Paraeducator (Paraprofessional)

Assabet Valley Collaborative is seeking a Paraeducator for our Therapeutic Day School, Orchard Street Academy.

Who We Are:

Assabet Valley Collaborative (AVC) is an educational service agency in Metrowest/Central Massachusetts. Our services include school programs, wraparound services, transportation services, professional development, cooperative purchasing and consulting.

AVC's Orchard Street Academy (OSA) is a small public therapeutic school serving grades 6th- 12th.

Our Core Values:

We are in the process of implementing a s hared leadership mode l to engage stakeholders across the organization in learning, leading, designing, and decision making. To thrive within AVC’s innovative shared leadership model, team members must be self-reflective, embrace the value of partnering with others through complex challenges, and recognize the mutual responsibility of giving and receiving feedback.

AVC’s Commitments to Educational Equity are the vision for our future. To achieve our vision, we are committed to a continuous study of the principles of human-centered design, social innovation, cultural proficiency, and culturally responsive practices.

Qualifications:

We are looking for a paraeducator who serves as a leader and as a learner; a team member who is flexible, resourceful, and thrives in a fast-paced, non-traditional, collaborative environment and who understands educational and human service institutions. This person demonstrates a learning mindset and ability to receive feedback, self-reflect, and adapt, as well as an ability to effectively facilitate the learning of others by pushing their thinking, building their skills, and sparking their self-reflection and curiosity.

The ideal candidate would possess or demonstrate the following:

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Post-secondary learning: college, work, military, or specialized training experience preferred.
• Collaborates with others and plans for effective outcomes.
• Has demonstrated a commitment to educational equity.
• Ability to thrive within a team while also being able to work independently.
• Experience working in schools, nonprofits, human service organizations.
• Ability to support students in developing problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Ability to provide and receive feedback and engage in honest and authentic conversations with peers/staff.
• Flexible and versatile - able to support many different components of our school community.
• Identifies problems as well as opportunities and take initiative to find the best path forward.
• A reflective learner through verbalizing self-awareness and seeking to learn and refine your skill set.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills.
• Bilingual or multilingual is a plus.

Responsibilities and Duties:

• Supports instruction and activities for groups and individuals.
• Partners with students and colleagues to implement and collect data on student learning plans (IEPs, transition, behavior, etc)
• Monitors, supervises, and assists students throughout school and school day (ex: in classes, during transition between classes, bathroom escorts, lunchtime, breakfast, arrival/dismissal )
• Supports students in calming, coping and deescalating as needed: when upset, struggling, frustrated, agitated, escalated, dysregulated, etc.
• With colleagues, provides crisis response or physical intervention when needed.
• Supports community-based activities including field trips, work study or work sites, gym and recreational activities.
• Drives AVC vehicles when required to transport students to community-based events.
• Substitutes for Teachers/Clinicians.
• Completes necessary documentation.
• Participates and engages in professional development and community events.
• Complies with collaborative wide policies and procedures.
• Performs all other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Evaluation:

• Evaluation to be performed annually in accordance with Assabet Valley Collaborative’s personnel handbook and pertinent regulations and statutes.

Schedule:

• 185 day schedule. Operating hours of the program, 8:00am-3:00pm. Summer hours are also available, but not required.

Physical Demands:

• This is an active position that requires frequent physical movement to meet the needs of our students. Staff will receive training to physically intervene as needed per AVC Physical Restraint protocol, policy and applicable regulations.

Competitive Benefits include:

• Compensation competitive within public school employees sector.
• Hourly pay range: $22/hour to $37/hour.
• Paid leave: 10 sick days and 3 personal days per year.
• $1200 Tuition Reimbursement.
• $1500 Stipend (only for paras) that can be used flexibly (tuition, cash, insurance, etc).
• School-year position; additional compensation available for summer school service.
• 75% health insurance premiums covered by AVC (High Deductible Health Plan - HDHP).
• With HDHP - AVC offers Health Savings Account (HSA) and contributes 50% of deductible to HSA.
• Participation in MA state pension systems.
• Voluntary benefits: Life, Short-term, Long-term Insurance; Dental.

For more information and to apply

Shared Leadership Statement: At AVC we believe that everyone in our community is a leader and learner who each possess inherent brilliance. We also believe that every community member has the ability and a responsibility to support the learning and growth of ourselves and others.