Special Education Teacher Assistant

About The Centers 

The Centers fights for equity by healing, teaching, and inspiring individuals and families to reach their full potential. We provide health, family, and workforce services at 6 locations throughout Greater Cleveland, creating life-changing solutions for people to lead healthier and more successful lives. 

Our Early Learning Centers and programs provides high-quality care for children during the critical first 2,000 days of life by operating six high-quality early learning centers, serving children birth through five years old, in Cleveland and the inner-ring suburbs. Because of our high standards, all sites achieved a 5-Star rating on the Step-Up-To-Quality Rating and been recognized and selected to be part of Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) and PRE4CLE. 

We strive to be an equitable, anti-racist, and service-oriented workplace that pioneers and co-creates solutions while fostering an inclusive community where our team members thrive.  

The Benefits

Providing quality benefits to our staff is important to us. Just as important is our staff’s well-being. That’s why we offer a number of choices from medical to dental to vision plans to meet the different needs of our staff. We support our staff’s financial well-being by providing employer paid long-term disability, a very competitive defined contribution towards retirement and access to a financial advisor when you need it. We have nutrition and fitness coaches available for consultation. We also have a generous time off program as well as other benefits we can share with you based on your individual interests.

Job Summary

Designs, develops, and implements developmentally appropriate programs and lesson plans for children in their care. Will utilize various approaches to develop content and employ multiple teaching strategies to accommodate learning differences such as, those with Individual Education Plans (IEP).

Job Qualifications:

Teacher Assistant II

• Teacher Assistant II; Associate degree required (Early Childhood Education focus preferred).
• Ohio Department of Education (ODE) Pre-kindergarten Associates Teaching Certificate a plus. 

Teacher Assistant I

• Teacher Assistant I: Childhood Development Associate (CDA) required (Infant/Toddler or Pre-School).

All Teaching Positions

• CPR/First Aid, Communicable Disease, Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention within 30 days of hire (training provided by The Centers).
• Trauma Informed Care and Conscious Discipline training within 6 months of hire.
• One year experience in a classroom setting with early childhood focus preferred.
• Occasional evening hours may be required.
• No record of child abuse or moral turpitude as determined by background check based on fingerprints.

Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities

• Assumes responsibility for the assigned children in the Teacher’s classroom; meets the social, emotional, physical and cognitive developmental needs of children in routine areas of their care and throughout their planned daily schedule of activities.
• Daily lesson plans will focus on teaching through the child’s interests while utilizing the CLASS teaching techniques and individualize service plans.
• May be asked to assist in Individual Education Plans (IEP) meetings to help support the parents, child, and Special Services Department.
• Supervise children to and from bus pick-up and drop-off to the early learning center, as needed.
• Fosters the creation of an exciting and fun learning environment based on program requirements, the High Scope Curriculum and individual assessment data.
• Completes individual assessments and screenings for children in their care; formulates plans to support children with special needs.
• Maximizes contribution of nutritional services to children’s development and socialization by ensuring food is not used as punishment or reward, and that each child is encouraged, but not forced, to eat or taste food.
• Develops caring, meaningful, and professional relationships with parents while encouraging personal involvement.
• Develops and implements plans that reflect the changing needs of children, including part-time enrollment, second shift lunch non-napping children, tooth-brushing and other appropriate self-care routines.
• Maintains timely and accurate classroom records including attendance, food service tallies, and lesson planning; prepares anecdotal notes on a weekly basis and enters information into the electronic records systems.
• Participates in in-service training, seminars, training sessions, practice based coaching sessions, formal college course work, and meetings outside the agency as a method of gaining more experience and knowledge.
• Other duties as assigned.

The Centers is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.