Position Type:
Support Staff/Teaching Assistant
Date Posted:
5/15/2024
Location:
Oak Park and River Forest High School
Date Available:
ASAP
Closing Date:
Open until filled.
Job Title: Special Education Teaching Assistant (Paraprofessional)
Reports to: Director of Special Education
Terms and Conditions: Full-time, 10-month position. 7.5 hours per day, 7:30 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Salary: Grade 3, $21.55 per hour, per Classified Personnel Association collective bargaining agreement. Includes full benefits package including medical, dental, and life insurance, and participation in Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) pension plan.
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Please, no phone calls. Applications and all supplemental materials are only accepted through the District’s online application system. Any application materials provided outside this system will not be acknowledged. The respective hiring manager will review candidates once the job posting closes. If selected to move forward, you will be contacted by phone or email. After reviewing the job posting, if you have any questions, please send an email to hr@oprfhs.org.
OPRF – WHO WE ARE…
Oak Park and River Forest High School, or OPRF, is a comprehensive public high school located in Oak Park, Ill., a suburb eight miles due west of downtown Chicago. We are a one-school district, with the majority of our students coming from two sender districts, River Forest Public Schools District 90 and Oak Park Elementary School District 97. We offer more than 200 courses, a variety of programs for students with special needs, 75 clubs and activities, and 29 competitive sports. We prepare our students well for post-secondary success, with an average ACT composite score of 24 and a 94% graduation rate.
Oak Park and River Forest are communities that highly value diversity. OPRF is a founding member of the national Minority Student Achievement Network, and our school is racially and economically diverse, with about 44% of our 3,300 students identifying as African-American, Hispanic, multiracial, or Asian. Our villages have long embraced the LGBTQ community, and we have a significant mix of homeowners and renters.
We seek faculty and staff who have high expectations for all students, and who value student voice in education. As a school, we are particularly focused on closing opportunity gaps for our students of color.
OPRF is an equal opportunity employer that provides equal employment opportunities to all without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. OPRF’s goal is to increase its representation of people of color.
Background:
Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 is a progressive district that is focused not only on our tradition of excellence but our future. The District prides itself in offering our students a comprehensive 9-12 college and career readiness curriculum and a rich arts education program. Our students are curious, creative, and they come ready to learn. More than 90 percent of our students go on to college.
Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 believes that we can “become an ever-improving model of equity and excellence that will enable all students to achieve their full potential.” We can accomplish this through dedicated teachers, staff, and administration who build relationships with students and have high expectations for themselves and their students. We believe in planning for and providing the academic and developmental support students need to meet those expectations. We further believe that every student can learn through exposure to academically challenging content, feedback during learning, and the educator’s knowledge and skill.
Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 is a great place for those who are interested in an environment that supports creativity, leadership at all levels, innovation, a focus on professional and curriculum development, and the best practices of instruction. We are currently seeking individuals to join our team where we enable all students to achieve their full potential every day.
Qualifications:
Obtain and maintain valid Division 2, Class D School Bus Permit test Illinois bus license (not CDL for large buses), including successful passing of physical exam, including drug test.
Position Summary:
To support students with special needs in a low-incidence program under the direction of the supervising classroom teacher, Program Chair, and Special Education Administrators.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Physical Demands of Paraprofessionals at Oak Park and River Forest High School
Program: Learning Disabilities and Emotional Disabilities
Given the need, paraprofessionals in this program are assigned to escorts for students in need of supervision during transitions. Transitions consist of walking from one class to the next class within the building. After the paraprofessional escorts the student, they are expected to go to the assignment they are scheduled to support the class.
Paraprofessionals in this program may be given the dedicated assignment of being a 1:1 aide. In this role, the expectation is that they accompany the students each period as the student transitions from class to class. The expectation is that they accompany the student to each class and remain with the student. Once in the classroom, the paraprofessional is expected to work directly with the student 1:1 and in small groups. Paraprofessionals are expected to be on their feet 50% or more of the class period.
Program: Low Incidence- Intellectual Disabilities
Students in this program require 1: 1 supervision at all times. Due to their cognitive functioning and physical challenges, students in this program may require being lifted on and off the toilet, feeding, and grooming. Staff members in this program maintain CPI training due to the physical interactions that take place for students related to the student’s disability. This program requires staff members to be trained in physical management to ensure safety in a time of crisis.
Transition with the class from the self-contained location to elective courses (i.e., gym, music, theater, and lunch.
Other Duties:
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Employees are expected to perform other related functions as assigned. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is not an exhaustive listing of the duties performed in this position. The individuals currently holding this position perform additional duties and additional duties may be assigned.
Oak Park & River Forest High School District 200 (OPRF) is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
This position description should not be considered to contain every function/responsibility that an individual may be asked to perform by his/her supervisor. Employees are expected to perform other related functions as assigned.