Paraprofessional - Opportunity Academy

DISTRICT OVERVIEW Holyoke Public Schools is a PreK-12 public school district serving nearly 5,100 students, of whom 80 percent 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. Holyoke Public Schools’ 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. Our Equity Commitments are pledges we are making to address systemic equity challenges. We intentionally build a community that is anti-racist, inclusive, and culturally responsive. We ensure that students, families, and staff get the support they need to be successful. We seek out and incorporate the voices of those impacted, with a commitment to include those who have been excluded in the past. We promote access and inclusion for all students, staff, and families. We respect, embrace, and honor the diversity of our students, families, staff, and community. We reflect on our own behavior to minimize harm to others. We create a culture of acceptance and empathy so that everyone feels valued and is able to contribute to our community’s success. Please visit the Holyoke Public Schools website to learn more about us as well as some of our recent accomplishments.

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. We believe that schools are the unit of change, and that paraprofessionals are essential to a school’s success. At HHSOA, paraprofessionals play a central role in building strong relationships with students, supporting classroom instruction, and helping students stay on track toward graduation. We are looking for educators who are committed to equity, flexibility, and helping every student thrive in a non-traditional setting.

HPS has engaged in a high school redesign process starting in 2018, with the founding of HHSOA as one of the three main high school campuses as a critical piece of that redesign. Built upon choice, flexibility and access to diverse and challenging educational opportunities, HHSOA’s unique approach to the alternative model deepens student engagement and provides families and business and civic leaders explicit opportunities to partner with educators to help guide students’ career and college plans, as well as strengthen our local economy; while simultaneously addressing each student’s path to graduation and post-secondary readiness through an individualized approach.

HPS Grades 7-10 Alternative Program

The HPS grades 7-10 Alternative Program is designed to provide a supportive, flexible, and individualized learning environment for students in grades 7 through 10 who are significantly struggling behaviorally, academically, socially, and/or emotionally. The program will begin as a gr 9 and gr 10 pilot, and will extend to grades 7 and 8 in a future year.  Target enrollment for the pilot year would be 15-30 students.   For the full 7the-10th grade span, the targeted enrollment would be 40-60 students.   The program focuses on meeting the unique needs of each student, with an emphasis on overcoming challenges and fostering personal growth. The program’s mission is to create a positive, empowering environment that helps students who are struggling to overcome obstacles, gain confidence, and succeed in their education and beyond. Through a combination of supportive behavioral systems and structures, emotional guidance, rigorous academics, and life skills training, the program seeks to build student capacity to succeed in the classroom and beyond.

Key Features

1. Small Class Sizes: With a low student-to-teacher ratio, students receive more one-on-one attention, ensuring they are fully supported in their academic journey and have the opportunity to engage in meaningful interactions with instructors.
   
   
2. Core Curriculum: The English language arts (ELA) and Math curriculum draw upon the HPS curricula used in middle and high schools, and are aligned to HPS course sequences. The science and history curricula draw upon the same standards as middle and high school courses, but are organized as 1 semester courses in order to make room for a robust SEL program, which includes opening and closing community and restorative circles, a year-long course centered around healthy adolescent development, and to ensure students have daily access to health, fitness and the arts.. We offer a variety of electives and project-based learning to keep students motivated and involved. Students will also, like their general education peers, engage in activities, events and opportunities that inform their preparation for opportunities and responsibilities beyond high school (athletics, clubs and college and career planning, and civic and family engagement,).
   
   
3. Emotional and Social Support: In addition to academics, we focus on emotional well-being, self-regulation, and social skills. Our counselors and support staff work with students to develop coping strategies, self-confidence, and resilience, enabling them to build stronger relationships with peers and adults.
   
   
4. Clear Expectations and Abundant Support: Program systems and structures, implemented by trained teachers and staff, are designed to create an environment in which students can intentionally and thoughtfully learn from experience to make choices that support their success within school and beyond. 
5. Scheduling: The school hours will be the same as Holyoke High School North and Dean Campus, and students will be eligible for full participation in athletics and extra-curriculars. 

Job description:

• 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.
• Dress for physical education activities so you can assist students.
• Meets the buses and assist students in breakfast and lunch routines
• Assists with wash-ups and toilet routines, diapering and tooth brushing.

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