Elementary Special Education Teaching Assistant, Immediate

Elementary Special Education Teaching Assistant, Brooklyn, New York

In-Person Work Required

This is a non-exempt position and is eligible for overtime.

WHO WE ARE

Explore Schools is a network of public charter schools providing 2,000 students in Brooklyn with the outstanding education they deserve. Our goal is to provide students with curriculum and instruction that is both standards-aligned curriculum and culturally responsive. Our approach is designed to provide the conditions to nurture students as critical thinkers and natural problem-solvers. As an organization, we are committed to engaging in work that disrupts and roots out systems and structures that perpetuate white supremacy. We intentionally seek to build and maintain a diverse and talented team that reflects the backgrounds and experiences of our students and creates an inclusive environment for all employees.

WHAT WE BELIEVE

We believe that all children can learn when immersed in a rich environment full of high expectations, rigorous academics, and caring, committed adults. We believe equity and excellence are not mutually exclusive—we can meet the needs of all students in our schools, while actively engaging parents and driving toward excellent academic results. We envision a pathway to equity that features outstanding curriculum and instruction as well as ample opportunities for students to achieve success in and out of the classroom. We believe it is both our privilege and responsibility to help close the opportunity gap in the Brooklyn community.

WHO YOU ARE

Explore Schools seeks a Teaching Assistant who possesses grit, dedication, and necessary skills to prepare our scholars for success in high school and beyond. You have some experience working with children, but may have limited or no experience leading a classroom. This is a tremendous opportunity for recent graduates, or students currently enrolled in graduate school, who are looking to receive frequent feedback, coaching, and professional development to become a full-time lead teacher down the road.

• Dedicated to working in communities that have historically been underserved and under-resourced
• Committed to thoughtfully engaging in identity work necessary to take a culturally responsive approach to pedagogy and relationship-building with students and colleagues
• Prior experience working with children
• Interest in teaching in a small group setting

• Exceptional communication skills
• Strong systems for organization with attention to detail
• Paraprofessional experience strongly preferred
• Bachelor’s degree, strongly preferred
• New York State Teaching or Teaching Assistant Certification, preferred

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Teaching Assistants provide support to our teachers and staff members by fostering a culture of academic rigor and achievement. Primarily, the Teaching Assistant will support a classroom teacher in academic and student behavior management. You will be expected to manage the following on a daily basis:

• Work with small groups of students to assist in reaching IEP goals
• Teach, review, and reinforce academic content
• Keep accurate & organized records of student information

• Assist in classroom set-up and logistics – prepping student materials or manipulatives, classroom beautification and maintenance, etc.
• Support in student behavioral management and de-escalating challenging student behaviors
• Collaborate with families and staff to support student learning
• Ensure the safety of students at all times
• Supervise students in and out of classroom as needed - this may include but is not limited to - moving students to proper locations during fire drills, lunch and recess duty, enrichment activities/classes, etc.

• Administrative, task-based support for teachers and operations staff
• Additional responsibilities to meet the needs of our students
• Actively engage in identity work and necessary conversations in order to dismantle white supremacy culture.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Explore Schools staff members receive a competitive salary, paid time off including network shutdown days, considerable matching of retirement contributions, and more.

• The salary range for incoming Teaching Assistants is $45,000 to $55,000 (23-24). This is our good faith range at the time of posting.
• Incoming salaries are determined based on experience and internal equity.
• Because we value staff members staying in their roles over time, we do not currently cap salary ranges and this is the range for incoming staff members only.
• This is base salar