General Description:

The Richmond Hospital Education Program (RHEP) is a state operated program funded to provide educational services to students hospitalized at the Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU. The RHEP provides in-patient educational services, serving students in grades PK-12, including post-graduates. The Hospital Education Program Instructional Assistant is responsible for assisting teachers with providing daily instruction for patients with a wide variety of learning abilities in an acute care hospital setting at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU/ Downtown or Brook Road campuses. Duties will be performed in a hospital setting, including patient rooms and/or hospital common areas.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Travels throughout the hospital daily to provide instruction for patients in the acute care and residential settings
• Assists teachers and students by reinforcing material already presented through specialized instruction utilizing repetition
• Provides one-to-one instructional services for students under the direction of hospital teachers
• Assists students with utilizing adapted equipment and assistive technology such as communication devices, special switches, positioning devices, and other specialized learning aids
• Conducts and/or provides appropriate classroom enrichment activities
• Provides individual help to students in academic areas and with special projects
• Assists students with academic and behavioral challenges through teaching and reinforcing appropriate skills and responses
• Assists teachers in planning, conducting, and evaluating classroom and in-room learning activities
• Assists teachers with completing information for and in preparation of teacher reports and performs other classroom support activities
• Maintains accurate and complete records/documentation
• Updates the student database system under the direction of the teacher and administrator
• When appropriate, assumes instructional responsibility in the absence of the teacher
• Participates in pre-service and in-service training activities
• Accompanies students and teachers on community trips periodically
• Movement of students by wheelchairs and other mechanical devices is required
• Elevator use is required
• Work requires frequent walking, standing, stair climbing, sitting, stooping, kneeling, reaching, pushing, pulling, light lifting, vocal communication for expressing or exchanging ideas, hearing to perceive information at a normal spoken word level and visual acuity for preparing and analyzing written or computer data
• Performs other related duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Associate’s degree or completion of 60 hours of college credits from an accredited college or demonstrated knowledge of and the ability to assist in reading, writing and mathematics instruction by achieving a passing score on the ParaPro Assessment
• One year of experience working with medically complex students and/or students with significant disabilities is required
• Must have considerable patience and the ability to work effectively with children with disabilities, education staff, and medical staff
• Must have knowledge and understanding of child growth and development and effective paraprofessional instructional procedures and practices
• Must be adaptable to changing priorities, have the ability to work independently and/or with minimum supervision, and have the ability to effectively handle multiple assignments simultaneously
• Must be able to follow written and oral instructions and to perform all required tasks
• Must have the ability to maintain student disability information and records in a highly confidential manner
• Knowledgeable and skilled in operating a personal computer, including utilizing email, documents, spreadsheets, database systems, and other online software programs to support record keeping
• Excellent oral, written, communication and organizational skills required to exchange information, make presentations, read assignments and to effectively monitor students’ activities

Reports to: Principal
How to Apply: All applicants (including RCPS employees) must submit an on-line application. Please access website at: www.rvaschools.net.

Please upload the following information with your application: a current resume and transcript if applicable. Also, when completing your application, include three email addresses of your professional references and/or upload letters of references. A combination of professional reference email addresses and letters are accepted. Richmond City Public Schools will conduct a background investigation, fingerprinting and and tuberculosis screening as a condition of employment. EOE.

Length of Contract: This is an eleven month (216 days) position with a 7-hour workday and excellent benefits. FLSA: Non-exempt

Start Date: Based on School Board approval