Must be 21 years of age or older.

Required:  Must upload a copy of High School diploma, High School transcript, or G.E.D.

POSITION TITLE: Para Educator, Bilingual Preferred

LOCATION: Pioneer Elementary

DATE POSTED: 11/15/2024

JOB NUMBER: CL088-25-22

HOURS/DAYS: 6.5/190 (Prorated for 2024-2025)

BENEFITS: Para Educator Benefits

Based on Grant Funding

Sunnyside School District

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Para Educator

REPORTS TO: Building Principal and Assigned Teacher

UNIT CLASSIFICATION: PSE Para Educators

PRIMARY PURPOSE:

Employees in this job classification are directly involved in helping students achieve their maximum potential through the instructional program.  Responsibilities include 1) One-to-one instruction of students 2) Small group instruction 3) In and out of classroom supervision of students and 4) General assistance to the teacher.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS*:

1. Works with individual students or small groups of students to reinforce learning of material or skills initially introduced by the teacher.
2. Assists the teacher in devising special strategies for reinforcing material or skills based on an understanding of individual students, their needs, interests, and abilities.
3. Maintain records and charts indicating students’ progress and attendance.
4. Provide students with practice in identified skill areas.
5. Assist students in their understanding of instruction concepts.
6. Guide independent work.
7. Inform classroom teacher of students’ progress or concerns.
8. Administers, scores, and records such achievement and diagnostic tests as the teacher
9. recommends.
10. Regular sanitation of classroom manipulatives, tables, etc.
11. Serve as the chief source of information and help to substitute teacher.
12. Provide positive behavioral support, implements consequences for inappropriate behavior, communicates and implements student discipline plan, evaluates students’ needs and provide interventions to redirect behavior, assesses crisis situations, and intervenes to defuse situations using conflict resolution.
13. Assists teacher in monitoring student behavior and disciplines students as authorized.
14. Restrain a student from harming self or others.
15. Assists with the supervision of students both inside and outside.
16. Assist with bulletin board and other classroom learning displays.
17. Assist with large group activities.
18. Assist with lunch, snack, and cleanup routines (Elementary level).
19. Assists with wash-up and toilet routines (Elementary level).
20. Maintain the same high level of ethical behavior and confidentiality of information about students as is expected of fully licensed teachers.

OTHER FUNCTIONS:

1. Maintain a high level of ethical behavior and confidentiality.
2. Performs other related duties as assigned for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of the work unit.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

Communicates regularly and in a positive manner with students, parents/guardians, instructional, and support staff.    Required to deal with a wide range of student behaviors; required to deal with a wide range of physical and emotional disabilities; may occasionally deal with distraught or difficult students.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

The daily work is performed in a classroom setting.  May be required to work outdoors in inclement weather. Potentially exposed to ordinary infectious diseases carried by students; exposed to student noise levels; required to lift, move, and position students and equipment; playground supervision and bus loading requires working outdoors in inclement weather; required to attend to students’ personal hygiene; may be exposed to biting behavior; may need to take precautions to avoid exposure to student bodily fluids and cleaning or disinfecting compounds; required to work in non-routine positions for extended periods.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience

Must provide proof of high school diploma or G.E.D.

Pass State Assessment for Para Educators; or 

Associate Degree or higher; or

72-quarter college credits or 48-semester credits at the one hundred level or higher; or 

Completed an apprenticeship as a para educator, in a program

registered with the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training

Council.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Ability to identify and adjust to the individual student’s needs

Ability to be innovative and improvise to meet changing situations

Knowledge of record-keeping systems

Knowledge of technology equipment and its operation

Knowledge of student behavior and methods to assure proper conduct

Ability to work successfully in a team context with other staff members

Ability to understand and communicate effectively

Ability to understand and carry out oral and written instructions

Ability to be flexible to accommodate changing schedules

Licenses/Special Requirements

Valid Washington State Drivers' license or photo identification.

Social Security Card.

WSP/FBI fingerprint/background clearance.

Fundamental Course of Study or must obtain within first 4 months of employment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

SITTING:  Sitting is optional throughout the day providing instruction to students.  The student meet individually or in groups and the teacher/para-educator arranges the desks and instructional materials at their discretion.

STANDING:  This activity is required on a limited basis as the teacher/para-educator has a sit/stand option while working with the students.  

WALKING:  This activity is performed on a regular basis throughout the workday.  It is required to get to and from the playground areas and to move around the classroom.  Walking is typically not required beyond distances of 200 feet to go from the classroom out to the playground area.

This position includes the playground, cafeteria, and general student supervision duty.  The para-educator may be required to do daily playground duty, including recesses, cafeteria, and bus duty up to 1.5 hours per day.

CAN WORKER CHANGE POSITIONS FREQUENTLY?  Yes.  The para-educator has the capability of alternating from standing to walking while on playground duty and can sit, stand, or walk in the classroom, maintaining contact with the students.

LIFTING:  This activity is required on a frequent basis handling papers and materials.  Typically, lifting is less than 10 lbs. moving books and instructional materials around inside the classroom.

CARRYING:  This activity is done on a limited basis; carry books and other instructional materials around the classroom.  Also requires moving previously described boxes short distances in the classroom.

PUSHING/PULLING:  This activity is required on a regular basis, pushing in chairs.

REACHING/HANDLING:  This activity is performed on a constant basis, reaching, handling, and manipulating instructional materials with the students throughout the workday.  Some data entry is required, usually not more than 30 to 60 minutes per week.

KNEELING: (bending legs at knees to come to rest on knee or knees):  This activity may be performed at the option of the para-educator.  The job does not require the para-educator to get down to the floor.  If the student is sitting, they are required to get down to their level to communicate, which could mean sitting in a chair alongside the student.  The para-educator has the option to kneel, stoop, bend, crouch, or squat, depending on the circumstances and their preference.

STOOPING  (bending body forward and downward, by bending the spine at the waist):  See kneeling.

BENDING (bending body forward at waist):  In addition to what is previously described under kneeling, the para-educator may need to bend on an occasional basis when working with students who are seated and need only limited contact.  

CROUCHING (bending body downward and forward, by bending legs and spine):  See kneeling.

SQUATTING:  See kneeling.

CAN KNEELING, STOOPING, BENDING, AND CROUCHING BE ELIMINATED WITH GOOD BODY MECHANICS?  No.

FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT:

PSE Para Educator

EVALUATION:

Building Principal

* *   The list of essential functions in this job description is not exhaustive and may be supplemented as necessary by determination of an appropriate administrator and Human Resources.