Hybrid Special Education Teaching Assistant (Paraprofessional) presso Oak Park and River Forest High School

Job Title:                          Special Education Teaching Assistant (Paraprofessional)
Reports to:                       Director of Special Education
Terms and Conditions:   Full-time, 10-month position.  7.5 hours per day, 7:30 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Salary:                              Grade 3, $21.55 per hour, per Classified Personnel Association collective bargaining agreement. Includes full benefits package including medical, dental, and life insurance, and participation in Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF)
                                          pension plan.
                                          Please click here for more information regarding salary and benefits.
FLSA Status:                   Non-Exempt   
 
Please, no phone calls.  Applications and all supplemental materials are only accepted through the District’s online application system.  Any application materials provided outside this system will not be acknowledged.  The respective hiring manager will review candidates once the job posting closes.  If selected to move forward, you will be contacted by phone or email.  After reviewing the job posting, if you have any questions, please send an email to [email protected]. 
 
OPRF – WHO WE ARE…
Oak Park and River Forest High School, or OPRF, is a comprehensive public high school located in Oak Park, Ill., a suburb eight miles due west of downtown Chicago. We are a one-school district, with the majority of our students coming from two sender districts, River Forest Public Schools District 90 and Oak Park Elementary School District 97. We offer more than 200 courses, a variety of programs for students with special needs, 75 clubs and activities, and 29 competitive sports. We prepare our students well for post-secondary success, with an average ACT composite score of 24 and a 94% graduation rate.
 
Oak Park and River Forest are communities that highly value diversity. OPRF is a founding member of the national Minority Student Achievement Network, and our school is racially and economically diverse, with about 44% of our 3,300 students identifying as African-American, Hispanic, multiracial, or Asian. Our villages have long embraced the LGBTQ community, and we have a significant mix of homeowners and renters.
 
We seek faculty and staff who have high expectations for all students, and who value student voice in education. As a school, we are particularly focused on closing opportunity gaps for our students of color.
 
OPRF is an equal opportunity employer that provides equal employment opportunities to all without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. OPRF’s goal is to increase its representation of people of color.
 
Background:
Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 is a progressive district that is focused not only on our tradition of excellence but our future. The District prides itself in offering our students a comprehensive 9-12 college and career readiness curriculum and a rich arts education program.  Our students are curious, creative, and they come ready to learn. More than 90 percent of our students go on to college.
 
Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 believes that we can “become an ever-improving model of equity and excellence that will enable all students to achieve their full potential.” We can accomplish this through dedicated teachers, staff, and administration who build relationships with students and have high expectations for themselves and their students. We believe in planning for and providing the academic and developmental support students need to meet those expectations. We further believe that every student can learn through exposure to academically challenging content, feedback during learning, and the educator’s knowledge and skill.
 
Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 is a great place for those who are interested in an environment that supports creativity, leadership at all levels, innovation, a focus on professional and curriculum development, and the best practices of instruction. We are currently seeking individuals to join our team where we enable all students to achieve their full potential every day.
 
Qualifications:

1. Must have one of the following:

    

   • Valid Illinois Professional Educator License with Stipulations (ELS) with Paraprofessional endorsement.

   • Valid Illinois Professional Educator License.

   • Valid Illinois Substitute Teaching License. Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) certified desired.

2. Experience with students with special needs desired.
3. Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) certified desired.
4. Obtain and maintain valid Division 2, Class D School Bus Permit test Illinois bus license (not CDL for large buses), including successful passing of  physical exam, including drug test.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Provides assistance to program in supervising students during lunch and break times.

2. Participates in distribution of positive reinforcement incentives for students on a scheduled basis.

3. Completes Behavioral Incident Reports on students as required.

4. Attends scheduled teacher assistant meetings scheduled by the Executive Director of Special Education and the Assistant Director of Special Education.

5. Participates in regular school supervision assignments on testing days and in-service days.

6. Participates in teacher assistant in-service days/workshops scheduled by the Special Education Department.

7. Drives students to and from community jobs and activities as needed. 

8. Assist with grooming, hygiene, and toileting.

9. Provides direct support to students in creating an environment that is conducive to students’ social and emotional needs.

10. Guides and directs students in performance of academic tasks such as assisting with daily assignments via online teacher assisted instruction.

11. Works collaboratively with teachers and support staff to ensure progress toward academic and social and emotional needs are achieved.

12. Works with small groups of students to reinforce material introduced by the teacher, under the direction and supervision of the classroom teacher.

13. Establishes a supportive and compassionate attitude towards students avoiding intense emotional involvement.

14. Serves as a resource to the student personnel evaluation team as required. 
15. Provides assistance to program with clerical duties such as filing, mail handling, copying and computer input.

Physical Demands of Paraprofessionals at Oak Park and River Forest High School

• Ability to lift and assist students as needed.
• Capability to stand, walk, and engage in physical activity for extended periods.

Program:  Learning Disabilities and Emotional Disabilities

1. Transition to a different classroom in the building every 48 minutes.

2. Walk around the classroom and monitor the student’s progress. Work with students in small groups.  The expectation is that paraprofessionals are on their feet 50% or more  of the time for the duration of the 48-minute period.

3. Given the need, paraprofessionals in this program are assigned to escorts for students in need of supervision during transitions. Transitions consist of walking from one class to the next class within the building. After the paraprofessional escorts the student, they  are expected to go to the assignment they are scheduled to support the class.

4. Paraprofessionals in this program may be given the dedicated assignment of being a 1:1 aide. In this role, the expectation is that they accompany the students each period as  the student transitions from class to class. The expectation is that they accompany the student to each class and remain with the student. Once in the classroom, the paraprofessional is expected to work directly with the student 1:1 and in small groups. Paraprofessionals are expected to be on their feet 50% or more of the class period.

Program:  Low Incidence- Intellectual Disabilities

Students in this program require 1: 1 supervision at all times. Due to their cognitive functioning and physical challenges, students in this program may require being lifted on and off the toilet, feeding, and grooming. Staff members in this program maintain CPI training due to the physical interactions that take place for students related to the student’s disability. This program requires staff members to be trained in physical management to ensure safety in a time of crisis.

1. Meet students at the bus.

2. Assist students with putting coats and belongings in their locker.

3. Provide support to students while the teacher delivers instruction.

4. Transition with the class from the self-contained location to elective courses (i.e., gym, music, theater, and lunch.

5. Support the students during instruction.

6. Assist the students in` gym during adaptive P. E. (i.e., assist Physical Therapist with equipment and movement breaks for students.

7. Physically lift students in the class from their wheelchairs to equipment in the classroom to access the curriculum.

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Employees are expected to perform other related functions as assigned. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.