<p>DISTRICT OVERVIEW</p> <p>Holyoke Public Schools is a PreK-12 public school district serving nearly 5,100 students, of whom 80 percent are Latino/Latina, in 11 schools. We employ nearly 1,300 people who together educate and support a richly diverse community of learners. We are committed to recruiting and retaining top-quality educators who believe all children can and will learn and who strive daily to make school a joyful place of discovery, support, and belonging.</p> <p>Holyoke Public Schools' strategic plan, "Moving Forward Together," builds on the strengths of our past while serving as a call to action to accelerate student learning by thinking differently about how we teach, how we work together, and how we support students' well being.</p> <p>Our Equity Commitments are pledges we are making to address systemic equity challenges.</p> <ul> <li>We intentionally build a community that is anti-racist, inclusive, and culturally responsive. </li><li>We ensure that students, families, and staff get the support they need to be successful. </li><li>We seek out and incorporate the voices of those impacted, with a commitment to include those who have been excluded in the past. </li><li>We promote access and inclusion for all students, staff, and families. </li><li>We respect, embrace, and honor the diversity of our students, families, staff, and community. </li><li>We reflect on our own behavior to minimize harm to others. </li><li>We create a culture of acceptance and empathy so that everyone feels valued and is able to contribute to our community's success. </li></ul> <p>Please visit the Holyoke Public Schools website to learn more about us as well as some of our recent accomplishments.</p> <ul> <li> <p>Job Description:</p> </li><li> <p>Provide 1:1 support to a student or group of students with autism or other significant needs, delivering consistent reinforcement of academic, social-emotional, and behavioral goals using evidence-based practices.</p> </li><li> <p>Implement Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) strategies, including prompting, reinforcement, task analysis, and error correction as trained and directed.</p> </li><li> <p>Collect daily data on student behavior and skill acquisition to support progress monitoring and inform instruction.</p> </li><li> <p>Reinforce learning of materials and skills initially introduced by the teacher, therapists, and service providers, ensuring fidelity to the student's IEP and behavior intervention plan (BIP).</p> </li><li> <p>Operate and care for instructional equipment and assistive technology; help students use specialized tools and learning materials.</p> </li></ul> <p>Support the implementation of individualized behavior modification programs; document behavioral data with consistency and professionalism (daily and weekly logs).</p> <ul> <li>Supervise and support students during emergency drills, transitions, lunch, breakfast, field trips, and other school-based activities. </li></ul> <p>Provide mobility and personal care support, including toileting, diapering, wash-ups, and tooth brushing as needed.</p> <ul> <li> <p>Assist with feeding, lunch/snack routines, and clean-up, promoting independence and self-care skills.</p> </li><li> <p>Meet the bus upon arrival and assist students with entering/exiting the school safely, including breakfast and transition routines.</p> </li><li> <p>Work collaboratively with teachers, related service providers, and support staff to create a safe, consistent, and supportive learning environment tailored to students with autism and high needs.</p> </li><li> <p>Demonstrate patience, consistency, and empathy while maintaining high expectations and clear boundaries.</p> </li><li> <p>Maintain confidentiality and adhere to all safety, procedural, and ethical guidelines.</p> </li></ul> <p>Other duties as assigned by the Principal and Assistant Principal.</p> <p>Qualifications:</p> <ul> <li>Associate's Degree or higher; OR Completing at least two years, or 48 credit hours of study at an institution of higher education; OR taking and passing a formal assessment measuring one's knowledge of and ability to assist classroom teachers in reading, writing, and mathematics. (WorkKeys or Parapro Assessment) </li><li>Training or experience working with Special Needs Students preferred </li><li>Experience working in an urban setting, preferred </li><li>Experience working with diverse student populations, preferred </li><li>Ability to read, interpret, and apply student performance data to instructional planning and execution </li><li>Strong written and verbal communication skills; excellent teamwork skills </li><li>Bilingual applicants (Spanish) are strongly encouraged to apply. </li></ul>