Personal Care Aide en Lamar County School District

Job Title:  SPECIAL EDUCATION PERSONAL CARE ASSISTANT
Reports to:  Principal
Receives Guidance From:  Principal, Lead Teacher, Administration
Overtime Status: Compliant with position, salary and FLSA regulations

Under general supervision, provides individual assistance that allows a student to remain in school with access to the curriculum and educational environment. Employee accompanies the student for the entire school day, maintaining the safety of the student and assisting with basic human functions such as breathing, toileting, eating/feeding as well as any behavioral management needs. Employee collaborates with the supervising teacher to administer and/or monitor any therapy, medication and/or special treatment required by the student. Employee assists students with mobility needs including transferring students to and from wheelchairs/toilets as well as any individual equipment. Personal Care Assistants may also be directed to perform secondary job responsibilities in cases such as teacher workdays or student absence. Employee assists teachers with clerical duties as directed.

JOB DUTIES:

•  Assists teacher in duties of diaper changing.
•  Assists with supervision of children as requested by the teacher.
•  Supports and assists in feeding of assigned students (with and without feeding tubes).
•  Provides escort and assistance to assigned children as necessary.
•  Works on assigned student or students’ individual skills and self-help skills that will be supervised by the teacher.
•  Operates and cares for equipment used in classroom for personal care needs and instructional needs.
•  Assists with washing hands and toiletry needs of assigned student(s).
•  Maintains confidentiality and ethical behavior as is expected of highly qualified teachers.
•  Performs other such duties and tasks regarding personal care of students as the supervisor may assign.
•  Performs other such duties as assigned by the building administrator including but not limited to before and after school duties.
• Follow all rules, policies and procedures, along with state and federal regulations pertaining to school issues.
• Constantly monitor the safety and well-being of the student; monitor student attitudes and encourage self-esteem.
• Assist with the supervision of the student during emergency drills, assemblies, play periods, and field trips; monitor the student during lunch, recess, specials or electives, hygiene routines, and snack time.
• Work with individual students to reinforce learning of material or skills initially introduced by the teacher.
• Strive to maintain and improve professional competence. Participate in the development and support of the broad school vision.
• Alert the teacher to any problem or special information about an individual student.
• Maintain the same high level of ethical behavior and confidentiality of information about students as is expected of teachers.
• Serve as the chief source of information and help to any substitute teacher assigned in the absence of the regular teacher.
• Perform related duties and responsibilities as requested by the teacher and/or principal.
• Regular, dependable, punctual, in person attendance is an essential function of this position
• Perform such other and not specifically enumerated duties as may be requested by the Board of Education, superintendent, administrator, director or established by district policy
• Read, understand, and abide by Employee Conduct Policy, all other district, state and federal policies, and procedures and protocols as established by LCSD and the Mississippi Educator Code of Conduct

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, use hands for fine manipulation, handle or feel and reach with hands and arms using equipment such as a keyboard and video display panel. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, reach, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and move up to 35 pounds and occasionally up to 75 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The work environment is not a standard office setting; but rather encompasses the entire active school campus both inside and outside the facilities. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate and occasionally high.

Note:  This is not necessarily an all-inclusive or exhaustive list of responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, functions or working conditions associated with the job. The job description is not a contract of employment or a promise or guarantee of any specific terms or conditions of employment. The school district may add to, modify, or delete any aspect of this job (or the position itself) at any time as it deems advisable.

Evaluation: Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with the provisions of the Mississippi Department of Education and the Lamar County School Board policy on Evaluation of Employees.