Special Education Paraprofessional Jobs in Colorado

INTRODUCTION

The Academy is hiring a full-time Special Education Paraprofessional for grades K-2 for the 2026-2027 school year.

The Academy of Charter Schools is a public PK-12 school of choice located in Westminster, Colorado. We pair a rigorous, content-rich curriculum with opportunities to explore strengths and passions to achieve the highest standards for all. Our mission is to help all students grow into college-ready, exemplary citizens by combining academic mastery with personal empowerment to drive lifelong success. We serve our full community by intentionally developing a school culture that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Our approach to vertically aligning the full educational experience for our students from youngest to oldest centers around three notions – Prepare, Explore, and Empower – that keep us grounded in The Academy’s mission and vision as we set priorities and make decisions that impact instruction and school culture.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

At The Academy, employees embody our mission, vision, and values every day. They guide and support staff to prepare students for academic mastery by delivering evidence-based curricula; they collaborate with students, staff, and families to design student-centered learning experiences that create opportunities to explore strengths and passions; and they support the implementation of social-emotional skills lessons that empower students to become leaders of their own learning. Academy employees work hard to provide an engaging, inclusive, and joyful learning environment. They embrace relationships and positive communication with a diverse community of students, staff, and families while helping maintain a culture of high expectations for all. Experience in school environments, strong people skills, and ability to work within a team is required.

SUMMARY

A Special Education Paraprofessional will support the students and service providers within the Special Education Department. Assist students by helping individuals or small groups of students with achieving reading, writing, and basic math skills, implementing instruction, reinforcing learning skills, and reinforcing school-wide discipline procedures. Assist instructor with preparation of classroom materials, monitoring students, and evaluating and recording student achievement.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1. Co-teach small groups in the in-resource room under the direction of Learning Specialists.
2. Pull small groups for testing.
3. Manage online programs.
4. Extrapolate lesson plans in reading and math; this includes organizing testing materials, organizing lesson materials, and supplements weekly.
5. Collect classroom IEP summaries from teachers at end of year and create new files for the upcoming year’s teachers.
6. Filing progress monitoring data and other data/info into IEP working files.
7. Email Notice of Meetings.
8. Mail Notice of Meetings, Consent for Evaluations/Parent Rights.
9. Finalize all IEPs (This includes print/copy and distribute Classroom Summaries to teachers, mail home copy, put original in master file, copy in sped classroom file, take out old IEP and shred).
10. Front load initial IEPs with demographic info, grades.
11. Manage work completion time for students on work completion goals including helping as needed, monitoring and recording the time spent in work completion.
12. Push-in to general education classes depending on caseload needs and scheduling. May provide general education student support in general education classrooms.
13. Monitors and supervises students during breaks, recess, time-outs, etc.
14. Assists with special projects.
15. May administer first aid and/or assist students to clinic or nurse.
16. May monitor and supervise students during teacher breaks, lunch, recess, time-outs, etc.
17. Perform other duties as assigned.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION AND RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE:

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Experience in working with school age children preferred.
• Must meet the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Requirements, which are:
• AA or 2-year college degree, OR
• Completion of 48 college semester hours, OR
• Passing of state CDE approved paraprofessional examination.

LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS or CERTIFICATIONS:

• Criminal background check required for hire.
• First Aid certification required within 30 days of entering position.
• Must successfully complete Safety Training Class within 30 days of entering position.

TECHNICAL SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & ABILITIES:

• Demonstrated skill in handling children.
• Ability to diffuse and manage stressful situations.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality in all aspects of the job.
• Knowledgeable in Colorado School Law, Authorizer policies, The Academy mission, philosophies, policies, and administrative procedures.
• Ability to communicate, interact, and work effectively and cooperatively with people from diverse ethnic and educational backgrounds.
• Ability to recognize the importance of safety in the workplace, follow safety rules, practice safe work habits, utilize appropriate safety equipment, and report unsafe conditions to the appropriate administrator.

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT OPERATING KNOWLEDGE:

• Operating knowledge of and experience with personal computers and peripherals.
• Operating knowledge of and experience with Microsoft Office applications.
• Operating knowledge of and experience with typical office equipment, such as telephones, copier, fax machine, e-mail, etc. preferred.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS & DIRECTION/GUIDANCE:

Reports to: Para K – 6 Level Admin Assist OR Para 6 – 12 Level Principal OR After School Program Supervisor or Site Leader

Direct reports and # of employees: None

BUDGET AND/OR RESOURCE RESPONSIBILITY:

• This job has no budgetary responsibilities.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands, work environment factors, and mental functions described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES:

• Stand - Over 2/3
• Walk - Over 2/3
• Sit - Under 1/3
• Use hands to finger, handle or feed - 1/3 to 2/3
• Reach with hands and arms - 1/3 to 2/3
• Climb or balance – Under 1/3
• Stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl – Under 1/3
• Talk – 1/3 to 2/3
• Hear – 1/3 to 2/3
• Taste - None
• Smell – Under 1/3

WEIGHT and FORCE DEMANDS:

• Up to 10 pounds - 1/3 to 2/3
• Up to 25 pounds - None
• Up to 50 pounds - None
• Up to 100 pounds - None
• More than 100 pounds - None

MENTAL FUNCTIONS:

• Compare - 1/3 to 2/3
• Analyze – Under 1/3
• Communicate - Over 2/3
• Copy - Under 1/3
• Coordinate - Under 1/3
• Instruct - 1/3 to 2/3
• Compute - Under 1/3
• Synthesize - Under 1/3
• Evaluate - Under 1/3
• Interpersonal Skills - Over 2/3
• Compile - Under 1/3
• Negotiate - Under 1/3

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Wet or humid conditions (non-weather) - None
• Work near moving mechanical parts - None
• Work in high, precarious places - None
• Fumes or airborne particles - None
• Toxic or caustic chemicals - None
• Outdoor weather conditions - 1/3 to 2/3
• Extreme cold (non-weather) - None
• Extreme heat (non-weather) - None
• Risk of electrical shock - None
• Work with explosives - None
• Risk of radiation - None
• Vibration - None

VISION DEMANDS:

• No special vision requirements - Not Required
• Close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less) - Required
• Distance vision (clear vision at 20 feet or more) - Required
• Color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors) – Required
• Peripheral vision - Required
• Depth perception - Required
• Ability to adjust focus - Required

NOISE LEVEL – Exposure Level Indicated by an ‘X’:

• Very Quiet
• Quiet
• Moderate Loud - X
• Very Loud

At The Academy, we know that diversity makes us stronger and challenges us to think differently every day. The Academy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status or disability.

The online application should include a cover letter and resume.

• Hourly rate starting at $20.00 per hour, based on experience.
• 8 hour work days, Monday - Friday.
• School year starts August 12, 2026; school year ends May 27, 2027.
• Health Benefits - 100% paid for employees on select plans.
• PERA Retirement Benefits.