What are the responsibilities and job description for the Special Education Paraprofessional position at Kairos Academies?
Neurodiversity may be every bit as crucial for the human race as biodiversity is for life in general. Who can say what form of wiring will prove best at any given moment?
—Harvey Blume
TL;DR
Did you know that email and closed captioning were created to help people who were deaf? Every day, we innovate on behalf of society's most excluded groups, not only because it's right, but because it creates a more vibrant experience for everyone. If you believe that a child's exceptionality makes a child exceptional, come build a more equitable world at
Kairos.
We strongly prefer bright and hungry to learn over experienced but complacent.
Responsibilities
This is a super brief outline, intended to be neither comprehensive nor binding. Kairos is always evolving, so our roles do too. In this role, you'd report directly into the Director of Neuro-diversity and...
- work 1-1, in small groups, and in general classroom setting to support students with disabilities
- communicate with parents about student needs and Kairos' adjustments
- help Kairos stay in compliance with all special education laws and regulations
- Requirement: Special Education Certification (i.e., the legal authority to provide IEP minutes)
In addition to role-specific responsibilities, all staff at Kairos "coach" a "pod" of students. Coaching involves checking-in with students 2-3 times throughout the week for 10-15 minutes and updating parents regularly on student progress. Coaches mentor students on executive functioning and social-emotional skills such as setting achievable goals, keeping a to-do list, and navigating the highs and lows of middle school
This Job ISN'T For You If You Won't...
- figure things out yourself (don't wait for others to teach you, make yourself better)
- adapt to frequent change (rapidly iterate; every level of every team improves every cycle)
- happily give and take disagreement, debate, or constructive feedback (be analytical and skeptical like Leslie Knope: "calzones are dumb, and so was that idea")
- keep an organized to do list and calendar (follow through on tasks, details, and goals)
- type 60-70 words per minute (or any other heuristic for tech savvy beyond "proficient in Microsoft Office")
- write with proper grammar (possibly our most important prerequisite)
Who You Are
For people who match our Team DNA, coming to Kairos can be like joining a team that finally plays at your level. For everyone else, it's probably pretty annoying. We don't really know—they either don't apply, don't get hired, or don't last long.
If you see your time here as a chore; if you're gossipy or negative; if you suck the joy out of being on this team, then you're poison. Poison makes environments toxic, and Kairos is not and will never be a toxic environment.
Another thing that can make an environment toxic is too much pressure. (High pressure > oxygen toxicity > hyperoxia...okay, metaphor's gone too far.) Kairos is ambitious and dynamic, but we treat people like people, not robots. There's no clocking in/out. Nobody's going to send you passive aggressive "accountability" emails. At Kairos, we believe self-direction isn't just for students.
Kairos is not easy, although who expected changing the world would be? Our teammates stay because—and they'll tell you this if you ask them—they've never felt more professionally challenged or fulfilled. We set a high bar for our kids, then grow ourselves as a team until we can reach it. For us, that's fun, which means our work makes us happier in our personal life (in the same way a healthy, fun personal life makes us better at work).
Compensation Benefits
Competitive. Let's talk.
Will We Hire You?
"We’ve actually passed on a lot of smart, talented people that we know can make an immediate impact on our top or bottom line. If they’re not good for our culture, then we won’t hire them for that reason alone."—Tony Hsieh (Zappos)
“You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time”—Angela Davis (Author)
"Are they happy? Ask them about their family. If their family couldn’t give them a positive attitude, there’s nothing I can do that’s going to change it."—Barbara Corcoran (The Corcoran Group)
"Nothing will work unless you do."—Maya Angelo (Poet, Activist)
"If you can hire people whose passion intersects with the job, they won't require any supervision at all. They will manage themselves better than anyone could ever manage them. Their fire comes from within, not from without. Their motivation is internal, not external."—Stephen Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective People)
"Education can’t save us. We have to save education”—Dr. Bettina Love (Author, Abolitionist Teacher)
Job Type: Full-time
Salary: $40,000.00 - $45,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
Supplemental pay types:
- Bonus pay
Work Location: One location
Salary : $40,000 - $45,000
