Special Education ABA Teacher Assistant (ELEM)

Special Education Aba Teacher Assistant (1st - 5th Grade)

Our mission is to provide an exemplary educational program that includes all students. Our developmentally appropriate, student and family-centered educational approach nurtures students to expand their developmental skills, in order to build a foundation for life-long learning. Our core values are:

• Responsibility
• Engagement
• Acceptance
• Creativity
• Honesty

We are seeking passionate educators to build an inclusive Pk-5 school community. We are seeking individuals who are committed to providing high-quality, universally designed instruction and who are committed to learning about and implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies for our diverse student community. We are seeking individuals who recognize that they are in a position of public trust and are held to a high standard of personal and professional conduct. If you are a dedicated educator who is passionate about creating a culture of inclusion and respect, we invite you to join our team. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of our students and build a brighter future for our community.

As a special education teacher assistant, you will be responsible for:

• Working with the lead teacher in planning and managing an elementary non-categorical self-contained classroom with high-level special needs students.
• Supporting the development and implementation of the classroom discrete trial instruction, social skills instruction, and behavior plan implementation in collaboration with the lead teacher under the supervision of the BCBA.
• Supporting assessing student progress regularly using VBMAPP Milestones, Transitions, and Barriers assessments.
• Supporting the collection of data to track students' progress in three program areas: curriculum, IEP, and ABA/VB.
• Supporting students during small group instruction.
• Providing support to students during specials classes (Gardening, Music, Spanish, PE, Art).
• Assessing student progress regularly and using data to support instruction.
• Collaborating with the lead teacher, special education service providers (speech, PT, OT), ELL teacher, and other assistant teacher(s) or teaching fellow(s).
• Maintaining the classroom grade book by inputting at least 3-4 grades per week.
• Maintaining the daily attendance records for the classroom.
• Facilitating morning meeting.
• Organizing student breakfast and lunch. Maintaining breakfast and lunch count.
• Providing support during recess to ensure students are safe.
• Assisting with maintaining current bulletin boards (in class and hallway).
• Creating a classroom culture and environment that develops and nurtures the emotional, cognitive, and social abilities of the students, implementing responsive classroom techniques.
• Participating in parent teacher conferences, contacting parents as needed/requested, and providing translation as necessary.
• Responding to students' behavior appropriately and successfully.
• Engaging parents and families in their student's learning and acting as an ambassador for the school in the community.
• Contributing productively to the school as a whole.
• Attending and participating in school events outside of regular school hours.
• Other duties as assigned.

Professional responsibilities include:

• Adhering to the 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. work day.
• Regularly attending work and adhering to all attendance policies.
• Being on time for classes, duties, team meetings, and professional development activities. Communicate about and plan for absences in advance with teaching teams and the principal.
• Participating in monthly professional learning community (PLC) meetings.
• Contributing to PLC sessions by being prepared to share data, ideas, student work, materials, feedback, facilitating sessions, and/or discussions.
• Participating in a summer professional development. Summer professional development will be two weeks in August before students return.
• Seeking out additional opportunities for professional development that will lead to achieving personal and school-wide professional development goals.
• Reading provided school information and adhering to all deadlines.
• Responding to all emails within 24 hours or the next business day.
• Other professional duties as assigned.

School culture expectations include:

• Creating and maintaining a physically and emotionally safe environment for students.
• Communicating respectfully to students, staff, and families at all times.
• Modeling, practicing, and discussing respectful, unbiased, and effective communication with students.
• Other school culture expectations as assigned.

Qualifications include:

• Having an AA, BA, or MA, or a high school diploma / GED, and passing the Praxis ParaPro exam.
• RBT (Registered Behavior Technician) certified preferred. ABA and VB training provided so candidate will be able to sit for the RBT exam.
• Having taken coursework in early childhood education, elementary education, or human development.
• Having prior work or volunteer experience with children or students with special needs.
• Demonstrating strong skills in partnering with families.
• Demonstrating excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively with a diverse group of colleagues, parents, families, and community members.
• Being committed to meeting the needs of a diverse student population.
• Having a track record of being a team player and community-minded.
• Being committed to their own learning.
• Having excellent time-management skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently.
• Having a passion for urban public schools.
• Adhering to a high level of professional and ethical standards.

Salary range: $34,000-$53,500 per year.

$4,000 is awarded for RBT certification.

$2,000 is awarded for Spanish language proficiency.

Salary is based on educational level, certification(s), and years of experience. The successful candidate will be contracted yearly. Employment will be renewed according to evaluations and staff interest. Child care and health savings plans, pre-tax deduction for Metro, bike racks, and regular staff engagement and wellness activities. Staff lounge and lactation room for nursing mothers. Health benefits (medical & dental), disability insurance, and a retirement plan: 401k with a 4% match or the continuation of the DCPS retirement plan.

To ensure safety for all students, all staff members may be fingerprinted. Background checks will be conducted on all school staff prior to their service as employees.