What are the responsibilities and job description for the Substitute Paraprofessional position at Cleveland Metropolitan School District?
Position Type:
Substitute Job Families
Date Posted:
2025-04-09
Location:Administration or As Assigned
INTRODUCTION: CONTEXT AND MISSION
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) serves approximately 37,000 students in 100 schools. Over the past several years, the Greater Cleveland community has united behind the collective goal of ensuring every child in Cleveland attends a high-quality school and every neighborhood has a multitude of great schools from which families can choose. The Cleveland Plan defines CMSD’s approach to the reinvention of public education and holds our community accountable for the success of Cleveland’s schoolchildren. The Cleveland Plan is supported by Ohio House Bill 525, which provides much-needed flexibility and autonomy for the district and its schools. Our schools have autonomy over human and financial resources in exchange for accountability for
performance. The principal has primary responsibility and accountability for establishing his or her school as a high-quality, high-expectations academic center with a focus on personalized instruction, professional support for teachers, and school-wide practices that lead to measurable results.
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District has developed standards of excellence that the district applies to all parts of the organization inclusive of schools, principals, school leadership teams, networks, and central office. Alignment between Standards of Excellence (SoE) and the district’s Theory of Action helps ensure that principals are able to focus on scholar achievement and that central office supports are timely and effective.
Our Vision for Learning in a Post-Pandemic World:
In our pursuit of a more fair, just, and good system of education, we want each of our learners, both each of our scholars and each of their educators, to be individually and collectively presented with academically / intellectually complex tasks that are worthy of their productive struggle and allow them authentic opportunities to demonstrate their work and their learning of academic content and transferable skills in a joyful and adventurous environment.
THE OPPORTUNITY:
Provides assistance with handling the unique needs of disabled and handicapped Special Education students. Areas of involvement may include providing considerable physical support and control of students as well as assisting with instruction in speech, hearing, sight, etc.
Responsibilities
- Becomes familiar with District initiatives including but not limited to The Cleveland Plan, Academic Achievement Plans, etc.
- Adapts to the individual social emotional and academic needs of the students
- Respects and disciplines students through preventative, proactive, dignified classroom management techniques that reflect structure, equity, and consistency
- Observes and supports students as directed by the teacher and records specific behaviors exhibited as outlined on each student's IEP
- Reinforces students as directed by the teacher in areas which might include academic tasks, social skills or other instructional components of the program
- Assists the teacher in the implementation of behavior management programs
- Provides information to teacher regarding student performance during these activities
- Identifies, locates and uses materials appropriate for each student
- Assists and monitors the students in special training activities, such as showering, and other self-help skills
- Records academic and social progress as required by the teacher
- Assists the teacher in preparing, collecting, adapting, and maintenance of equipment, supplies, or materials
- Assists teacher with physical intervention of behavior issues
- Performs other routine duties as assigned by principal
- Participates as a member of a team
Qualifications
- High school diploma or GED required; related college education courses preferred
- Paraprofessionals must meet one of the following to be Highly Qualified: Associates Degree or a minimum of 48 semester hours or 72 quarter hours or successfully passing the Para Pro Assessment
- Possess or be eligible for an Ohio Educational Aide Permit required
- High moral character
- Genuine interest in children/youth
- Desire to serve the school and community
- Evidence of good health, vitality and enthusiasm
- Ability to physically manage handicapped students
- Effective written and oral communication
- Experience working with handicapped students preferred
Physical Requirements
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
- Walking, Sitting or standing for extended periods of time
- Ability to quickly trail any student that elopes
- Moderate lifting from 15-35 pounds
- Moving of various items like wheelchairs or other mechanical devices – up to 30 pounds
- Manual dexterity to use for items like classroom and building equipment and supplies
- Bending, kneeling, twisting or stooping and other movements as required to ensure safety of scholars
- Ability to write legibly
- Vision (Near, Color, Depth Perception)
- Sense of Sound (Ability to hear fire alarms, bells, and PA system)
- Sense of Touch
- Ability to speak clearly and distinctly
- Able to work near students and other staff
Work Environment
- Work is performed in all areas inside and outside of district buildings, including within the school building, on school grounds, school vehicles and transportation, and/or any area in which a district activity or function is taking place
- Work is not performed in student homes
- Exposed to inside and outside environmental conditions like varying degrees of temperature and unpredictable noise
Emotional Environment
- The ability to work with students and adults displaying a variety of emotions including, but not limited to, joy, happiness, sorrow, fear, anger and aggression in controlled, uncontrolled and unpredictable situations.
Reasonable Accommodations Statement
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function outlined above. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
Education
To Apply
Please submit your resume and application using Workday, our online human capital management system. Please note that an offer of employment will be subject to the successful completion of an FBI/BCI background check and drug screen.
EEO Statement
We believe that equity and inclusion at CMSD is an essential call to action, a catalyst to ensure value and appreciation among all our employees, so we may be fair and welcoming now and in the future. CMSD provides equal opportunities for employment, retention and advancement of all personnel by administering all terms and conditions of employment regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, sex, disability or genetic information, age, citizenship status, military status, sexual orientation or expression, socio-economic status, title, other dimensions of identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.
The District’s Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, and Sexual Harassment and the District’s Title IX grievance procedures, including information on how to report or file a complaint of discrimination, how to report or file a formal complaint of sexual harassment, and how the District will respond, may be accessed on the District’s Civil Rights Notices webpage, available at ClevelandMetroSchools.org/domain/105. The District’s Title IX Coordinator / Director of Equal Employment Opportunity may be reached at:
1111 Superior Avenue East, Suite 1800
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
(216)-838-0070
TitleIX_EEO@ClevelandMetroSchools.org
