Student Support/ Paraprofessional

Job Description

Job Description

The Opportunity

At Phoenix Charter Academy, we pride ourselves on giving students a vibrant learning experience in a welcoming environment. Our community counts on paraprofessionals to bring the best to the classroom every day. We’re searching for a qualified paraprofessional to join us in delivering high-quality learning experiences.. The ideal candidate has prior experience in this role, and is flexible to adapt to the changing nature of the demands of the class. He or she will work closely with an assigned staff member and support them in their duties. Typical tasks include working with students in groups and individually during lessons, assisting with lesson plans and materials, grading homework, and writing progress reports. The thriving paraprofessional is caring, compassionate, and committed to each student’s success.

Who We Are

Phoenix Charter Academy aims to show the world what all young people can do, and to defy the limitations of societal assumptions, classism, and racism. Phoenix Charter Academy was founded on the unwavering belief that all students can succeed at high levels. While this mantra is typical of high-performing schools, particularly those in the charter sector, Phoenix truly endeavors to reach every student, focusing on a growing number on the margins of the traditional public district education system: students who have dropped out of high school, students who are parenting children of their own, students who are or have been involved with the juvenile justice system, students who are older and new to the country and cannot gain access to public schooling, and students who are under-credited relative to the number of years they have spent enrolled in high school. We believe that these students, like all students, are completely capable of developing the skills necessary to set themselves up for lifetimes of economic prosperity and success. We support our students with individually tailored and academically rigorous curricula and push them to succeed at the highest levels by providing them with the resources and mentoring that they need to reach their full potential.

Why Our Work is Important

Students across America are dropping out of high school at an alarming rate. Dropping out of high school has a substantial impact on a young person’s life. Over the course of their lifetime, an individual who drops out of high school is more likely to have reduced earning power, greater social service dependency, increased rates of criminal involvement, and shorter life expectancy. Phoenix Charter Academies addresses this trend by creating environments where students can demonstrate their talent and resilience and prepare themselves for success through high school, college, and beyond.

Commitment to DEI

At Phoenix, we recognize the importance of forming a school community inclusive of all visible and invisible identities. We act to ensure that our students and staff always see reflections of themselves and their communities.

At Phoenix, we aim to break down systemic barriers by providing access to resources, experiences, and differentiated supports for historically marginalized groups.

At Phoenix, we solicit, value, understand, connect, and leverage multiple perspectives and experiences. We invite all perspectives except those that perpetuate oppression or dehumanization.

At Phoenix we do not just accept difference - we celebrate it, support it, and thrive on it for the benefit of our scholars and the communities we serve. We believe difference makes us stronger. Phoenix Charter Academy is an equal opportunity employer and as such, we do not discriminate against any team member or candidate because of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law. Phoenix Charter Academy is committed to making any reasonable accommodation necessary to support an individual's employment.

Qualities of Phoenix staff member :

• Unwavering belief in our students - Phoenix staff operate with the deeply held belief that all young people want to and can succeed even in the face of substantial systemic barriers and societal constraints.
• Continuous Improvement - Phoenix staff approach problem solving with curiosity and desire to understand the perspectives of others. They carry an internalized sense of “I can always learn more” and know that adults at Phoenix must model the qualities of being open-minded and willing to make mistakes and learn from them. Phoenix staff members embody “lifelong learner” mindsets and strive for constant improvement.

• Eager to Learn - Phoenix staff must be able to learn as they go in a fast paced, ever evolving, urgent environment. They have the desire to receive direct feedback and the ability to implement the feedback into practice quickly.

• Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Phoenix staff commit to understanding the ways that their self-identity and experiences impact and interact with their daily work, their colleagues, and their students, and work toward furthering initiatives that promote a more equitable society.

Your Contribution

In addition to demonstrating the qualities of a Phoenix staff member, the Paraprofessional will be responsible for the following:

Specific Responsibilities:

• Boosting Engagement & Motivation

  • Designed and implemented personalized incentive systems

  • Cultivated strong, supportive relationships with chronically unmotivated students, utilizing active listening and interest-based learning to re-engage them in classroom activities.

  • Leveraged student interests (e.g., sports, technology, gaming) to adapt standard lesson materials, making abstract concepts relevant and sparking renewed academic curiosity.

  Moving Category I Student Progression

  • Targeted academic deficits by breaking down complex, multi-step assignments into manageable, bite-sized tasks, helping struggling students overcome frustration and build momentum.

  • Monitored and recorded daily academic progress , utilizing data-driven insights to adjust intervention strategies and successfully move 85% of assigned students to passing grades.

  • Facilitated small-group and one-on-one intensive review sessions , accelerating student comprehension and ensuring benchmarks were met before unit exams.

  Collaboration & Behavior Management

  • Collaborated closely with SST and IEP teams to consistently apply behavioral intervention plans (BIPs), resulting in a noticeable decrease in task-avoidance behaviors.

  • Partnered with classroom teachers to proactively identify learning bottlenecks and co-develop scaffolding techniques that kept at-risk students moving forward with the rest of the class.

  Personalized & Timely Progress

  • Delivered targeted 1:1 interventions that accelerated student progression, successfully moving disengaged or struggling learners back on track within an average 6-to-8-week timeframe.

  • Accelerated academic pacing through intensive, personalized 1:1 support, enabling historically unmotivated students to master foundational skills and close learning gaps in an average of 6–8 weeks.

  • Designed and executed short-term, 1:1 intensive action plans that re-engaged students and fast-tracked their course progression, averaging a complete turnaround in student performance within 6 to 8 weeks

Additional Responsibilities as Required

• Participates weekly in Scholar Success Team meetings and other cross-school meetings as necessary
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends to coordinate and support school programming
• Classroom coverage based on the needs of the school

What You'll Bring

• Deep belief in the mission of Phoenix Charter Academy Network
• High school diploma or GED required
• Proven experience working with students
• Effective communication skills; oral, written, and visual with adults and children
• Understanding of basic principles of childhood development
• Familiarity with educational software or willingness to learn
• Communication - Conveys information effectively and efficiently using verbal, non-verbal, and written communication skills; has knowledge and flexibility to communicate across lines of difference
• Scholar Orientation - Works to deepen understanding of scholars and centers the needs of scholars in all aspects of how the work is done
• Adaptability - Adjusts and strategically aligns work to the school's mission while
  navigating complex and changing environments internally and externally
• Strong work ethic with ability to work independently and in a team environment

What You’ll Get
We want you to be the best you can so you’ll receive professional development, coaching,
and the resources needed for you to succeed. An open, curious, and celebratory culture that
embraces diversity as a leading asset and fosters equity and inclusion through affinity
groups and continuous capacity building supported by our Racial, Justice, and Equity
working group. Competitive market comp, medical, dental, vision, mental health, and
wellness plans, a 403b, and employee perks such as longevity bonus and pet insurance.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and as such, we do not discriminate against any team member or candidate because of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law. Phoenix Charter Academy is committed to making any reasonable accommodation necessary to support an individual's employment.

**The Network retains the right to modify this job description at any time, for any reason, at the Network’s sole discretion**