Special Education Supplement

Primary Function

Special Education Teachers and Para-educators should receive an additional supplement for working with students who have significant and multiple physical or cognitive disabilities because these roles demand specialized skills, increased physical effort, and greater emotional resilience. The additional compensation recognizes the extra responsibilities and challenges associated with providing individualized care, ensuring student safety, and facilitating educational progress in a highly demanding environment.  Please refer to the job description for additional details on the teacher and para-educator scope of work.

Multiple Disabilities

• Specialized Skills and Training: Working with severely disabled students requires specialized training in handling medical needs, behavior management, and adaptive communication techniques. Staff with these skills provide essential support that goes beyond typical educational duties.
• Increased Workload and Emotional Demands: The role involves significant physical effort, such as lifting or transferring students, and a high level of emotional resilience to manage challenging behaviors and provide constant care.

Communication Support

• Specialized Skills and Training: Supporting autistic students, particularly in communication support classrooms, requires staff to have specialized skills and training in autism spectrum disorders and communication strategies. This additional expertise goes beyond standard educational support
• Increased Workload and Responsibilities: Staff in these settings often must implement individualized communication and behavior intervention plans, use alternative communication methods (such as AAC devices), and provide intensive one-on-one support.

Behavior Support

• Specialized Skills and Training: Managing and supporting students with behavioral challenges demands extra effort, patience, and expertise beyond typical classroom duties. These staff are required to become proficient in de-escalation skills and training.
• Increased Workload and Emotional Demands: Staff in these settings often must implement individualized communication and behavior intervention plans. The role also involves significant physical effort and a high level of emotional resilience to manage challenging behaviors and provide constant care.

Extensive Personal Care

• Complexity and Skill: Tasks like toileting, hygiene, dressing, and feeding require a higher level of skill and patience. These responsibilities are often more specialized than general educational support, demanding both technical competence and emotional sensitivity.
• Vital Role: These personal care activities are crucial for the dignity, comfort, and health of students, particularly those with disabilities or special needs.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and reach with hands and arms; walk; climb stairs; sit; stoop or kneel; crouch or crawl. Duties may involve risk resulting from attending to students, physical or sanitation/hygiene needs. Must be physically capable of frequently lifting or moving up to 50 pounds. Specific vision requirements include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to focus. Must have the ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time; exhibit manual dexterity to dial a telephone, to enter data into a computer terminal/typewriter, and to perform; see and read a computer screen and printed material with or without vision aids; hear and understand speech at normal levels and on the telephone; speak in audible tones so that others may understand clearly in person and on the telephone; ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions.

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Position Type: Supplement

Reports to: School Administrator

Terms of Employment: Additional days may be contracted for specific job assignments. Salary according to School Board Pay Plan.

Evaluation: Performance on this job will be evaluated in accordance with School Board policy and administrative regulations on the evaluation of supplement positions.

Revised: 9/2/2026