The posting
The Central Falls School District is seeking to hire a compassionate and dedicated Certified Personal Care Assistant to provide direct support to students with special needs, assisting with daily living activities and personal care needs within a school setting, ensuring their safety, comfort, and participation in the educational program, to fill the following paraprofessional position- Personal Care Attendant for the 26/27 school year. The ideal candidate is one who meets all requirements and is familiar with curriculum standards for the grade level or grade span. This is a Council 94 (non-certified union) 10-month position.
Paraprofessionals are expected to carry out the District’s core values of EQUITY, EMPOWERMENT, and EXCELLENCE as they work towards building relationships with students/colleagues, supporting personalized and high-quality instruction, cultivating strong partnerships with our families and community, and meeting all position expectations and District policies. Certified paraprofessionals are expected to abide by, and follow the guidance set out by the Rhode Island Department of Education and the CFSD/Council 94 collective bargaining agreement policies and procedures. Guided by the District’s Strategic Plan, we strive to prepare all students for success! Pre Approval of physical test (fit for duty) is required for this position
Responsibilities/Duties: _Assist teachers in the daily functioning of the classroom. _Assist in the provision of individual, small group, and class activities and any provisions of instruction for the assigned student under the direction of the classroom teacher. _Ensure adequate supervision to ensure the health, welfare, and safety of all students. _Assist teacher/school nurse in the individual care of student(s) towards independence, due to physical/developmental impairment during transfers at the beginning of, during, and at the end of the school day. _Assistance with eating at all meals and snacks times, assisting with dressing, assisting with health, hygiene, toileting as needed. _Assist teacher in preparing materials and equipment for classroom instruction as needed for the student assigned. This includes assistance with any adaptive equipment or programs. _As requested by the classroom teacher only, may assist in parental contact and community relations with specific students assigned. _Responsible for supporting other children in the assigned classroom as needed. _Complete daily Medicaid PCA logs. _Call the Special Education office if the PCA’s assigned student is absent so that the paraprofessional can be reassigned for the day by the Director if deemed appropriate. _Interact effectively with staff, parents, students, and persons outside of the school system. _Assist principal and classroom teacher as directed in administrative, supervisory, clerical, and housekeeping duties. _Ability to adapt to unexpected interruptions of the daily work pattern which may mean being assigned to another school. _Demonstrate skills in computer literacy. _Work with minimum supervision. _Maintain and respect the confidentiality of student and school personnel information by not speaking about what is observed within the school when outside of work. This includes social media. _Comply with and support all school and District regulations and policies. _Follow oral and written directions and establish effective working relationships with staff and students. _Report all student injuries, accidents, illnesses, and discipline problems to the appropriate authority immediately or as soon as is reasonably possible. _Report all self-accidents, incidents, and injuries to the school administration and nurse immediately; and to the Human Capital office by filling out an Accident/Incident form through the employee portal. _Assist with classroom activities by providing physical support, prompting, and adaptations as needed. _Ensure student safety during transitions, field trips, lunch, and recess. This includes indoor and outdoor. _Logging their time worked by the end of the day every day, and all absences no later than 6:30 am; both through the employee portal. _Perform all other related duties as assigned by the building administrator(s) in accordance with District policies and practices.
Physical Demands: May require the ability to stand, walk, bend, lift, and push/pull throughout the workday. May require the ability to lift and transfer students weighing up to [weight limit] pounds. May require the ability to perform tasks requiring manual dexterity and fine motor skills. Qualifications: High School Diploma and required degree and/or passing ParaPro Assessment and Teacher Assistant Training Program. Experience in an educational environment working with similar-aged students is preferred. Experience working with individuals with disabilities preferred. Bilingual (English/Spanish) is highly preferred. Current Crisis Prevention Intervention Certification. Capacity to support teachers by participating in instructional opportunities. Effective oral and written communication skills. Required to meet a “Fit for Duty” assessment conducted by a district-approved medical professional before the onboarding process.



