[26-27] Special Education Instructional Assistant

Summary

The mission of CWC Kansas City is to provide an excellent public education focused on developing and demonstrating understanding while building connections within the school community.

We are seeking a committed and passionate Special Education Instructional Assistant/Paraprofessional who is excited to work in a unique charter school environment and who has at their core a powerful alignment to our school mission and a deep appreciation for the unique needs of diverse learners. We expect our educators to be leaders and to play an active role in realizing the school’s mission by building and shaping our school culture and guiding students to academic achievement and growth into capable citizens in a diverse and complex world.

We are looking for candidates who have experience in progressive education and diverse communities, and a solid understanding of supporting the academic, social and emotional development of young children of all learning styles and needs.  This position will be working one-on-one with a student with special needs on a daily basis. For more information on Citizens of the World Charter Schools – Kansas City, please visit www.cwckansascity.org. 

Responsibilities

Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to: 

• Assist in the educational and social development of students under the direction and guidance of the Classroom and/or Special Education Teacher


• Assist in the implementation of Individual Education Plans for student(s) and monitor progress

• Provide support for individual student(s) inside and outside the classroom to enable them to fully participate in activities 


• Collaborate with other professionals such as speech, occupational, and/or physical therapists. 


• Assist Classroom and/or Special Education Teachers with maintaining student records, data on IEP goals, and other student data


• Support students with emotional or behavior concerns and assist them in developing appropriate social skills


• Support the Classroom Teacher with classroom positive student interactions


• Assist students with toileting and increasing their independence


• Assist students with eating and increasing their independence 


• Assist students with transitioning from classrooms and increasing their independence


• Assist in increasing functional skills such as communication and use of assistive technology


• Participating in professional development activities, both internal (led by the principal, lead teachers and visiting experts) and external (visiting other schools, attending conferences, and engaging in best practice sharing with others in the charter school community, etc.)   


• Participating as an active member of the community to provide stewardship of the school and adherence to its mission and guiding principles   


• Maintaining a high-level of professionalism including meeting deadlines, and commitments to self, students, and the community 

Qualifications & Traits

The ideal SpED IA will have: 

• An associate’s degree (bachelor’s preferred)


• Experience (minimum two years preferred) working one-on-one with special needs students.

• Exceptional written and oral communication skills 


• Experience working in a socio-economic, racial and culturally diverse classroom setting  


• An exhibited ability to work with children in a caring and respectful manner in order to create a joyful, caring classroom environment where instructional time includes community building, conflict resolution, skill-building, and empowering students to be peacemakers and agents for positive social change   


• Knowledge of and experience with Special Education related computer programs to document services, notes, write IEP's, and run all necessary reports. 


• Maturity, humility, strong work ethic, sense of humor, and a can-do attitude


• Willingness to explore additional school responsibilities (before/after school care and classes, committee involvement, etc.); stipends may be available for such responsibilities.


• Fluency in Spanish is preferred. 

Compensation & Benefits

This role is placed on the “IS:  Instructional/Building Support” salary schedule.

CWC Kansas City offers competitive salaries commensurate with experience and a comprehensive benefits package.  CWC Kansas City is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status.