Special Education Paraprofessional
UP Academy Dorchester

To Apply:
If you are interested in applying for this position, please visit http://www.upeducationnetwork.org/careers and formally apply for this position through our on-line application system.

UP Education Network is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against employees or qualified job applicants on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other status or condition protected by applicable law. This policy extends to, but is not limited to, recruitment, selection, compensation, benefits, promotion, training and termination.

About UP Education Network
UP Education Network is a nonprofit school management organization whose mission is to rapidly transform chronically underperforming district schools into extraordinary schools that sustain high achievement over time. Our turnaround schools ensure that students acquire the knowledge, skills, and strength of character necessary to succeed on the path to college and to achieve their full potential. Scholars across our network are demonstrating outstanding - and in some cases, historic - progress. Our rapid success in narrowing the achievement gap resulted in NewSchools Venture Fund naming us "2013 U.S. Education Reform Organization of the Year." UP Education Network currently operates five schools in two cities: UP Academy Boston (grades 6-8), UP Academy Dorchester (grades K1-6), and UP Academy Holland (grades K1 - 5) in Boston; and UP Academy Leonard Middle School (grades 6-8) and UP Academy Oliver (grades 6-8) in Lawrence. Across our network, we serve more than 2,500 students.

Working at UP Academy
We know that great staff members directly lead to the success of our students. At UP, your career is shaped by:

• Opportunities for immediate impact : UP offers a chance to bring best practices found in high-performing schools to students previously enrolled in struggling schools, and to rapidly unlock the potential of these students.
• Talented, mission-driven colleagues : Our staff is enthusiastic, dedicated, and willing to do "whatever it takes" to put every student on the path to college.
• Collaboration and teamwork : Staff members collaborate and work closely together on grade-level or content area teams, using data to track student performance as well as guide instructional practice.
• Consistent professional growth and development : Members of our staff typically have bi-weekly check-in meetings with their managers where they receive targeted coaching and support. Additionally, the entire staff participates in weekly professional development sessions during the school year, kick-started by extensive training in August.

Role:
The Special Education Paraprofessional will work closely with a small case load of students who need additional supports to be successful in the UP Academy classroom. With the support and guidance of a lead teacher, this individual will support those students, their families, and their teachers in an effort to fundamentally change the successes they are realizing within UP Academy.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Work alongside an experienced special educator to support a small case load of students, driving the academic achievement of students with moderate to severe need;
• Implement an effective, rigorous academic and behavior intervention system with a small case load of students;
• Provide consistent and high academic and behavioral expectations;
• Support student mastery of state, city, and school academic and behavioral standards;
• Lead daily individual and small group tutoring sessions; and
• Communicate effectively with students, families, and colleagues.

Qualifications:

• A passionate belief in UP Academy's mission, values, and educational model;
• An extraordinarily high bar for student behavior and expectations;
• An eagerness to set ambitious, challenging, and tangible goals, and a relentless drive to achieve them;
• An ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment and a capacity to remain calm and focused when faced with unexpected challenges;
• Proven track-record of high achievement;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including strong public speaking skills;
• A sense of humility in the face of success;
• Drive to improve the minds and lives of students in and out of the classroom;
• A high-school diploma or GED;
• Forty-eight (48) Credit Hours of College Coursework or an Associate's Degree, or a passing score on one of the two following Formalized Standardized Assessments: ParaPro Assessment ( http://www.ets.org/parapro/ ) or WorkKeys Certificate of Proficiency for Teacher Assistants ( http://www.act.org/workkeys/profcert/index.html ); and
• Current authorization to work in the United States - A candidate must have such authorization by his or her first day of employment.

Compensation:
We offer a competitive compensation package, including, when relevant, a salary equal to (and in some cases above) the district scale and comprehensive health benefits.