Job Description

About this Job
LOUISIANA SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
Louisiana is a State as a Model Employer for People with Disabilities.
The Louisiana Special Schools are experiencing a critical shortage of certified teachers, school counselors, interpreters and educators of the Deaf or hard of hearing and Visually Impaired.
The LA SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT is seeking applicants for a
Middle/High School Paraeducator, Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired (LSVI)
"This position is currently in Middle/High School but may move around within other LSVI departments."
Position #40831 #40789
This is a full time 9 months and 8 hours per day position.
To be filled for the 2025-2026 school year.
Paraeducator Positions
Our paraeducators are paraprofessional teaching assistants working with children who have moderate to severe cognitive disabilities, autism, deafness, and blindness. A paraprofessional teaching assistant in this role may support rigorous instruction in an inclusive classroom with core instruction or career and technical instruction or a self-contained setting in the areas of transition, math, and literacy. Our ultimate goal: to prepare for scholars for transition to rigorous post-secondary outcomes, whatever that may be for individual students.
The employee must be able to perform these assigned duties without significant risk of substantial harm to his/her own safety/security and the safety/security of others.
Special School District
The Special School District (SSD) was established by the Louisiana Legislature and serves over 1,800 students annually across Louisiana. Our mission is to provide compassionate, collaborative, and innovative educational opportunities for students with low incidence disabilities, meeting each student's unique needs. Our goal is to ensure 100 percent of the students served in our schools and programs will leave with a clear path to success. Our core values include:

• Unity
• Collaboration & Innovation
• Trust
• Compassion
• Commitment
• Results
• Hope

Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired
The Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired (LSVI) traces its roots back to 1852 and serves blind and visually impaired children, birth to age 21. Our school prides itself on offering comprehensive services, including rigorous instruction, outreach services, extracurricular activities, assistive technology, transition, and orientation and mobility and Expanded Core training. We dedicate ourselves every day to ensuring our students reach their maximum potential.
LSVI commits to teaching all students Braille in an optimal, highly accessible environment; to present instructional materials in formats and using technology best suited to each student; to ensuring that we are driven by research in best developmental practices for learners that are blind or visually impaired; to use advances in technology to meet the diverse needs of our students.
LSVI strives to be a college and career preparatory environment where students are expected to read, to respond, to analyze information, to reason and solve real-world problems, and to make sense of the world around them. We encourage parents and families to engage fully with the school and to help us support their children. Our teachers are experts in the field and in the needs of our students, they engage in regular Professional Learning Communities, and they continuously grow in the profession and techniques.
Throughout its more than 150 years as a school, LSVI has maintained an unchanging commitment to offer blind and visually impaired students the academic, career and social opportunities to help them achieve their full potential. We never stop learning here at the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired!
The Louisiana Special Schools do not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in our programs and activities, and we provide equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination may be referred to Mary Gloston, Human Resources Director at .
RELEASE OF ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION INFORMATION: La. R.S. 17:3884(D) requires that any school board wishing to hire a person who has been assessed or evaluated pursuant to the Children First Act, La. R.S. 17:3871, et seq., whether that person is already employed by that school system or not, shall request such person's assessment and evaluation results as part of the application process. Please be advised that, as part of the mandated process, your previous assessment and evaluation results will be requested. You have the opportunity to apply, review the information received, and provide any response or information you deem appropriate.
Physical Activity Level:
The employee must be able to perform assigned duties without significant risk of substantial harm to his/her own safety/security and the safety/security of others. Some work is performed in physically comfortable positions with little or light physical effort, and some work requires moderate effort. Physical requirements are subject to reasonable accommodation in accordance with ADA standards.
There is no guarantee that everyone who applies to this posting will be interviewed. Specific information about this job will be provided to you in the interview process, should you be selected.
To apply for this vacancy, click this link - and complete an electronic application, which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities. Applicants can check the status of their application at any time by selecting the 'Application Status' link after logging into their account.
Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application. You must include all relevant education and experience on your official State application.
Applicants qualifying based on college training or receipt of a baccalaureate degree will be required to submit an official college transcript to verify credentials claimed prior to appointment. Please make every effort to attach a copy of your transcript to your application. The transcripts can be added as an attachment to your online application or faxed to (225) 763-5523. The selected candidate will be required to submit original documentation upon hire.
Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma and passing score on ParaPro assessment.
• Desire to work at a college-prep high school.
• Desire to work with scholars who have the greatest need and the most growth potential.
• Desire to grow as a paraprofessional and person.
• Positive attitude and strong work ethic. Ability to constantly find joy in the successes and challenges of our work. Ability to demonstrate that joy towards students, families, and teammates.
• Deep belief that all students, regardless of their backgrounds and educational pasts, have the potential to succeed in college and beyond and that it is the responsibility of schools to help students realize that potential.
• Personal initiative to better yourself and those around you. Drive to actively pursue excellence in everything you do, even when not given direct coaching.
• Strong desire to participate in all school activities, including extracurricular activities, clubs, sports, school health and wellness activities, and other activities and events that promote school identity and culture
• Effective rating measured using evaluation tool and conduct rubric.
• Must possess, or be willing to acquire, appropriate and effective skills in Braille, orientation and mobility, adaptive technology and low vision aids.

Job Specification

• Support each scholar during class time and outside of class time to reach his or her academic, social, and behavioral goals.
• Provide individualized instruction and small group instruction as needed throughout the day.
• Hold high expectations for each student; ensure each scholar is challenged to reach ambitious and attainable goals.
• Track progress for scholars on skills outlined in their IEPs and behavior plans. Work with the Teacher to ensure all data is accurately entered and in a timely fashion.
• Support scholars with toileting as needed; this could include helping scholars to button their pants, changing diapers, ensuring they make it to and from the bathroom safely and with washed hands.
• Foster positive rapport and relationships with students.
• Create an enthusiastic and optimistic learning environment.
• Communicate frequently with parents to support scholar success.
• Demonstrate flexibility and creatively embrace the ambiguities of building an organization focused on constant improvement.
• Serve on school committees as needed.

• Perform clerical duties, as required, relating to textbooks, instructional supplies, student reports and records, attendance reports, etc.
• Incorporate best practices received in trainings on social and emotional learning for students and model the use of these strategies.

Job Duties and Other Information
Refer to Job Specifications.
Benefits for unclassified employees are determined by the individual hiring authority.
01
I understand that information on this application may be subject to investigation and verification and that any misrepresentation or material omission, including on my responses to supplemental questions, may cause my application to be rejected, my name to be removed from the eligible register, and/or subject me to disqualification from future job opportunities and/or dismissal from state service.

• Yes
• No

02
Have you ever been on probation or sentenced to jail/prison as a result of a felony conviction or guilty plea to a felony charge? If 'YES', give the law enforcement authority (city police, sheriff, FBI, etc), the offense, place and disposition of case. If 'NO', enter N/A.
03
Are you 21 years of age?

• Yes
• No

04
Have you taken and passed the ParaPro assessment exam?

• Yes
• No

05
Have you ever worked in a school setting? If yes, please indicate where below:
06
Do you have an Associate's or Bachelor's degree? If so, please indicate which degree you possess.
07
Do you possess, or willing to acquire, appropriate and effective skills in Braille, orientation and mobility, adaptive technology and low vision aids.
08
Are you a retiree from a LA State retirement system? If yes, please indicate which system.

Skills Required