streets safely, riding buses, etc.

Performs routine clerical tasks as assigned; operates duplicating machines; assembles materials for classroom projects; prepares material and masters; files classroom, student, instructional and program materials; and may perform incidental typing tasks

Follows teacher’s directions in assisting with scheduling activities, documenting progress in instructional goals and objectives, pupil progress, and pertinent health or behavior information

Provides assigned teacher with information on student progress through observation, daily contact, and maintenance of accurate student progress records/logs

Assists in establishing and maintaining routine informational and operational records and files related to classroom/program activities

Assists students in becoming self-reliant; fosters student independence in classroom and learning environments

Prepares lunch trays

May assist staff in lifting of students in and out of wheelchairs, braces, and other orthopedic equipment; assists in physically transferring/lifting students to and from their wheelchairs for busing, school, and/or community activities

Performs kneeling, stooping, standing, and lifting activities in the performance of required daily activities

Guides students and/or provides appropriate modeling in a variety of areas: physical development and fitness, communication, personal hygiene, academic learning, appropriate dress, vocational skills

Maintains confidentiality of student records and classroom information in accordance with legal requirements and policies

Assists in maintaining first aid supplies and maintaining disaster preparedness supplies

Administers first aid in accordance with established procedures and policies

Performs related duties as assigned.

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS

Knowledge of:

Proper English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation

Basic concepts of child development and behavior

Children with disabilities

Effective record-keeping practices and procedures

Basic academic subjects/developmental activities taught/practiced in assigned instructional unit

Behavior intervention techniques and strategies

Ability to:

Learn the methods and procedures to be followed in assigned special education classroom/program

Understand and follow both oral and written instructions

Understand the needs of assigned special education students and effectively relate to these needs in a learning situation

Effectively supervise assigned special education students in a variety of situations, maintaining emotional control under difficult and emergency situations

Maintain a variety of records related to the activities and operations of assigned special education classroom/program in a confidential manner where appropriate

Recognize and report safety hazards; learn, understand and adhere to laws, rules, practices, and procedures related to public education for pupils and those related to the program which assigned

Exercise tact, diplomacy, and good judgment in dealing with special education students with disabilities

Effectively and tactfully communicate in both oral and written forms

Maintain confidentiality of records or discussions

Assist teachers and administrators in dealing with behavior disorders

Operate standard office equipment

Provide own transportation

Meet the physical requirements necessary to safely and effectively perform required duties including lifting student weighing up to 50 pounds into and out of wheelchairs and special equipment

Establish and maintain a positive and effective work relationship with those contacted in the performance of required duties.

May require the ability to:

Supervise severely disabled students with hygiene, toileting and feeding

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

      Any combination of experience and training that could likely provide the required knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way of demonstrating these qualifications would be:

• Related work experience with special needs children or adults is required.

• High School (not college) Diploma or equivalent (individuals who possess a degree at an institution in a country other than the United States must obtain a complete evaluation of foreign transcripts prior to applying for this position).

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Frequently (34-66%): reach above shoulders
• Continuously (67-100%): bend, twist, push, pull, climb, squat, crawl and kneel
• Frequently (34-66%): employ the use of the Hoyer Lift to elevate up to 120 lbs. from floor to chest height
• Frequently (34-66%): lift 40-50 lbs. to waist height
• Frequently (34-66%): sit, reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stand and walk; grasp with hands and fingers; and lift up to 50 lbs
• Continuously (67-100%): use hands to finger, handle or fell objects, tools, or controls; see (including close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus), hear and speak; key (i.e., computer, calculator, telephone); and lift (up to 40 lbs.)

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

• While performing the duties of this job, constantly exposed to risk of trip and fall (over wheelchairs, walkers, IV stands, Hoyer lifts, crutches, etc.)
• Noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to high.  Approximately 30 minutes each day is spent at bus loading area where noise is extremely shrill and loud.
• The temperature of the work environment is moderate and ranges from 65 – 80 degrees

MACHINES, TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT:

• Occasionally (6-33%): copier, fax and computer
• Frequently (34-66%): writing instruments

TRAVEL:

• This job class requires minimal routine travel within close proximity to the regular assigned work location

BARGAINING UNIT: Substitute Workers Unit