Position: Special Education Assistant (SEA)

Work Location: Various locations

Salary:

Casual Rate: $24.60, Temporary/Term Rate: $24.60

Application Deadline: June 30, 2023

Thank you for your interest in a career as a Special Education Assistant (SEA) with the York Region District School Board. This application is for casual Special Education Assistant opportunities for the 2022/2023 school year.

Please Note: You may also be considered for temporary/term opportunities as they arise throughout the year.

Casual Positions: On call, as-needed basis to cover absences of permanent employees ranging from daily occurrences up to 30 consecutive working days.

Temporary Positions: This is a position that is available for a period in excess of 30 consecutive working days to replace a permanent employee who is absent on an approved leave of absence (e.g. pregnancy, parental, educational or medical leave).

We require staff with a desire to provide quality service and programs to York Region students. To support our exceptional students and their ever-changing personal and educational needs, the Board is seeking Special Education Assistants experienced in working with a wide variety of exceptionalities. We require employees who are flexible, willing to take on a multitude of challenges and who are prepared to attend to the physical needs of our students, which include toileting, lifting, feeding and physical intervention .

Special Education Assistants support students with exceptionalities such as physical disabilities, developmental delays, autism, behaviour disorders, acquired brain injuries, hearing and vision loss. These services can be provided in a wide variety of educational settings such as standard classrooms, specialized facilities and work placements.

In addition, in order to meet the needs of our students, staff assignments may be divided between more than one location. Therefore, employees are required to have access to regular transportation in order to travel between sites. The Board also reserves the right to transfer support staff between locations depending upon student and system needs.

Responsible for assisting students under the direction of the classroom teacher and/or resource staff in compliance with Board policies and procedures.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

To assist students with personal and medical care in accordance with Board Policy and Procedure #662.0 which may include administration of medication, feeding, dressing, toileting, hygiene, lifting and positioning and assistance with mobility.
To supervise and assist with individuals or groups of students during classroom activities, recess, lunch, field trips, excursions, bus and/or taxi arrivals and departures and work placements and other situations as required.
To assist in the preparation of materials and monitoring of programs.
To assist the teacher and/or resource staff in the planning, development and implementation of the students’ Individual Education Plans (I.E.P).
To deliver interventions or strategies as set out in the I.E.P.
To provide direct intervention, in accordance with student’s IEP and Safety Plan, in managing behavioural and immediate safety needs of the students using the principles of CPI and as outlined in the Memo Addressing Unsafe Student Behaviour in Safe and Supportive ways.
To assist with ongoing assessment of student programs and writing daily anecdotal reports and records as required.
To attend meetings as requested.
To attend professional development sessions/training as required.
To support students in community integration and work placements.
To work as an active member of the school team to ensure the safety and success of all students.
To perform other duties as assigned.

LINE OF RESPONSIBILITY:

Responsible to the school Principal or designate.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS:

Secondary School Graduation Diploma is required.
Minimum six months related experience is required.
Training in de-escalation strategies (including CPI certification, where required), lifting and positioning techniques are requirements of this position.
A good working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and current Board approved/implemented software is required.
Proficient verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills are required.

Additional Information:

Employees are expected to work at least 30 days within the current school year to remain on the casual Educational Assistant list. Please note that hours of operation in our schools could start as early as 7:30 a.m. and end as late as 4:30 p.m. The Board highly recommends that employees accept as many shifts as possible throughout the year to encourage advancement within the Board.
Please note that there are other Educational Assistant opportunities that are posted separately on the website as needs are identified. These positions could include: Sign Interpreter, Communicative Disorders Assistant, etc.
In the application process, you will be prompted to provide at least three (3) professional, supervisory references (including full name, position title, work location/organization, and email address) in the job posting screening section of the online application. We do not contact references prior to practicum/interview.
For your information, a list of YRDSB Schools is provided.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

The York Region District School Board (YRDSB) believes in giving each and every applicant an equal opportunity to succeed on their own merit and we strive to hire staff that reflect and support the diverse perspectives, experiences and needs of students and communities. We remain committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion in our living, learning and work environments. We know that diversity underpins excellence, and that we all share responsibility for creating an equitable, diverse and inclusive Board-community. Therefore, in pursuit of the Board’s values, we seek members who will work respectfully and constructively with differences and across the organizational hierarchy in actualizing the Board’s priorities, goals and principles outlined in the Director’s Action Plan.

We actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to sovereignty, equity, including, but not limited to:

First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, and all other Indigenous peoples;
African, Black and Black Caribbean peoples (in alignment with Anti-Black Racism Strategy);
South Asian, East Asian, Southeast Asian, Middle East/West Asian, Latino/Hispanic (in alignment with YRDSB Workforce Census to address disproportionalities identified).
members of groups that commonly experience discrimination due to race, ancestry, colour, religion and/or spiritual beliefs, or place of origin;
persons with visible and/or invisible (physical and/or mental) disabilities;
persons who identify as women; and
persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions.

At YRDSB, we recognize that many of these identities intersect and therefore, equity, diversity and inclusion can be complex. We value and respect the contributions that each person brings to enriching the Board and are committed to ensuring full and equal participation for all in the communities that we serve.

Accessibility and Accommodation Statement

We also recognize the duty to accommodate and foster a culture of inclusion. Consistent with the principles of dignity, individualization and inclusion, we will make any appropriate accommodation based on any of the protected grounds in the Human Rights Code to support candidate participation in the hiring process. When contacted, candidates will be provided with an overview of the various elements of the hiring process, such as skills assessments, written practicum, presentation, interview, etc. If an accommodation is required, please inform the Recruitment and Retention Team in advance of any part of the process. All information received relating to a candidate’s required accommodation will be addressed confidentially by the Recruitment and Retention Team.

Important Note for YRDSB Employees: If you have a current accommodation in place through Disability Management, please inform your Disability Management Case Manager to ensure that your accommodation needs can be met in the new role that you are pursuing. If invited to participate in the hiring process, and you are unable to perform the essential/bona fide requirements (e.g. physical, cognitive requirements), please notify the Recruitment Team by emailing careers@yrdsb.ca to review next steps (in the email please reference the job title you are applying to).

Important Information for CUPE 1734 Members:

As per the Collective Agreement (A.11.7 and A.11.8), those twelve month employees filling vacancies as a result of a job posting are to remain twelve months at their positions. Ten month employees are to remain in their position until the end of the school year. Each application submitted for a job posting will be reviewed, although consideration may be impacted by Articles A.11.7 and A.11.8.

As a condition of employment , successful candidates will be required to submit a current original Police Vulnerable Sector Check from the police jurisdiction in which they reside or an Enhanced Police Information Check (E-PIC) through Sterling Backcheck prior to commencing employment with the Board. The Police Vulnerable Sector Check and Enhanced Police Information Check (E-PIC) documents are only valid if issued within the last six months. Candidates are not advised to obtain this document prior to an offer of employment.

On-line applications are collected centrally at the Education Centre - Aurora and are monitored by Human Resource Services. All applications will be screened based on the required education, experience and qualifications as noted in the posting and job description and as reflected in the application. Only those candidates meeting these criteria will be eligible to participate in the selection process and only qualified candidates will be contacted.

The personnel file of all internal applicants will be reviewed as part of the selection process.