Paraeducator, Kindergarten Pool

Qualifications

Minimum qualifications must be met.

• High School Diploma or GED equivalent.
• Must upload diploma or official transcript.
• Education completed outside the United States must be evaluated by an MSDE‑approved organization.
• For TitleI schools: high school diploma/GED equivalent and a passing score on the Para Pro Assessment, or 48 college credits or more from an accredited college or university.

• Experience working with K‑12 students.

• Assists teachers in implementing lesson plans and preparing instructional materials and learning centers.
• Works with individual and small groups of students.
• Prepares bulletin boards and keeps track of individual student performance.
• Checks papers and operates various office machines.
• Works effectively with students, escorting and monitoring transitions throughout the school day and upon arrival and departure in the cafeteria and/or on playgrounds.
• Assists students requiring support with toileting, health protocols, or other personal care tasks.
• Conducts lunch count and collects lunch money.
• Locates and prepares learning resource equipment and materials.
• Provides instructional support in computer laboratories and laboratory instruction for students.
• Performs clerical functions to include operating a computer, record‑keeping, and attendance.
• Assists with media resources including operation of audio‑visual equipment and making of transparencies.
• Participates in faculty discussions and planning.
• Reads, tells and records stories.
• Schedules parent‑teacher conferences and time for parent volunteers to assist in the classroom.
• Assists on field trips and may supervise students in transit.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

• Maintain confidentiality when discussing students’ progress and concerns with staff.
• Communicate clearly and concisely in both written and oral form.
• Remain calm under trying circumstances.
• Reinforce lesson plans to support the educational program for students.
• Follow directions from the teacher, including reinforcing instruction presented.
• Provide personal attention to students on an individual basis.
• Work with small groups of students and assist with instruction.
• Discuss problems affecting students’ progress with the teacher and, if directed, with other professional staff.
• Carry out assignments to completion.
• Perform clerical work.
• Possess basic knowledge of technology and keyboarding to support student learning.
• Demonstrate strong human relations skills.
• Have strong, positive communication and interaction skills when dealing with co‑workers, students, administrators, parents and/or community.
• Attend professional development sessions during the workday.

• Frequently lift and/or carry 50–75 pounds with assistance.
• Work around children, standing and sitting, in a chair and/or on the floor, for extended periods.
• Perform bending, pushing/pulling, walking, running, kneeling, twisting, squatting, crouching, overhead and above‑shoulder reaching movements.
• Use hands and fingers to operate standard office equipment and classroom equipment.
• Actively monitor and respond to students eloping from the classroom or school building.
• Move quickly toward students who may elope from an assigned area.
• Visual acuity to read and write printed materials and observe activities of children.
• Ability to hear, with or without hearing aid(s), sufficient to hear any conversation.
• Meet all requirements of the physical examination administered by a medical service selected by the Howard County Department of Education.

School buildings, classrooms, community, and/or outdoor setting under a variety of weather conditions. Exposure to high‑pitched/louder verbalizations by students, bodily fluids,…