Personal Care Assistant; PCA)– Exceptional Children

Personal Care Assistant (PCA) – Exceptional Children

• Position Type:
  Support Staff/ Special Education Assistant
• Date Posted: 4/3/2024
• Location:
  
  District Wide

Purpose: To assist the teacher by monitoring and assisting special needs students in the classroom and during other activities to ensure the provision of quality instruction in a safe environment.

Reports to: Director of Special Services and Building Principal

Job Goal: To assist the teacher by monitoring and assisting special needs students in the classroom and during other activities to ensure the provision of quality instruction in a safe environment.

• Position may be in district or for an out of district placement.
• Follows all rules, policies, and procedures of Garfield Public Schools, along with state and federal regulations pertaining to special education.
• Administers scores and records such achievement and diagnostic tests as the teacher recommends for individual students.
• Works with individual students or small groups of students to reinforce learning of material or skills initially introduced by the teacher; creates and modifies materials to match student abilities.
• Assists the teacher in devising special strategies for reinforcing material or skills based on an understanding of individual students, their needs, interests, and abilities.
• Operates and cares for equipment used in the classroom for instructional purposes.
• Helps students master equipment used in the classroom for instructional purposes.
• Monitors student behavior and helps maintain discipline in the classroom; records time‑out and in‑class suspensions; assists with crisis prevention; assists with de‑escalation techniques with students as needed.
• Assists with the delivery of special services; assists with daily living skills; feeds and toilets students if necessary; assists with any other task students are unable to perform for themselves as directed by the supervising teacher.
• Assists students with mobility needs including transferring students to and from wheelchairs/toilets as well as any individual equipment.
• Constantly monitors the safety and well‑being of students; employs strategies as necessary to protect a student, students, or others from injury; monitors student attitudes and encourages self‑esteem.
• Collaborates with teachers to incorporate information provided by parents, doctors, nurses, therapists, and others to understand the needs of and provide services for students.
• Performs various clerical duties as needed, maintains records of student progress; develops and files incident reports; grades student papers; checks daily attendance; makes copies; distributes materials to students; develops classroom displays and instructional material; maintains and operates audiovisual equipment; maintains class files.
• Maintains the same high level of ethical behavior and confidentiality of information about students as is expected of teachers.
• Strives to maintain and improve professional competence; participates in the development and support of special education programs.
• Assists with the supervision of students during emergency drills, assemblies, play periods, and field trips.
• Alerts the regular teacher to any problem or special information about an individual student.
• Performs related duties and responsibilities as requested by the teacher and/or principal.

Note:

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this job. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required of personnel so employed.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality of student information.
• Ability to follow detailed written and oral instructions.
• Ability to read a variety of correspondence, reports, handbooks, forms, lists, etc.
• Working knowledge of effective methods of dealing with children.
• General knowledge of methods of adapting instruction, equipment, and tools for students with special needs.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing;…