K-8 Special Education Instructional Aide/Paraprofessional (19-20)

THE ORGANIZATION:

Social justice movements come in all shapes and sizes. Here at Lighthouse Community Public Schools, we are engaged in an educational movement that goes beyond our classrooms working to disrupt educational inequities by providing our students and families exceptional educational opportunities every day. Grounded in our core values of community, integrity, agency, love, and social justice rooted in EL Education Model , LCPS is a leader in fostering innovative schools achieving exceptional student outcomes where each child is at the center of their own learning. Our mission is to prepare diverse students for college, a career of their choice, and to be lifelong changemakers.

Founded in 2002, LCPS operates a high-achieving K-12 public charter school, and our K-8 sister site, Lodestar, that opened in Fall 2016; serving nearly 1,300 students in East Oakland. Lighthouse is a beacon for public education and our graduates fulfill the promise of a better, brighter Oakland. 95% of our graduates, almost all of whom are first-generation college students, are accepted into four-year colleges. We were named the Hart Vision Charter School of the Year in 2013, and the #1 high school for closing achievement gaps for low-income Latino students in 2016. If the work we do here at LCPS appeals to your values regarding quality education for all then please join our movement! Learn more at www.lighthousecharter.org

About Lodestar-A New Way of Doing School

Lodestar is an innovative, new school that opened in East Oakland in Fall 2016. Lodestar teachers are excited by the possibility of transforming the traditional model of education to be student-centered and experiential. Our teaching pedagogy is built around:

• Design principles of agency
• Students belonging to an educational community that provides personalized learning
• Project-based learning expeditions using Making/Arts/Design
• "Just right" instruction in math and literacy

This model allows our teachers to specialize in delivering either project-based interdisciplinary learning or small-group, multi-age math or literacy instruction. This year, we are adding grade 5 to our existing grade levels of K-4 and 6-8. We will continue to add grades until we are K-12. Take a look at our work and watch our lab in action here !

THE OPPORTUNITY

K-8 Special Education Instructional Aide/Paraprofessional -

Competencies, Responsibilities, and Qualifications

Lighthouse Community Charter School is looking for a Special Education Instructional Aide/Paraprofessional who will work one on one and with small groups of students with IEPs to support academic and behavioral interventions under the direction of an Education Specialist/Resource Teacher. This position is a good fit for someone looking to develop their skills working with students with disabilities and potentially the first step in a pathway to teaching through our teacher residency program. At Lighthouse, we strive to hire and retain staff we who are relentlessly committed to ensuring that traditionally underserved students of color achieve our mission of completing college and securing the career of choice. Lighthouse staff believe that this important mission is not only attainable; it is essential to transforming our Oakland community. If you are inspired by our mission and vision and want to be a changemaker in students' lives here in Oakland, then please apply and join us!

CORE COMPETENCIES

We are looking for educators who exhibit competencies in each of our five tenets:

You will embody the following Core Competencies to be an effective change-agent:

• Be a visionary, innovative and equity-focused urban educator
• Facilitate deeply engaging student-centered learning
• Demonstrate a keen ability to create, collect and analyze authentic data
• Be a strong community builder and team collaborator
• Model and Foster a Growth Mindset with agency, persistence, and flexibility

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Deliver individual and small group instructional and academic supports, behavioral, speech and language supports as specified in IEP goals in order to support specified students' learning in order to close skill gaps and support the specified student's movement towards meeting learning targets and IEP goals.
• Provide service minutes for individual and small groups of students with academic and behavioral needs under the direction of an Education Specialist who is the case manager for each students' IEP.
• Consistently implement support plans for all identified students to maximize success for all students.
• Supports teachers in maintaining engagement and inclusion in the larger classroom culture by implementing preferred Lighthouse strategies and systems as well as the accommodations and modifications necessitated by the individual student's IEP.
• Collaborate weekly with teachers to identify, monitor progress through formal documentation methods, and collaboratively develop supports to match individual student needs.
• Collaborate with K-5 and 6-8 Lead RSP and other service providers to monitor progress and adjust practices to support student engagement in the full educational experience.
• Communicate with families as needed to discuss progress and growth areas
• Provide support in learning practices of personal care and social integration
• Attend and actively participate in professional development activities, team and staff meetings to promote professional learning.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• A.A. required, Bachelor's Degree preferred
• At least two years of student support, instructional aide or paraprofessional experience working in a school setting preferred
• At least two years working with youth in tutoring or school setting preferred
• Bilingual in Spanish a Plus

SUPERVISION: This position reports to the 6-8 Principal.

TIME COMMITMENT:

200-day work year. This position is full-time (1.0 FTE), salaried non-exempt 11-month (200 day) role.

Common Building Hours: Hours to be determined by the student's schedule of needs

COMPENSATION:

At Lighthouse Community Public Schools we take good care of our employees. We provide a competitive compensation and benefits package, including a competitive salary and generous health and retirement benefits (100% employee health coverage/50% for dependents; 8% employer-matching for retirement program; medical and dependent FSA).

TO APPLY

People of color and/or bilingual candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Interested candidates should submit:

• Resume
• Cover letter describing your interest in this exciting position and why you are an optimal fit, including how your teaching philosophy, approach to student learning, and educational expertise would contribute to the Lodestar founding team.
• 3 references with Name, Email, Phone Number and Title/nature of the working relationship

Application submission screening and initial phone interviews will be completed on a rolling basis. In-person interviews and performance tasks will take place on-site.

Lighthouse Community Charter School is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity at all levels.