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…
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.
Academy Employees Are…
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.
What Makes a Good Academy Employee?
The Academy is looking for committed leaders who are prepared to perform at a high level in a demanding environment. Some of the characteristics that make for a successful employee at The Academy include:
- A people-first, relationship-focused orientation
- A growth mindset
- A belief that ALL children can achieve at high levels
- A passion for contributing to overall school success by working alongside and supporting others
- A creative, innovative, and caring attitude
- A spirit of openness, trust, and kindness
- A dedication to data-driven practices
- A highly motivated work ethic and willingness to tackle challenges
- Comfort with being flexible
- A sense of humor
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.
- Experience working with school age children preferred
- Candidate must meet the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requirements the first year of employment. The requirements are an Associates college degree, OR, completion of 48 college semester hours, OR passing of a State CDE approved paraprofessional examination.
- 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
Visit our website at www.theacademyk12.org. The Academy’s comprehensive benefits package includes a number of different plans for full-time employees. Refer to Employee Benefits Enrollment Guide for details at https://www.theacademyk12.org/about-us/working-for-us. Information on employee paid leave is also available at this same location.
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 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.
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 2/3Up 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 1/3E
valuate - Under 1/3
Interpersonal Skills - Over 2/3
Compile - Under 1/3
Negotiate - Under 1/3
WORK ENVIONMENT: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