Special Education Instructional Associate; K

Salary: $25.43 per hour plus fully paid employee medical and dental benefits. Salary is non-negotiable.

The impact you will have: As an Instructional Associate – Specialized (Special Education K–12) in San José Unified, you will play a critical role in supporting students with diverse learning, behavioral, social-emotional, and developmental needs. You will work closely with teachers and support staff to provide individualized assistance, implement instructional and behavioral strategies, and help create safe, structured, and inclusive learning environments.

Through patience, relationship-building, and responsive support, you will help students develop confidence, independence, and the skills needed to succeed academically and socially both in and beyond the classroom. A more detailed job description is available at

Who you are: You are a compassionate and student-centered professional who is committed to supporting students with diverse learning and behavioral needs. You bring patience, flexibility, and a collaborative mindset to every interaction, creating supportive relationships with students, staff, and families. You are dependable, proactive, and dedicated to helping students build confidence, independence, and the skills needed to succeed in school and beyond.

As an Instructional Associate – Specialized (Special Education K–12), you will be responsible for (but not limited to):

• Supporting certificated staff in delivering instructional content and individualized student support
• Assisting students with academic, behavioral, social-emotional, and life skill development
• Implementing instructional and behavior support strategies aligned with student IEPs and support plans
• Supervising students in classrooms, on campus, and during school activities in a caring and respectful manner
• Supporting inclusive and structured learning environments that promote student success and safety
• Collaborating with teachers, specialists, and families to support student needs and goals
• Assisting students with toileting and mobility
• Maintaining a clean, safe, and organized learning environment
• Applying crisis intervention and de-escalation strategies as appropriate to support student safety and well-being

What you bring:

• One of the following:
• Passage of the San José Unified Instructional Associate Assessment (view tutorial here). This will be completed after your application and interview, or
• an Associates Degree or higher, or
• two years of college (48 units)
• Prior experience working with students with special needs is preferred
• Completion of San José Unified’s Crisis Intervention training within 60 days of start date.

Roles Available:

SB 848 Child Safety & Employment Disclosure Requirement

Effective January 1, 2026, in accordance with California Senate Bill 848 (School Employee Misconduct/Child Abuse Prevention Act), applicants for employment with San José Unified are subject to enhanced child safety, training, and employment disclosure requirements.

Under SB 848, schools are required to strengthen background vetting procedures and obtain employment history information related to allegations of egregious misconduct involving students. Former employers may be contacted to release records regarding substantiated findings of misconduct as permitted by law. Failure to provide complete and accurate information regarding prior educational employment or relevant misconduct findings may result in disqualification from the hiring process or withdrawal of an offer of employment.

SB 848 also expands mandated reporter requirements and requires annual child abuse prevention training for employees and certain volunteers by July 1, 2026. All employees must comply with district-adopted child safety policies, including procedures for…