TITLE Instructional Aide – Special Education

REPORT TO Principal

GENERAL SUMMARY

The job of "Instructional Aide - Special Educational" assists, tutors and trains exceptional students in a classroom or similar learning situation as instructed by a certificated teacher. Performs a variety of supportive duties for teachers. Under the direct supervision of principal.

QUALIFICATIONS

1. A clear record of elevating student achievement in an urban community, with a strong understanding of pedagogy that drives results or of exceptional leadership working with young people in urban communities;

2. Required Qualifications: Six months of full time experience or its equivalent, including paid, volunteer or family related experience. Prior paid job-related experience in successfully working with exceptional and regular children in a learning situation;

3. Education Required: High School diploma or equivalent. College level training is desirable and incumbent employees are expected to avail themselves of specialized Adult School or college courses in this field, as prescribed by district policy;

4. Experience Required: Prior paid job-related experience in successfully working with exceptional and regular children in a learning situation;

5. Skills, Knowledge and/or Abilities Required: Skills and methods used in controlling and motivating students, psychology in the care and handling of students, basic arithmetic calculations, operation of standard office equipment, use of English grammar, punctuation and spelling. Knowledge of child development, instructional processes. Abilities to understand and carry out oral and written instructions, learn simple methods and procedures to be followed in an instructional situation, maintain confidentiality of student records, meet schedules and deadlines, read and write English, rapidly learn methods and materials used in a variety of instructional situations, sit for extended periods of time. Significant physical abilities include reaching/handling, talking/hearing, near and far visual acuity;

6. Licenses, Certifications, Bonding, and/or Testing Required: TB test clearance, criminal justice fingerprint clearance. Pre-employment physical and drug test may be required.

7. Bilingual/Biliterate or Conversational Spanish, preferred.  

DESCRIPTION OF BASIC FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES (GENERAL)

1. Ensures an advocacy, integrity and clear articulation of the founding principles of Epiphany Prep Charter’s educational program for students and community;

2. Anticipates, plans for challenges and potential obstacles. Moveover, when faced with a challenge/obstacle, pivots to achieve goals;

3. Models continuous learning and openness to feedback and improving own performance;

4. Demonstrates an understanding of the realities of and difficulties leading in urban schools;

5. Ensures an advocacy, integrity and clear articulation of the founding principles of Epiphany Prep Charter’s educational program for students;

6. Models with professional language and action to establish innovative teaching and learning practices in a non-traditional school model in the first year of opening and subsequent years;

7. Ability to establish a flexible learning space that promotes hands on learning for students a access language for all students with various levels of Special Education Students with various English proficiency levels;

8. Demonstrates an ability to calibrate with teacher(s), special education and regular education, on a regular basis for purpose of assisting in evaluating special education student growth goals progress and/or implementing IEP objectives;

9. Implements academic instruction taught by a teacher for individuals or small groups for the purpose of meeting learning goals, as described by an IEP and/or district benchmarks;

10. Administers tests under the direction of the teacher for the purpose of evaluating students’ progress;

11. Monitors classroom and/or playground activities for the purpose of maintaining a safe and positive learning environment;

12. Implements behavioral plans designed by IEP team for students with behavioral disorders of other special conditions for the purpose of assisting in meeting special education students needs and providing a consistent environment;

13. Instructs special education students (e.g. math groups, science experiments, reading, behavioral skills, social skills, writing, verbal skills, etc.) for the purpose of implementing goals for remediation of student deficiencies and ensuring students success;

14. Develops, establishes, communicates and monitors the culture of a restorative practices classroom to maximize student’s strengths to achieve a sense of belonging;

15. Shares, regularly, with parents and colleagues students’ progress on academic, persons/social and career/college growth goals, keeps appropriate records, prepares reports;

16. Maintains instructional materials and/or student files/records (e.g. adapting instructional materials, student files, checking papers, attendance, audio visual equipment, set up projects, etc) for the purpose of ensuring availability of items and/or providing reliable information.

ADDITIONAL RELATED DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Provides leadership voice and action to supplemental and content material, and instructional supplies; maintains required inventory records;

2. Ensures a comfortable learning physical space with culturally competent literature, student work, and/or performance tasks;

3. Supervises pupils on recess, bus, and before and after school duty and in out-of-classroom activities during the assigned working day;

4. Administers group standardized tests in accordance with District testing program;

5. Participates in curriculum development programs within the school assignment and/or District level;

6. Participates in grade level team meetings within the school and District.

7. Shares in sponsorship of student activities and participates on committees;

8. Performs other related duties as assigned.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CONDITIONS

1. Physical, mental and emotional stamina to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position, but not limited to;

   1. manual dexterity sufficient to write, use the telephone, business machines;

   2. vision sufficient to read printed materials;

   3. hearing sufficient to conduct in person and telephone conversations;

   4. speaking ability in an understandable voice with sufficient volume to be heard in normal conversational distance, on the telephone and addressing groups;

   5. physical agility to push/pull, squat, twist, turn, bend, stoop and to reach overhead;

   6. physical mobility sufficient to move about the work environment (office, school, site-to-site), drive an automobile, and respond to emergency situations;

   7. physical strength sufficient to lift 25 pounds;

   8. physical stamina sufficient to sit for prolonged periods of time;

   9. mental acuity to collect and interpret data, evaluate, reason, define problems, establish facts, draw valid conclusions, make valid judgments and decisions.