Middle School ESL Paraprofessional (Immediate)

Company Description

About KIPP Texas

KIPP Texas Public Schools is a network of 59 public charter, open-enrollment, pre-k-12 schools educating nearly 34,000 students across Austin, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Together with families and communities, our mission is to create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose —college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

Founded in Houston in 1994, and operating as KIPP Texas since 2018, our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism in our classrooms, in our offices, and in the communities we serve is unwavering. We are looking to hire a diverse team of dynamic, collaborative, and dedicated individuals with an unyielding belief that every child will succeed. Join our Team and Family and champion equity, chase excellence, persist with purpose, bring joy, and help us rise together.

KIPP Texas is part of the national KIPP network of 255 college-preparatory public charter schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia. Nationwide, KIPP students complete four-year college at a rate of 36 percent, comparable to the national average for all students and approximately three times higher than the average of students from low-income communities.

Job Description

Every member of the Team & Family at KIPP Texas Public Schools plays a critical role in ensuring our students have the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose – college, career and beyond. The ESL Paraprofessional role will help support the academic and linguistic needs of emergent bilingual/ESL students during content-based instruction in STAAR/EOC courses. The ESL Paraprofessional will also have the opportunity to play a significant role connecting with families and facilitating effective learning experiences through collaboration with content-area teachers. The ESL paraprofessional reports to the Dean of Multilingual Education and follows a 10-month calendar.

Duties and Essential Job Functions:

• Work with students in instructional and classroom activities at the direction of the Dean of Multilingual Education
• Assist with direct academic and language designed instructional activities during whole-group and small-group content instruction
• Providing home language tutorial assistance to individual students and help them prepare assignments in their second language
• Functioning as a liaison between classroom teacher and student.
• Assisting in communication between school and parents.
• Participating in professional development activities.
• Assisting with classroom, district, and state-wide ESL assessments.

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience:

• Highly Qualified Paraprofessionals must have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent and meet one of the following requirements:
• Complete at least two years of study at an institution of higher education (defined as completion of 48 semester hours or equivalent trimester hours) of college coursework or an applicable number of semester hours as defined by the institution of higher education attended, whichever is less;
• Possess an associate’s (or higher) degree; or
• Meet a rigorous standard of quality and can demonstrate, through a formal state or local academic assessment–
• The Paraprofessional must also meet the state’s Paraprofessional certification exam and requirements. Paraprofessionals whose duties consist solely of parent and family engagement activities or translation services are exempt from the qualification requirement.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Experience working with students or adults learning a second language
• Knowledge of and the ability to assist in instructing reading, writing, and mathematics
• Excellent written and oral communication skills (bilingual in Spanish preferred)

Work Environment:

• School Environment in classrooms and offices.

Travel Requirements:

• Travel to monthly, regional meetings is required.

Physical Requirements:

• Considerable time is spent at a desk using a computer/laptop.
• Ability to move about in a school environment.
• Attending conferences or training sessions.

Additional Information

Compensation and Benefits:

In addition to a competitive salary scale, a part of KIPP Texas’ competitive benefits options, KIPP offers all employees an $0 HMO plan for the employee only. In addition to our $0 plan, KIPP provides a $600 employer contribution towards a Health Savings Account and a variety of other supplemental benefits such as Dental, Vision, Short and Long-Term Disability, Pet Insurance, Life, etc.

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