School Paraprofessional

VOICE Charter School (http://www.voicecharterschool.org/) is an elementary and middle school located in Long Island City, Queens that serves about 650 students across grades K-8.  We are located just minutes from Manhattan (two stops outside of Manhattan on the F, N, and W train lines) and Long Island City’s growing waterfront district, thriving arts community, and rapid residential growth. We are looking to identify extraordinary educators and administrators committed to urban education who wish to join a dynamic professional learning community.

Our mission is to create a safe and healthy learning environment that will nurture, motivate and challenge all of our children to achieve the highest level of academic excellence and to develop into mindful, responsible, contributing participants in their education, their community and the diverse society in which we live.

What makes VOICE different?

At VOICE, it’s not just about the music. It’s about the people. It’s about what you can be. It’s about using your passion. It’s about relationships. It’s about having the opportunity to choose. It’s about caring enough. It’s about each individual child and adult.

We believe in efficacy. At the core of our academic culture is the idea that all students are capable of doing well in any discipline. At VOICE, all students will learn – being smart is not something that you are, it is something you become.  At VOICE, you will be pushed to become more.

We support and develop the effectiveness of our teachers. We believe that teachers need time to collaborate to build their practice, so we provide our team with over two hours of planning time a day as well as additional days for collaborative thought partnership and planning during the school year. 

We promote participation in music and the arts. As music and art help develop problem solving and critical thinking skills and open children's imaginations, all VOICE students participate in and learn from daily activities in the arts including rigorous choral training. We design our arts-integrated curriculum to bring joy and wonder to the lives of our children, providing them with the skills necessary to forge their own path.

All Staff at VOICE:

• Love and nurture all of our students as they become deeply caring and responsible individuals;
• Take personal responsibility and work collaboratively to ensure that all students achieve and grow, understanding that the performance and progress of our students is directly under our control;
• Ask questions and empower students to exercise curiosity and wonder about the world around them;
• Hold themselves to the highest standards;
• Push and support themselves, their students, and their colleagues;
• Proactively seek and incorporate feedback;
• Help each individual child gain the opportunity to choose what his or her future will be.

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Position Responsibilities:

The School Paraprofessional supports a student’s academic and socio-emotional growth through one on one work, both inside and outside of the classroom. The School Paraprofessional also supervises the student during essential non-academic times (arrival, lunch, recess, and dismissal) to ensure the student’s safety.   Based on the needs of the classroom, the School Paraprofessional may work with a classroom of students to assist with facilitating daily instruction, assigned programs, and transitions

Socio-Emotional Support Activities

• Ensure that a supportive and compassionate relationship has been established with the student
• Provide behavior management support to a student who’s mandated to receive 1:1 paraprofessional services at all times during a school day
• Work with student in one-on-one or in small group settings
• Proactively identify student’s growth areas and share out data related to observations in order to implement collaborative problem-solving plans to address student’s lagging skills
• Implement strategies to support student behavior or focus
• Assume responsibility for learning and adapting to the student’s physical, communicative, and emotional needs.

School Culture Support Activities

• Assist with maximizing student’s ability to participate in programs and activities
• Supervise student during out of classroom settings such as arrival, transitions, lunch, and dismissal
• Lead activities during daily recess periods in all weather conditions
• Support select after school opportunities such as concerts, ceremonies, dances, athletics, and detention
• Fully participate in opportunities for individual and school-wide professional development

Administrative Activities

• Correspond with families via telephone, written notes, and in-person communications
• Distribute classroom materials and complete other clerical tasks as needed by teachers and instructional staff
• Based on needs of school may assist with clerical duties related to operational functions of the school

Position Qualifications:

Attitude and Focus

• Unwavering humility, patience, and kindness
• Professional demeanor with the ability to influence and facilitate decision-making among multiple, diverse parties
• Perseverance to create clarity while allowing for complexity and nuance
• Openness to work collaboratively to solve problems
• High sense of urgency, demonstrated ability to successfully handle multiple projects concurrently in a fast-paced environment, and ability to be self-directed and take initiative
• Organized and systems driven
• Fastidious and attentive to detail

Skills and Knowledge

• Deep belief in VOICE’s mission, vision, and values
• Unwavering commitment to the high academic achievement of all students
• Flexible and willing to do whatever it takes
• Strong written and verbal communication, as well as critical thinking skills
• Willingness to give and receive feedback to facilitate the growth of both students and faculty
• Flexibility to handle an unpredictable schedule

Educational Background and Work Experience

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university required
• Willingness to pursue NYS assistant certification required
• Ability to lift at least 40 pounds required
• Ability to participate in outdoor activities in all weather conditions (including 20 to 100 degrees) required
• Verbal fluency in Spanish preferred
• Previous experience working with children preferred
• Previous experience working in contexts involving high-needs communities preferred

Compensation and Benefits: The compensation for this position is $22.00 an hour.  We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including participation in the TransitChek program and partial reimbursement for monthly commuting expenses, gym reimbursement, cultural enrichment reimbursements, frequent access to baked goods, and many opportunities to get to know your VOICE colleagues!

VOICE Charter School is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In its employment decisions, VOICE does not discriminate on the basis of an applicant or employee’s race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, unemployment status, or any other status protected by law.