SPED Educational Assistant - High School

Licensure Requirement: NMPED Level III Educational Assistant License or ability to obtain

Portales Municipal Schools seeks a SPED Educational Assistant for the 2025/2026 school year. The SPED EA will provide opportunities for the teacher to attend to students' individual needs. To prepare students academically, socially, and physically to become positive, productive participants in the 21st Century.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

• Display a desire to work with students.
• Serve as a role model.
• Work as a member of a team.
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Assist licensed personnel in a school environment where individual differences are respected.
• Respond to students as individuals.
• Help maintain cohesiveness in a school environment.
• Assist with supplementary work for students and supervise independent study in the school environment.
• Use current technology for instructional management needs.
• Assist licensed personnel with student discipline.
• Assist in maintaining students’ involvement in appropriate tasks.
• Provide assistance with individualized materials.
• Work cooperatively with colleagues, supervisors, and administrators.
• Demonstrate ethical behavior.
• Engage in self-development.
• Adhere to confidentiality laws and regulations.
• Support the value of an education.
• Respond to change productively and handle other tasks as assigned.
• Support the philosophy and mission of Portales Municipal School District.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work under the supervision of a certified teacher(s), and prepare for classroom activities.
• Work with small groups of students to reinforce material initially introduced by the teacher.
• Assist individual children in need of special attention.
• Guide independent study, enrichment, and/or remedial work set up by the teacher(s).
• Set up audiovisual equipment as directed.
• Assist with reading and/or storytelling.
• Assist small groups of students in the library and other settings.
• Participate in professional development.
• Contribute to the welfare and effectiveness of the classroom(s), the school, and the district by adhering to high-performance standards and interpersonal relationships.
• Model acceptable social skills in working with the students, teachers, parents, and supervisors.
• Report unsafe or dangerous surfaces and/or conditions in hallways, restrooms, playgrounds, entrances, and classrooms.
• Respond to the unique needs of the special education student.
• Other tasks may be deemed appropriate and necessary by the immediate supervisor, the principal, and/or the superintendent.

Qualifications:

• High School Diploma/GED (Associate's Degree or above desirable.)
• Must hold or qualify for a New Mexico Level III Educational Assistant license (minimum of associate degree or appropriate college credits or obtain a passing score on the Educational Assistant's assessment)
• Demonstrated aptitude for the work to be performed.
• Additional education and/or experience is desirable.

Physical Requirements:

Sitting, standing, lifting, and carrying (up to 50 lbs), reaching, squatting, kneeling, and moving light furniture may be required.

Safety/Health and Other Requirements:

• Knowledgeable of universal hygiene precautions
• An FBI fingerprint background check will be conducted on all new hires of the Portales Municipal Schools. Continued employment will be contingent upon the results of the background check.

Equipment/Material Handled:

Must have the knowledge and ability to operate all multimedia equipment, including current technology.

Work Environment:

Must work within various degrees of noise, temperature, and air quality. Interruptions of work are routine. Flexibility and patience are required. Must be self-motivated and able to complete job assignments without direct supervision. After-hours work may be required.

The position is open until filled.

Portales Municipal Schools are located in the City of Portales, which has a population of about 12,000. The area's economy is based primarily on agriculture. Portales is the home of Eastern New Mexico University and is less than 20 miles from Cannon Air Force Base near Clovis, NM.

The Portales Municipal School District consists of six grade-level schools. This means that each school, except the high school, consists of two grade levels and is not community-based. Portales High School houses grades 9-12, while Brown Early Childhood Center is grades PK-K; James Elementary is 1st and 2nd grade; Valencia Elementary consists of grades 3rd and 4th; Lindsey/Steiner Elementary is grades 5th and 6th; and Portales Junior High is the home of 7th and 8th-grade students.