Special Education Teaching Assistant (Paraprofessional)
Company: Oak Park and River Forest High School
Location: Oak Park
Posted on: April 2, 2026
|
|
|
Job Description:
Position Type: Support Staff/ Teaching Assistant Date Posted:
9/12/2025 Location: Oak Park and River Forest High School Date
Available: As soon as possible. Closing Date: Open until filled.
Job Title : Special Education Teaching Assistant (Paraprofessional)
Reports to : Director of Special Education Terms and Conditions:
Full-time, 10-month position. 7.5 hours per day, 7:30 a.m. - 3:15
p.m. Salary: Grade 3, $21.55 per hour, per Classified Personnel
Association collective bargaining agreement. Includes full benefits
package including medical, dental, and life insurance, and
participation in Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) pension
plan. Please click here for more information regarding salary and
benefits. FLSA Status: Non-Exempt Please, no phone calls.
Applications and all supplemental materials are only accepted
through the District’s online application system . Any application
materials provided outside this system will not be acknowledged.
The respective hiring manager will review candidates once the job
posting closes. If selected to move forward, you will be contacted
by phone or email. After reviewing the job posting, if you have any
questions, please send an email to hr@oprfhs.org . OPRF – WHO WE
ARE… Oak Park and River Forest High School , or OPRF , is a
comprehensive public high school located in Oak Park, Ill., a
suburb eight miles due west of downtown Chicago. We are a
one-school district, with the majority of our students coming from
two sender districts, River Forest Public Schools District 90 and
Oak Park Elementary School District 97. We offer more than 200
courses, a variety of programs for students with special needs, 75
clubs and activities, and 29 competitive sports. We prepare our
students well for post-secondary success, with an average ACT
composite score of 24 and a 94% graduation rate. Oak Park and River
Forest are communities that highly value diversity. OPRF is a
founding member of the national Minority Student Achievement
Network, and our school is racially and economically diverse, with
about 44% of our 3,300 students identifying as African-American,
Hispanic, multiracial, or Asian. Our villages have long embraced
the LGBTQ community, and we have a significant mix of homeowners
and renters. We seek faculty and staff who have high expectations
for all students, and who value student voice in education. As a
school, we are particularly focused on closing opportunity gaps for
our students of color. OPRF is an equal opportunity employer that
provides equal employment opportunities to all without regard to
race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or
genetics. OPRF’s goal is to increase its representation of people
of color. Background: Oak Park and River Forest High School
District 200 is a progressive district that is focused not only on
our tradition of excellence but our future. The District prides
itself in offering our students a comprehensive 9-12 college and
career readiness curriculum and a rich arts education program. Our
students are curious, creative, and they come ready to learn. More
than 90 percent of our students go on to college. Oak Park and
River Forest High School District 200 believes that we can “become
an ever-improving model of equity and excellence that will enable
all students to achieve their full potential.” We can accomplish
this through dedicated teachers, staff, and administration who
build relationships with students and have high expectations for
themselves and their students. We believe in planning for and
providing the academic and developmental support students need to
meet those expectations. We further believe that every student can
learn through exposure to academically challenging content,
feedback during learning, and the educator’s knowledge and skill.
Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 is a great place
for those who are interested in an environment that supports
creativity, leadership at all levels, innovation, a focus on
professional and curriculum development, and the best practices of
instruction. We are currently seeking individuals to join our team
where we enable all students to achieve their full potential every
day. Qualifications: Must have one of the following: Valid Illinois
Professional Educator License with Stipulations (ELS) with
Paraprofessional endorsement. Valid Illinois Professional Educator
License. Valid Illinois Substitute Teaching License. Crisis
Prevention Institute (CPI) certified desired. Experience with
students with special needs desired. Crisis Prevention Institute
(CPI) certified desired. Obtain and maintain valid Division 2,
Class D School Bus Permit test Illinois bus license (not CDL for
large buses), including successful passing of physical exam,
including drug test. Position Summary: To support students with
special needs under the direction of the supervising classroom
teacher, Program Chair, and Special Education Administrators to
create an inclusive and supportive learning environment. The
Teacher Assistant may be assigned to various programs and
classrooms based on the specific needs of students. Essential
Duties and Responsibilities: Provides assistance to program in
supervising students during lunch and break times. Participates in
distribution of positive reinforcement incentives for students on a
scheduled basis. Completes Behavioral Incident Reports on students
as required. Attends scheduled teacher assistant meetings scheduled
by the Executive Director of Special Education and the Assistant
Director of Special Education. Participates in regular school
supervision assignments on testing days and in-service days.
Participates in teacher assistant in-service days/workshops
scheduled by the Special Education Department. Drives students to
and from community jobs and activities as needed. Assist with
grooming, hygiene, and toileting. Provides direct support to
students in creating an environment that is conducive to students’
social and emotional needs. Guides and directs students in
performance of academic tasks such as assisting with daily
assignments via online teacher assisted instruction. Works
collaboratively with teachers and support staff to ensure progress
toward academic and social and emotional needs are achieved. Works
with small groups of students to reinforce material introduced by
the teacher, under the direction and supervision of the classroom
teacher. Establishes a supportive and compassionate attitude
towards students avoiding intense emotional involvement. Serves as
a resource to the student personnel evaluation team as required.
Provides assistance to program with clerical duties such as filing,
mail handling, copying and computer input. Physical Demands of
Paraprofessionals at Oak Park and River Forest High School Ability
to lift and assist students as needed. Capability to stand, walk,
and engage in physical activity for extended periods. Program:
Learning Disabilities and Emotional Disabilities Transition to a
different classroom in the building every 48 minutes. Walk around
the classroom and monitor the student’s progress. Work with
students in small groups. The expectation is that paraprofessionals
are on their feet 50% or more of the time for the duration of the
48-minute period. Given the need, paraprofessionals in this program
are assigned to escorts for students in need of supervision during
transitions. Transitions consist of walking from one class to the
next class within the building. After the paraprofessional escorts
the student, they are expected to go to the assignment they are
scheduled to support the class. Paraprofessionals in this program
may be given the dedicated assignment of being a 1:1 aide. In this
role, the expectation is that they accompany the students each
period as the student transitions from class to class. The
expectation is that they accompany the student to each class and
remain with the student. Once in the classroom, the
paraprofessional is expected to work directly with the student 1:1
and in small groups. Paraprofessionals are expected to be on their
feet 50% or more of the class period. Program: Low Incidence-
Intellectual Disabilities Students in this program require 1: 1
supervision at all times. Due to their cognitive functioning and
physical challenges, students in this program may require being
lifted on and off the toilet, feeding, and grooming. Staff members
in this program maintain CPI training due to the physical
interactions that take place for students related to the student’s
disability. This program requires staff members to be trained in
physical management to ensure safety in a time of crisis. Meet
students at the bus. Assist students with putting coats and
belongings in their locker. Provide support to students while the
teacher delivers instruction. Transition with the class from the
self-contained location to elective courses (i.e., gym, music,
theater, and lunch. Support the students during instruction. Assist
the students in` gym during adaptive P. E. (i.e., assist Physical
Therapist with equipment and movement breaks for students.
Physically lift students in the class from their wheelchairs to
equipment in the classroom to access the curriculum. Other Duties:
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or
contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or
responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.
Employees are expected to perform other related functions as
assigned. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at
any time with or without notice. The information contained in this
job description is for compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) and is not an exhaustive listing of the
duties performed in this position. The individuals currently
holding this position perform additional duties and additional
duties may be assigned. Oak Park & River Forest High School
District 200 (OPRF) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This position
description should not be considered to contain every
function/responsibility that an individual may be asked to perform
by his/her supervisor. Employees are expected to perform other
related functions as assigned.
Keywords: Oak Park and River Forest High School, Hoffman Estates , Special Education Teaching Assistant (Paraprofessional), Education / Teaching , Oak Park, Illinois
