Special Education Teaching Assistant: Dedicated Adult ; Southeast Campus

Highline Academy Southeast

www.highlineacademy.org

Dedicated Adult Support (DAS) - Special Education

Job Description:

MISSION:
We exist to foster a diverse community of youths and adults striving together for academic, personal, and civic excellence.

VISION:
Creating inclusive excellence in public education.

Assignment:
Teaching Assistant

Our staff is the heart of our organization, the ones who bring the mission to life for our students. We expect our staff to care about the whole child, manage classrooms with strength and nurture, and collaborate effectively with teammates and families. We look for people with strong communication skills, a dedication to doing everything it takes to make a difference for each child, and a growth mindset.

Position

Schedule:

Special Education 1:1
Dedicated Adult Support is a paid, year-round salaried position. Their student contact days (176), professional development days, and parent conference days add up to a 186-day work year. Teaching Assistants are expected to be on campus and ready for students by 7:30 am and to stay until 3:30 each day school is in session, and until 2:00 on Fridays during early release days.

One week of professional development occurs every summer before school begins and counts as part of the accounted professional development days.

HIGHLINE OVERVIEW:
Highline Academy is a community of diverse youth and adults striving together for academic, civic, and personal excellence. Founded in 2004, Highline is committed to inclusive excellence. In 2013, we launched our second school in Green Valley Ranch. Our students come from 50 countries, speak 26 languages, and represent a full range of socioeconomic backgrounds and prior educational experiences. Our diverse and integrated community has already begun to achieve excellence.

Highline students have consistently outperformed district and state averages. Strong faculty and student retention rates reflect the school’s positive culture and strong community.

Highline has a commitment to a liberal arts education which includes Art, Music, Spanish and P.E. instruction for our students. We have high expectations for all learners, with an understanding that some need more or different instruction. We have Performance Group teachers at each grade level, which enables us to provide small-group instruction in the core content areas of math and language arts.

Additionally, we have a robust intervention program with additional supports available as students show they need them. We are a fully inclusive organization for students with special needs, who are integrated into the general education classrooms. Highline designed a character education program called REACH. This teaches, practices, and celebrates the REACH values of responsibility, empowerment, aspiration, citizenship, and honesty. All our students are taught to Reach Out to support and care for their classmates and community, Reach In to learn about themselves and reflect on their learning, and Reach Up to achieve their best academically.

We are a student-first, growth-mindset organization, and we expect all employees to model these values. All Highline employees are expected to read and follow all policies as written in the employee handbook and to review it annually for updates.

What we are looking for:

Our DAS 1:1 team are the experts in their students. As a member of the grade-level team they support, we lean on our DAS Teaching Assistants to help create a successful learning environment, support student regulation, implement behavior intervention plans, and promote student engagement for holistic student growth. We are looking for a grounded individual, experienced in implementing a variety of tools to support student regulation, committed to consistency, and a strong collaborator.

Major Responsibilities:
All Highline Dedicated Adult Support must show clear competency and reliable practice of the following indicators:

• Create a Positive Classroom Culture and Climate
• Practice Restorative Justice Protocols
• Practice effective student management in all school areas, inside and outside
• Demonstrate Effective Collaboration and Engagement with students and colleagues
• Demonstrate thoughtful reflection, learning, and development

All Highline Dedicated Adult Support staff are also expected to demonstrate the Highline Internal Commitments for Professional Practice.

• We will take responsibility for student learning by valuing diversity, needs, and learning styles, and by sharing ownership.
• We will…