Cherry Creek Schools

Public K-12 school district

Severe Needs Para Educator

Special Education & Learning SupportPosted on Nov 12

Full-timeColorado, USANo salary listedIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

A High School Equivalency diploma is required.
No professional work experience is required.
For Title I assignments, candidates must have completed at least two years of study at an institution of higher education, obtained an associate’s or higher degree, or met a rigorous quality standard and demonstrated through a formal state or local academic assessment the knowledge and ability to assist with reading/language arts, writing, and mathematics, or reading readiness, writing readiness, and mathematics readiness.
A criminal background check and fingerprinting are required.
Staff assigned to Autism, Behaviorally Disordered, or ILC programs must complete mandatory biennial Crisis Prevention Intervention training, provided by the District.
Medication administration training is provided by the District as needed.
Basic knowledge of typical office equipment, including telephones, copiers, fax machines, and email, is required.
Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office is required.
Intermediate verbal and written communication skills are required.
Intermediate interpersonal relations skills are required.
Intermediate organizational skills are required.
The ability to work alone and with others is required.
The ability to appropriately modify curriculum is required.
The ability to implement behavior modification techniques is required.
The ability to diffuse and manage volatile and stressful situations is required.
The ability to maintain confidentiality in all aspects of the job is required.
The ability to work one-on-one and in small groups with students is required.
For DHH Program assignments, the ability to understand the impacts of hearing loss on learning and social interaction is required.
For Homebound program assignments, the ability to set appropriate boundaries and build appropriate relationships while working in the home setting with families and other student healthcare providers is required.
For Homebound program assignments, appropriate communication and boundaries with families while working in their homes with students are required.
The role requires medium work strength, including lifting or carrying up to 50 pounds; indoor and outdoor work; prolonged standing and walking; frequent bending, reaching, climbing, lifting, pulling, and/or pushing; squatting; overhead work; eye-hand coordination; visual concentration; and exposure to outdoor weather conditions.

Responsibilities

Assist students with classroom activities, including adapting curriculum to individual student needs and delivering curriculum to individuals and small groups to support skill generalization.
Implement student accommodations, supports, modifications, procedures, and programming outlined in each student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).
Maintain student progress and behavior records with licensed staff, including special reports, feedback, and observations for the IEP team.
Assist licensed special education staff with preparing materials, administering tests, taking attendance, paperwork, documentation, and classroom events such as fire drills.
Monitor students and reinforce behavior appropriate to individual student needs; assist with verbal de-escalation and non-violent crisis interventions to reduce risks of self-harm and harm to others.
Support social interactions and communication between students with special needs and general education peers.
Provide assigned technical physical care, which may include toileting, grooming, cleaning ventilation devices, feeding, gastrostomy tube care, positioning, and improving range of motion.
When trained and delegated by a registered school nurse, follow student medication delivery orders accurately.
In online or remote environments, assist individuals or small groups with synchronous or asynchronous online classroom activities, including curriculum accommodations or modifications and practice to support skill generalization.
For DHH Program assignments requiring a signing para-educator, develop students’ language, vocabulary, reading, and writing using sign language.
Prepare assignments for students to complete at home and support them in completing assigned work.
In online or remote environments, support students in troubleshooting technology issues.
Perform other duties as assigned or requested.

Desired Qualifications

Experience working in the public sector, specifically public education.
Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Racially conscious and culturally competent practice, including the skill, will, capacity, and knowledge to commit to a culture of continuous improvement.
An associate’s degree.
Experience working with children with special needs in a paid program or licensed special education teaching experience.
Experience working with students with autism, behavior challenges, medically fragile conditions, hearing or vision loss, or intellectual disabilities.
CPR and First Aid certification.

Job Title: Severe Needs Para Educator	FLSA Exemption Status: Non-Exempt
Classification Group: Paraeducators	Supervising Position: School Principal or designee
Pay Plan: Educational Support Personnel	Pay Range: Range 07
Last Updated: 09/2026
Pay Information	Benefits Information

JOB SUMMARY: Assist students with severe special education needs under the direction of licensed special education staff. Support individuals and small groups with curriculum, skill development, behavior strategies, and assignment completion. Prepare instructional materials, monitor student progress, and maintain achievement records. Provide technical physical care and help ensure a clean, safe, and hygienic environment. In remote learning settings, assist students with technology access, curriculum reinforcement, executive functioning strategies, skill generalization, and coursework completion. Assignments may include Autism, BD, Early Childhood Education, Homebound (FAPE), ILC, SED, and Transition Programming.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The subsequent duties outline the fundamental operations of the position and exemplify the nature of the tasks carried out. They do not encompass a comprehensive inventory of the obligations and responsibilities fulfilled in this role. The approximation of frequencies and time allocation percentages are flexible and subject to the requirements of the organization. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Shared Job Task Across Assignments	Frequency	Percentage of Time
1.	Assist students with classroom activities, including adapting the curriculum to individual student needs. Assist with curriculum delivery to both individuals and small groups to ensure generalization of skills.	Daily	35%
2.	Implement student accommodations, supports, modifications, procedures, and programming outlined in the student's Individual Education Plan (IEP). Maintain records of student progress and behavior in conjunction with licensed staff, which may include special reports, providing feedback, and reporting observations to the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team.	Daily	30%
3.	Assist special education licensed staff in preparing materials, administering tests, attendance, etc. Assist with paperwork and documentation as needed. Assist with other classroom events, such as fire drills, as necessary.	Daily	5%
4.	Perform other duties as assigned or requested.	Daily	5%
TOTAL	75%

INTEGRATED LEARNING CENTER (ILC) AND HOMEBOUND (Free Appropriate Public Education/FAPE) PROGRAM ASSIGNMENT

Job Task Description	Frequency	Percentage of Time
1.	Monitor students and reinforce appropriate behavior for individual student needs. Assist in verbal de-escalation and non-violent crisis interventions to reduce the risk of self-harm and harm to others. Assist student development of social interactions or communication between students with special needs and general education peers.	Daily	15%
2.	Provide technical physical care for students with special needs as assigned, which may include toileting, grooming, cleaning ventilation devices, feeding, care of gastrostomy tube (G-tube), positioning, and improving range of motion (Autism Classroom or ILC). Following training and as delegated by a registered school nurse, accurately follow student medication delivery orders.	Daily	10%
TOTAL	25%

SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISABILITY (SED) ASSIGNMENT

Job Task Description	Frequency	Percentage of Time
1.	Monitor students and reinforce appropriate behavior for individual student needs. Assist in verbal de-escalation and non-violent crisis interventions to reduce the risk of self-harm and harm to others. Assist student development of social interactions or communication between students with special needs and general education peers.	Daily	25%
TOTAL	25%

ONLINE/REMOTE ENVIRONMENT

Job Task Description	Frequency	Percentage of Time
1.	Assist small groups of students or individuals with online classroom activities, during synchronous or asynchronous learning, including curriculum accommodations or modifications. Assist with curriculum delivery or practice to ensure generalization of skills. If working in DHH Program, develop student language, vocabulary, reading, and writing using sign language for students who need a signing para-educator.	Daily	50%
2.	Prepare assignments for students to complete at home and support students in completing assigned work.	Daily	35%
3.	Maintain records of student progress and behavior in conjunction with the licensed staff, which may include special reports, providing feedback, and reporting observations to the Individualized Education Program team.	Daily	5%
4.	Support students in troubleshooting technology issues.	Daily	5%
5.	Perform other duties as assigned or requested.	Daily	5%
TOTAL	100%

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS: This job has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: The minimum prerequisites of formal education, professional work experience, certifications, licenses, endorsements, designations, trainings, and other criteria that a candidate must fulfill to be considered for a position. It is essential that certifications, licenses, endorsements, designations, and trainings are fulfilled, valid, and not expired.

Criminal background check and fingerprinting required
High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma
No professional work experience required
Title I assignments must meet one of the following requirements:
- Completed at least two years of study at an institution of higher education; or
- Obtained an associate’s or higher degree; or
- Met a rigorous standard of quality, and can demonstrate through a formal state or local academic assessment, knowledge of and the ability to assist in instructing, as appropriate:
  - Reading/language arts, writing, and mathematics; or
  - Reading readiness, writing readiness, and mathematics readiness
Mandatory biennial Crisis Prevention Intervention training provided by the District for staff working in an Autism, Behaviorally Disordered, or ILC assignment
Medication administration training provided by the District as needed
Basic knowledge of typical office equipment such as telephones, copiers, fax machines, email, etc.
Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office
Intermediate verbal and written communication skills
Intermediate interpersonal relations skills
Intermediate organizational skills
Ability to work alone and with others
Ability to appropriately modify curriculum
Ability to implement behavior modification techniques
Ability to diffuse and manage volatile and stressful situations
Ability to maintain confidentiality in all aspects of the job
Ability to work one-on-one and in small groups with students
If working in the DHH Program, ability to understand the impacts of hearing loss on learning and social interaction
If working in the Homebound program, ability to set appropriate boundaries and build appropriate relationships while working in the home setting with families and other student healthcare providers
If working in the Homebound program, the ability to have appropriate communication and boundaries with families while working in their homes with students

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING CONDITIONS: The physical demands, mental functions, cognitive capacities, and work environment factors required to perform a position’s essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work location is subject to change to meet the requirements of the organization
Medium work strength level (lifting or carrying 50 pounds)
Works both indoors and outdoors
Typically a moderate noise level
Prolonged standing and walking
Frequent bending, reaching, and climbing
Frequent lifting, pulling, and/or pushing
Squatting
Overhead work
Eye/hand coordination (e.g., typing, ten key)
Visual concentration
Exposure to outdoor weather conditions

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS: Formal education, professional work experience, certifications, licenses, endorsements, designations, trainings, and other qualifications relevant to the position that are strongly preferred but not mandatory for a candidate to be considered.

Experience working in the public sector, specifically public education
Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds
Racially conscious and culturally competent with the skill, will, capacity, and knowledge to commit to a culture of continuous improvement
Associate’s degree
Work with special needs children in a paid program or licensed special education teaching experience
Experience working with students with autism, behavior challenges, medically fragile conditions, hearing or vision loss, or intellectual disabilities
CPR and First Aid certification

About the Company

Cherry Creek Schools

Public K-12 school district

Cherry Creek Schools provides public K–12 education across a district of high achievement. It operates a network of elementary, middle, and high schools, delivering core academics, arts, athletics, and support services to students. The district emphasizes its Vision, Mission, and Values as the guide for culture and decision-making, focusing on creating an engaging, supportive learning environment to help all students succeed. Unlike some districts, Cherry Creek emphasizes strong academic outcomes and a clear, value-driven culture aligned with its goals for student growth, community involvement, and responsible stewardship of resources. The district’s goal is to offer an excellent education for every child in Cherry Creek, preparing them for college, career, and life beyond school.

Company size: 5,001-10,000
Company stage: Not listed
Total funding: Not listed
Headquarters: Greenwood Village, CO
Founded: 1991

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