Kindergarten Assistant

A Vacancy exists for a Kindergarten Assistant for Caley Elementary, School Year 2026-2027 Salary Range: $18.00- $20.30/hour Hours: 8:30 am-3:45 pm Terms of Employment: 195days/10 Months Qualifications: Education: Minimum of forty-eight (48) post-secondary credits, an associate's degree, or Bureau of Special Education Credential of Competency for Special Education Paraeducators. Experience & Mindset: Possesses specific patience, empathy, and understanding required to offer firm yet nurturing direction to young children experiencing acute behavioral and attention difficulties. Knowledge Base: Possesses foundational knowledge of early child development, general learning principles, and positive behavior intervention strategies as they apply to young, exceptional learners. Adaptability: Demonstrates a high level of flexibility, initiative, and self-motivation when moving between classrooms and managing shifting behavioral dynamics. Teamwork: Proven ability to establish rapid rapport with diverse students and collaborate effectively under the direction of multiple classroom teachers. Original certificates of clearance from the State Police, Child Abuse Registry, and PDE FBI. Duties & Responsibilities: Behavioral & Executive Support: Provides targeted assistance to individual students or small groups who require frequent prompts, redirection, positive reinforcement, and emotional regulation strategies to access the kindergarten curriculum and navigate classroom transitions. Plan Implementation & Data Collection: Assists in executing positive behavior support plans, specially designed instruction, and accommodations outlined in student IEPs. Collaborates with the teaching team to collect data and report behavioral/academic progress to the case manager or lead teacher. Crisis Intervention & Safety: Assists teachers in maintaining a predictable, healthy, and safe classroom environment. This includes applying appropriate de-escalation techniques and, when necessary, utilizing approved physical intervention strategies to prevent a student from hurting themselves or others. Social-Emotional Responsiveness: Responds adaptively to the immediate social and emotional needs of young students. Requires the assistant to be highly perceptive to individual triggers, make sound spontaneous judgments regarding intervention techniques, and model positive prosocial interactions. Collaboration & Team Support: Floats effectively across the assigned elementary team of teachers to provide support where behavioral or attention needs are highest during critical academic and social blocks. Confidentiality: Uses strict discretion when discussing student behavioral or academic performance and maintains absolute student confidentiality. Perform other job-related duties as assigned. Equal Employment Opportunity MINORITY APPLICANTS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY Upper Merion Area School District is an equal opportunity educational institution. It will not discriminate based on race, color, religious affiliation, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or non-relevant handicaps and disabilities in its activities, programs, or employment practices as required by Title VI, Title IX, and Section 504. The district's commitment to non-discrimination extends to students, employees, prospective employees, and the community. For information regarding civil rights or grievance procedures, or for information regarding services, activities, and facilities that are accessible to and usable by handicapped persons, contact Caitlin Navarro, Director of Human Resources, Upper Merion Area School District, 435 Crossfield Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406. #J-18808-Ljbffr