Personal Care Assistant - Exceptional Children (EC)

Reports To: Teacher and Principal

Terms of Employment: This an Interim Position for the 2024-2025 school year.

Nature of Work

The EC Personal Care Assistant (PCA) provides support to the lead teacher in charge of the classroom.The PCA helps the lead teacher specifically by focusing on the needs of an individual student and provides one-to-one assistance to that student throughout the school day.

Qualifications and Licensure

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Experience with assisting children and being responsible for their well-being
• Possession of an equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities for the position
• Such alternatives to the above qualifications as the Board may find appropriate and necessary

Duties and Responsibilities

• Cooperates in following the goals and objectives of the student's Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
• Maintains awareness of goals and objectives of supervising teachers.
• Carries out student supervisory duties in a prompt and reasonable manner to ensure a safe and healthful environment.
• Provides information to teacher(s) concerning student needs when appropriate.
• Participates in and facilitates activities to improve effectiveness of the total classroom environment when appropriate.
• Exhibits positive behavior toward children, parents, staff and administrators.
• Conducts himself/herself as a positive role model in the school and community.
• Assists assigned students with understanding, interpreting and adhering to laws, rules and regulations when applicable.
• Shares the responsibility for school cleanliness and neatness.
• Performs all other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Physical Requirements (if applicable)

• This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 50 pounds of force.
• Work regularly requires speaking or hearing and lifting, frequently requires standing, walking, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, reaching with hands and arms and repetitive motions and occasionally requires using hands to finger, handle or feel and pushing or pulling.
• Work has standard vision requirements.
• Vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly.
• Hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound.
• Work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, visual inspection involving small defects and/or small parts, using measuring devices and observing general surroundings and activities.

Special Requirements (if applicable)

• General knowledge of the special education needs of pupils in the classroom.
• General knowledge of the practices and methods used in special education programs.
• Ability to assist classroom teachers in a variety of tasks.
• Skill in working with special education students.
• Ability to work with and assist special education pupils.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with school officials, public, associates and students.
• Ability to accept and follow the direction of the teacher as well as being a self-starter.
• Ability to display calmness, patience, and firmness in managing problem behaviors.
• Patient and kind showing respect for all students regardless of abilities or needs.
• Willingness and ability to learn new skills.
• Must be dependable and prompt.

DISCLAIMER

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees of this job.