Posting # 28-26/27
Job Title: Special Education Life Skills Paraprofessional 6 hrs. Per Day - LSE (Up to two positions)
Open: 6/12/26
First File Review: 6/18/2026 - Internal candidates will receive first review and consideration in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Close: Open Until Filled
Helping Students Take Part in Their School Day
Life Skills support at the elementary level is close, steady work with students who are still learning how to move through school. Some students may need help with communication. Others may need support with routines, behavior, personal care, mobility, or learning tasks that take extra time. This work helps students participate in the school day with support that is calm, familiar, and respectful.
Lake Spokane Elementary is hiring two Life Skills paraprofessionals to work alongside the Special Education/Life Skills teacher and other staff who support students throughout the day. The person in this role becomes part of a student’s daily rhythm. They follow the plan, notice what helps, stay steady when the day shifts, and help students experience school as a place where adults understand their needs.
Salary and Benefits: The Hourly Rate range, based on the 2025/26 salary matrix, for the position is: Min. $19.47 - Max. $25.40. Salary placement will be at Step 1 of the Nine Mile Classified Public Employees Association Collective Bargaining Agreement unless documentation of experience is received per the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Collective Bargaining Agreement and Salary Schedules can be from the For Employees page of the Nine Mile Falls School District website at 9mile.org. Nine Mile Falls policies and Procedures can be accessed online at 9mile.org under the Our District page.
Each employee shall accumulate up to twelve (12) days of sick leave per year. An employee employed less than a full work year shall be entitled to a proportionate part of the sick leave allowance. (Example: An employee working 10 months will receive 10 days of sick leave.) A maximum of three (3) Annual Leave days is provided for all employees based on the employee's scheduled employment hours per day to be used for an absence during work hours, or to be accumulated for the purpose of cash out.
Employees anticipated to work more than 630 hours per year will be eligible for Benefits through the School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB). Standard benefits include Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, and Long-Term Disability. Positions anticipated to work 70 hours or more per month for at least 5 months over a 12-month period are eligible for Retirement through the State Department of Retirement Services.
Schedule: Monday-Friday 6.0 hours/day, 8:30 am – 3:00 pm pursuant to the 2026/27 School Calendar
Work Location: Lake Spokane Elementary
Nature and Scope of Job: (1 or 2 sentence summary of position):
Assist the Special Education/Life Skills teachers in maintaining classroom activities and environment so that students may learn effectively. Under supervision of certified staff, assist in implementing appropriate activities, both behavioral and academic, with students qualified for special education in general education and special education settings.
Position Reports To: Tim Smith, Principal
Michelle Mace, Director of Student Services
Classification: Special Education Paraprofessional
Begin: 26-27 School Year
QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum Required Qualifications:
High school diploma or equivalent. Para Educator/Instructional Assistant/Secretarial applicants must provide documentation of a passing grade on;
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ETS Parapro Assessment (455); or
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Pearson Paraprofessional Assessment (220) (Available in December 2023) or;
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The Master Teacher Ins. Paraeducator Online Training Program (65%); or
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Unofficial Transcript of an Associate of Arts degree; or
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Have earned seventy-two quarter credits or forty-eight semester credits at an institution of higher education (provide unofficial transcripts; or
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Completed a registered apprenticeship program.
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Maintain a consistent presence at the assigned work site and regular work hours.
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Maintain a reliable and consistent schedule as put forth by the special education teacher, providing flexibility when changes occur.
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Comply with all district policies and procedures.
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Demonstrate clear and effective communication abilities, both verbal and written, to convey ideas, instructions, and feedback to students and staff.
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Promotes effective interpersonal relations with students.
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Ability to respond appropriately to aggressive and disruptive behaviors.
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Competent in basic math, reading and communication/language skills.
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Demonstrates ethical behavior and maintains confidentiality.
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Ability to meet highly qualified paraprofessional standards.
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Ability to work collaboratively with students, teachers, fellow colleagues, families and administrators.
Desired Qualifications:
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Experience and training in working with students who receive special education/remedial services in a public school environment.
Primary Job Functions:
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Works with individual students or small groups of students to reinforce learning of materials or skills initially introduced and outlined by certified staff in accordance with a student’s IEP.
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Provide specially designed instruction in general education settings and special education settings, including accommodations and modifications of general education curriculum as set forth by the certified teachers in accordance with a student’s IEP.
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Assists certified staff in devising specific strategies for reinforcing learning materials and skills based on individual student’s needs, interests, and abilities.
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Creates a positive learning environment that is safe and nurturing, and conducive to learning for all students.
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Demonstrates skills to communicate with and motivate students from varied educational and cultural backgrounds.
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Alerts special education teacher to any problem or specific information about an individual student, including information from parents and staff members.
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Implement the use of assistive technology to aid in student communication and learning as directed by certified staff.
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Monitors work, corrects papers, and supervises curriculum-based assessment and makeup work as assigned by the certified staff.
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Provides positive behavior supports and manages student behavior.
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Provides behavior interventions as instructed by the special education teacher and as delineated by a student’s behavior intervention plan.
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Serves as the chief source of information and help to any guest teacher assigned in the absence of the regular certified staff.
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Performs clerical, classroom maintenance, and instructional duties as assigned by the certified staff.
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Provide general supervision of students in building and on grounds as needed.
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Document and maintain individual student records (accurate, complete, confidential, timely) for the purpose of providing information to the certified staff.
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Performs assigned non-instructional classroom duties, such as feeding, toileting, and clothing routines.
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Participate as a collaborative member of school and district teams (grade level/PLC/department teams). Participate in in-service training programs as approved.
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Maintain a safe working environment and encourage colleagues to be safety-minded in the performance of all school-related duties.
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Perform other related duties and responsibilities as required by the supervisor.
Equipment Used:
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Ability to use assistive technology as trained (augmentative and alternative communication, speech-to-text, communication devices).
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Ability to safely operate adaptive and mobility equipment as trained (Hoyer lifts, wheelchairs, gait trainers, standers, and other specialized equipment.)
Environmental Demands:
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Ability to lift 50 pounds, kneeling and bending
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Climate-controlled indoor environment with or without air-conditioning
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Fluorescent/LED lighting
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May be required to supervise outdoors or outside of school grounds (field trips)
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Escort students to the lunchroom, library, recess, and or field trips
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Manage the activity level of school aged children
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May be required to sit and stand for several hours at a time
APPLICATION STEPS
Submit a complete application through Red Rover. Incomplete applications may not be considered.
Upon Hire:
If an offer of employment is made, new employees must complete a background check for criminal history, including a fingerprint check by the Washington State Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful outcome of the criminal history background check and approval by the Nine Mile Falls School District Board of Directors.
For questions, please contact:
Kyle Stussi, SHRM-CP
Human Resources Specialist
[email protected]
(509)340-4302
In the Nine Mile Falls School District
… each student will succeed
… effective instruction is paramount
… quality leadership matters
… reflection improves our practice
… we are each other's best resource
… positive relationships are foundational to our success
We continue to act in a way that matches our beliefs.
The Nine Mile Falls School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:
Title IX and Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator
Jeff Baerwald
10110 W Charles Road
Nine Mile Falls WA 99026
509-340-4300
[email protected]
Section 504/ADA Coordinator
Michelle Mace
10110 W Charles Road
Nine Mile Falls WA 99026
509-340-4300
[email protected]
