Behavior Educational Assistant

Notice of Support Staff Posting

Position:                      Behavior Educational Assistant                                              Posting # 4000

                                    -Woodside Elementary School

Posting Dates:             May 11th, 2026� Until Filled 

Reports To:                 Principal

Beginning:                   August  2026   

Hours:                         35 hours per week 

Position Overview: 

• The Behavior Educational Assistant works closely with elementary students to explicitly teach and reinforce essential behavioral, social, and emotional skills. Through the Skills-Based approach, this role focuses on helping students build strategies for self-regulation, problem-solving, and positive interactions in a way that supports their safety and dignity. Support is individualized based on student needs, and the specific school location may vary depending on student caseloads and district priorities.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities: 

• Teaching Replacement Skills: Actively teach students functional communication, such as how to request a break or ask for help, as a safe alternative to challenging behavior.
• Maintaining HRE (Happy, Relaxed, Engaged): Continuously monitor and support the student's emotional state to ensure they remain in a positive learning "zone." You will proactively adjust the environment to prevent escalation.
• Tolerance Training: Guide students through "skill branches" that teach them how to tolerate "no," follow instructions, and transition between tasks while staying regulated.
• Individualized Support: Work 1-on-1 to carry out specific protocols derived from Practical Functional Assessment and Skill-Based Treatment in Schools
• Data Collection & Reporting: Accurately track student progress, focusing on the frequency of new skill use and the maintenance of an HRE state.

Crisis Prevention: Utilize gentle, assent-based de-escalation techniques to ensure a safe and supportive environment for all.

Work Schedule & Expectations: 

• Education: High school diploma or equivalent (Associate's degree or ParaPro certification preferred).
• Adaptability: Willingness to travel between elementary buildings and adapt to different classroom environments based on caseload.
• Growth Orientation: Must have a strong willingness to undergo training. This includes specialized professional development in Practical Functional Assessment and Skill-Based Treatment in Schools and other district-provided behavioral certifications.

Required Qualifications: 

• High School diploma or equivalent (Associate's degree or ParaPro certification preferred)

Compensation & Benefits:  Salary and benefits will be commensurate with experience and in accordance with district policies.

Application Procedure:

Interested candidates should apply online through the West Ottawa Public Schools employment

portal and submit:

• Cover letter

• Resume

• Professional References

• Copies of relevant certifications/licenses (if applicable)

Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions:

• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position to position. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires the substantial use of the upper extremities and back muscles.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken work; those activities where detailed or import spoken instructions must be conveyed to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction, and having the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and making fine discriminations in sound.
• Repetitive motions: Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
• The worker is subject to environmental conditions.
• The worker should provide consistent and reliable in person attendance.