Paraprofessional Opportunity Academy

About the Employer

Opportunity Academy Paraprofessional SY26-27

District Overview

Holyoke Public Schools is a preK-12 public school district serving nearly 4,800 students, of whom 80% are Latino/Latina, in 11 schools. We employ nearly 1,300 people who together educate and support a richly diverse community of learners.

We are committed to recruiting and retaining top-quality educators who believe all children can and will learn and who strive daily to make school a joyful place of discovery, support, and belonging.

Strategic Plan: Moving Forward Together

Our strategic plan, "Moving Forward Together," builds on the strengths of our past while serving as a call to action to accelerate student learning by thinking differently about how we teach, how we work together, and how we support students' well-being.

Successes

Many successes contributed to Holyoke's return to local governance after 10 years in state receivership. These include:
- The highest graduation rate on record of 77.1%, an increase of more than 15-points over 10 years
- Meaningful, applied learning opportunities for high school students, including theme-based academies, career vocational technical education programming, work-based learning, and advanced coursework
- A comprehensive approach to early literacy that includes strong core instruction and one-on-one tutoring, contributing to more students reading at grade level
- A thriving dual language English/Spanish program, where nearly 900 students are on their path to becoming bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural

Job Title and Summary

Holyoke Public Schools (HPS) is seeking passionate, student-centered paraprofessionals to join the team at Holyoke High School Opportunity Academy (HHSOA), an innovative alternative high school designed for students who have not found success on traditional campuses.

As a paraprofessional, you will work with individual students or small groups of students to reinforce learning of material or skills initially introduced by the teacher. You will also operate and care for equipment used in the classroom for instructional purposes, assist students with mobility and personal care, and help students master equipment and/or instructional materials assigned by the teacher.

Key Responsibilities

Works with individual students or small groups of students to reinforce learning of material or skills initially introduced by the teacher. Operates and cares for equipment used in the classroom for instructional purposes. Helps students master equipment and/or instructional materials assigned by the teacher. Assists in the implementation of behavioral modification programs as directed and supervised by the teacher. Keep behavioral logs and data (daily and weekly). Assists with the supervision of students during emergency drills, assemblies, play periods, and field trips. Assists students with mobility and personal care. Assists with lunch, snack, and cleanup routines. Dresses for physical education activities so you can assist students. Meets the buses and assists students in breakfast and lunch routines Assists with wash-ups and toilet routines, diapering, and tooth brushing. Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Associate's degree or higher; or completing at least two years, or 48 credit hours of study at an institution of higher education; or taking and passing a formal assessment measuring one's knowledge of and ability to assist classroom teachers in reading, writing, and mathematics. (Parapro Assessment and WorkKeys) Training or experience working with special needs students preferred Experience working in an urban setting, preferred Experience working with diverse student populations, preferred Strong written and verbal communication skills; excellent teamwork skills Bilingual applicants (Spanish) strongly encouraged to apply