Special Education Teaching Assistant

Position Type:
Support Staff/Teacher Assistant - Special Education

Date Posted:
7/22/2026

Location:
Lake Forest High School

Date Available:
08/24/2026

Closing Date:
Until Filled
Lake Forest High School District 115 is seeking a full-time 10 month, 7.5 hr/day Special Education Teaching Assistant.

Description: The Special Education Teaching Assistant supports students eligible for special education in various instructional settings. The responsibilities of this position include adapting classroom assignments and/or materials under the direction of a special education teacher for the purpose of supporting and reinforcing curricula and IEP objectives. The Special Education Teaching Assistant works under the direction of a certified teacher and is expected to exercise independent judgment, a high degree of confidentiality, creativity, organizational skills, and be able to react appropriately in crisis situations.

Salary and Benefits:

• Starting Rate $22.95/Hour
• Personal and Sick Leave provided
• Reimbursement - up to $1300 annually for tuition reimbursement
• Insurance - 100% district paid Single HMO Health (other options are also available)
• Retirement - IMRF (Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund) - the district pays the full district premium, employees pay the 4.5% employee contribution

Qualifications:
Education, Experience, and Licensure:

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• Illinois Professional Educator License, Paraprofessional License, or Substitute License
• Ability to obtain a valid Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Certificate
• Experience working with children and/or adolescents with disabilities - preferred
• Experience with office and school-based management systems - preferred

Competencies:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and positive problem solving attitude
• Comfortable and pleasant demeanor in busy environments
• Ability to:
  • work under pressure and deal with multiple tasks to meet deadlines
  • work with speed, attention to detail, consistency, and organization
  • work harmoniously, cooperatively, and effectively with all stakeholders
  • work effectively within office and school-based management systems
  • collect basic data and enter the information into spreadsheets
  • implement Nonviolent Crisis Interventions
  • recognize dangerous situations and to prevent accidents
  • motivate students as to the value of learning the curriculum and inspire positive performance
  • transport oneself to different student vocational sites throughout the day, including transporting oneself to and from high school campuses
• Proactive in addressing needs and problem-solving
• Demonstrate a commitment to excellence, high expectations and to the academic and personal well-being of all students
• Flexibility and willingness to assist in general departmental responsibilities
• Maintain confidentiality
• Adhere to Board of Education policies and procedures
• Maintain a professional appearance and demeanor at all times

Essential Functions:

• Serves as an instructional assistant to the classroom teacher and adapts classroom activities, assignments and/or materials under the direction of the supervising teacher for the purpose of supporting and reinforcing classroom and vocational objectives and meeting IEP goals
• Administers classwork, tests, homework, make-up work, etc. for the purpose of supporting teachers in the classroom and the community setting
• Communicates with supervising instructional staff, work site staff, and professional support personnel for the purpose of communicating progress and/or implementing IEP goals and objectives
• Implements, under the supervision of assigned teacher, research based interventions and best practices for the purpose of presenting and/or reinforcing learning concepts
• Assists with evaluation of student skills and data collection for monitoring student IEP goals
• Intervenes in potential conflicts utilizing appropriate physical and/or therapeutic approaches for the purpose of defusing confrontations and minimizing disruptions
• Prepares and maintains instructional materials, manuals and electronic files/records for the purpose of ensuring availability of items, providing written reference; and/or meeting students' needs
• Assists with the implementation of the behavior management plan (BIP) including behavior escalation, Crisis prevention intervention (CPI) and positive behavioral strategies under the direction of the teacher or related services faculty
• Assists with escorting students to and from classes including loading and unloading of students from bus or other school vehicles
• Serves as a daily supervisor of the student during events, activities, meals and other programming (e.g. daily walks/breaks, assemblies)
• Provides, under the supervision of assigned teacher, instruction to students in a variety of individual and group settings for the purpose of reinforcing instructional, functional and vocational and IEP objectives
• Attends meetings and in-service presentations for the purpose of acquiring and/or conveying information related to job functions
• Helps students develop, learn, and self-monitor social skills, executive functioning skills, and social emotional skills
• Helps students with health related services as directed by school nurse which may include observing and recording individual student health needs
• Maintains and respects confidentiality of student information
• Performs other job related duties as assigned by direct supervisor
• Adheres to Board of Education policies and procedures

Physical Demands :
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, talk, hear, reach, grasp, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, push, pull, and lift. Repetitive motions are required. The employee must lift and/or move up to 100 pounds of force occasionally, up to 50 pounds of force frequently, and up to 20 pounds of force constantly. Specific vision abilities required for this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to heat, cold, and humidity and inside and outside environmental conditions. with exposure to heat, cold, and humidity. The employee is frequently exposed to video displays. The employee will have contact with the students, staff, and the public which requires appropriate demeanor and apparel. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate with frequent exposure to loud hallways, cafeterias, etc.

Application Procedure: Interested candidates must apply online. Click here to access the online application.

To learn more about Lake Forest High School, visit our website at

To Inspire the Passion to Learn, the Insight to Know Oneself, and the Courage to Make a Difference