Special Education Paraprofessional

THE POSITION BELOW IS VACANT IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION:

POSITION TITLE:  Special Education Paraprofessional

LOCATION:        St. Thomas/St. John District

Interested persons should contact: DIVISION OF HUMAN RESOURCES

                                                               careers@vide.vi

Deadline for applying:   November 19, 2016

Starting Salary:              $22,675-$34,607         

Union:               American Federation of Teachers- Support Staff Unit

DESCRIPTION

The special education paraprofessional assists with providing appropriate educational opportunities and instruction for each student, according to the guidelines established by the VI Department of Education.  Under the direct supervision of the principal, individuals perform routine and non-specialized work relating mainly to the non-teaching activities in a school.  An employee in this class is required to perform a variety of routine and generalized work, while assisting Special Education teachers in providing supportive learning environments that facilitate inclusion of learners with diverse learning needs, and protects the safety, health, and well-being of learners and staff. The scope of work to be performed by the Paraprofessional impacts students from preschool to high school.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (NOT ALL INCLUSIVE)

• Assists by participating in the implementation of educational and other services designed for children with various degrees of disabilities;
• Accompanies students to and from their homes when required;
• Assists with personal and hygiene care of male and female students;
• Maintains open communication with parents, faculty and staff;
• Works closely with health services and guidance personnel to assist students with special problems;
• Supervises students with disabilities in various school settings such as the playground, lunchroom, and study periods;
• Instructs individual or small groups of learners following lesson plans developed by the teacher;
• Assists individual learners with supplementary/independent study projects as assigned by the teacher;
• Prepares learning/instructional material and bulletin boards and maintain learning centers;
• Participates in regularly scheduled teacher and paraprofessional meetings that may also include other team; members, which will facilitate the planning of learning experiences for individuals and groups of children;
• Maintains, as directed by an occupational or physical therapist, nurse, or speech-language pathologist, adaptive equipment required by learners with physical and sensory disabilities, or health related needs;
• Assists teachers/providers with functional assessment activities to determine a child’s developmental level and learning needs, including documenting the data and maintaining learner records required by the state, district, or agency;
• Administers standardized assessment instruments scored and analyzed by teachers or other professional practitioners;
• Supervises students in community-based learning environments to prepare them to make the transition from school-to-work and to participate in the adult world (if required by learner or program needs);
• Familiarizes employers and other members of the community of the needs of individual learners (if required by the program or learner needs);
• Assists occupational and physical therapists, speech language pathologists, and nurses in providing related services (if required by learner or program needs);
• Assist student(s) with transportation needs such as pushing, guiding, and maintaining their wheelchair, walker, etc;
• Participates in Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) and Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) planning team meetings as required by learner needs;
• Performs other duties assigned by the supervisor.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Knowledge of basic school subjects and ability to communicate knowledge to others;
• Knowledge of the special behavior patterns pertaining to student age and growth process;
• Knowledge of and interest in the community and the welfare of its children;
• Knowledge and awareness of ethical and confidential conduct in personal relationships on the job;
• Knowledge, patience and understanding of mentally handicapped children and a sincere desire to assist in their educational development;
• Ability to read and write in grammatically correct sentences;
• Ability and willingness to work with professional and technical supervisors as a team in striving to provide the utmost for development of children;
• Ability to assume the role of teacher and playmate in directing the play of children toward desired objectives;
• Ability to follow clearly written lesson plans;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all persons contacted during the course of work;
• Ability to follow oral and written directions, maintain simple records, absorb training and apply learned skills;

• Ability to follow oral and written directions and to maintain simple records;
• Ability to manage class room time and group control;
• Ability to work cooperatively with students, staff, administrators, parents and others;
• Ability to be tolerant, ant patient under stressful situations.

FACTOR II: SUPERVISORY CONTROLS

• Works under the direct supervision or assignment of a Principal, Assistant Principal, Counselor, Special Education Teacher or  as assigned by the principal;
• Work is controlled by routine review and reporting to or consultation with supervisor;
• Work is reviewed through on-site visits, reports and achievement of objectives.

FACTOR III: GUIDELINES

• Federal safety and departmental guidelines and procedures must be followed;
• Acquisition of HIPPA law knowledge and strict confidentiality guidelines are to be followed;
• Employee is expected to use knowledge acquired through specific instructions, training and experience in making independent decisions.

FACTOR IV: COMPLEXITY

• Requires a combination of job functions using serious judgment to perform a variety of job responsibilities;
• Responsible for ensuring the safety of children on school grounds and the completion of assignments given by teachers or the principal;
• Requires long hours of concentration, patience and flexibility in unexpected arising situations.

FACTOR V: SCOPE AND EFFECT

• Requires responsibility for the completion of assigned tasks by supporting, and performing routine work activities.
• Errors at this level will have major repercussions that will be counterproductive to efficient school safety and class room management.

FACTOR VI: PERSONAL CONTACTS AND PUROPSE OF CONTACTS

• Requires personal contact with students, parents, fellow employees, supervisors, administrators, and work unit.
• Purpose of contacts is to obtain, clarify, or give facts or information to aid in the production of accomplishing objectives and daily tasks.

FACTOR VII: PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  • Must be able to stand for long periods of time with intermittent walking, standing, sitting, bending, use of voice;
  • Requires medium to heavy work, including continuous physical exertion such as frequent bending, lifting or climbing;
  • The ability to handle cumbersome awkwardly shaped boxes;
  • The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects;
  • The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support parts of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing;
  • The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object;
  • The ability to quickly move your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects;
  • The employee must frequently lift and /or move up to 70 pounds.

FACTOR VII: WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Requires performing regular job functions in a school working environment;
• Workers are required to adhere to standard safety regulations to ensure personal safety and the safety of others.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Graduation from a recognized college or university with an Associate of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education, Education or a related field, or
• Completion of two (2) years of college to include sixty (60) college credits, or
• High School Diploma with fifteen (15) college credits, preferably with two (2) years working experience in youth-related or tutorial programs.

* Applicants with a High School diploma must first pass the state approved Paraprofessional Assessment Exam.

No person shall be discriminated against in employment or in any other educational program or activity offered by the Virgin Islands Department of Education on account of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, handicap, or age.”

 ****DUE TO A HIGH VOLUME OF APPLICANTS, THE DEPARTMENT WILL NOTIFY ONLY THOSE WHO ARE SELECTED

 FOR THE NEXT STEP IN THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS. ****

Application documents required: (1) Completed Application, (2) Resume, (3) Cover Letter, (4) Official College Transcripts, (5) Certifications, (6) Licensures, (7) Three Letters of Recommendation, (8) Police Background Check and (9) Doctor’s Statement of Good Health.