Job Description

AUG 2021 START

FULL-TIME, PERMANENT, AND DIRECT-HIRE POSITION WITH OUR SCHOOL.

As a Paraprofessional with The Menta Group, you will be responsible for working with classroom instructors and staff to offer targeted teaching and support to students in the classroom, as well as general support for all students in the school.

Responsibilities

• • MANAGE CLASSROOM BEHAVIORS
    • REPORT BEHAVIORAL CONCERNS OF STUDENTS TO APPROPRIATE STAFF
    • Implement and maintain behavioral program policies and data
    • Maintain classroom order and safety (Security)Provide general supervision of students inside the school setting
    • Assist in the prevention and management of incidents of non-compliance and/or escalation in behavior
    • Maintain alertness for problems likely to disrupt the educational process or to be a safety concern and correct and report these conditions Respond to emergency situations
    • Provide interventions to students to assist in managing behaviors
    • Think quickly, independently, and tactfully

Qualifications

• BACKGROUND AS A REGISTERED BEHAVIOR TECHNICIAN IS HELPFUL
• SECURITY OR JUVENILE JUSTICE BACKGROUND IS HELPFUL
• BACHELOR'S DEGREE IS IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING DISCIPLINES IS HELPFUL, BUT NOT REQUIRED : AN EDUCATION-RELATED FIELD, PSYCHOLOGY, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, SOCIOLOGY, SOCIAL WORK, HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES, KINESIOLOGY OR A SPORTS OR PHYSICAL EDUCATION/RECREATION RELATED FIELD
• Military Veterans are encouraged to apply
• Ability to operate tactfully under stress
• Flexibility to change in routines
• At least 23 years of age
• Able to work with high-risk special needs students
• Good driving record and willing and able to drive student van is strongly preferred

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, & Vision Benefit Plans
• 10 Month School Position with 12 Month Semi-Monthly Pay (if sub-certified)
• Generous Paid Time Off Benefits
• 403(b) Investment Options

Our Midway location provides two different programs, Menta Academy Midway and Menta Sports Academy:

MENTA ACADEMY MIDWAY:

Menta Midway is the Bilingual Autism Academy for students ages 10-21. Midway provides education and support services primarily for English speaking and non-English speaking children with disabilities. Many of Menta Midway’s staff is bilingual (English and Spanish) thus able to communicate in the child’s native language. Here the learning environment is designed to decrease student dependence on the teacher and to encourage skill development that will lead to a productive life. A complete array of functional life skills support is available to those students whose IEP team determines the students annual goals best align with a curriculum that includes self-management/daily living activities, general community mobility, vocational/competitive employment and recreation and leisure activities.

Like other Menta programs, the Menta Academy Midway program utilizes a collaborative and data-based problem-solving process to identify students in need of additional interventions, develop appropriate interventions, and progress monitor student response to interventions. The problem-solving process uses a functional behavior approach to understanding student behavior and developing function-based interventions in behavior plans. Functional behavior assessment is another evidence-based practice that is at the heart of ABA. Problem-solving teams include BCBA’s who provide consultation on data collection, data analysis, and intervention planning.

Learning environments in the classrooms thoughtfully integrate specific evidence-based strategies from the Structured Teaching Model developed by Division TEACCH, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Our educators carefully structure physical aspects of the classroom to meet the students’ needs for optimal success, arranging the room to fit the child rather than trying to make the child fit the room.

MENTA SPORTS ACADEMY:

MSA incorporates athletic themes and content into the instruction of core subject areas to sustain educational engagement of each student. Through the use of project-based learning, students are able to pursue study in areas such as marketing, sports medicine, athletic training, business management and other sports related industries. MSA facilitates student engagement through depth and substance of subject matter.

MSA focuses on the student athlete who requires a flexible schedule. Athletic training and conditioning is provided for during the school day. Eligible student/athletes will have the opportunity to play AAU sports on school teams in the evenings and on weekends, in addition to community and intramural sports activities. The coaching staff works to prepare students to complete at their highest level, thus providing opportunities for athletes to be seen by college recruiters and coaches.

MORE ABOUT THE MENTA GROUP

The Menta Group’s mission is “To provide innovative solutions to critical problems in education and human services.” Menta brings a framework of educational practices that have been designed and are supported through evidence based practices. Menta’s collaborative process with various school and community stakeholders has resulted in programs designed to educate, support, challenge, empower and celebrate students who present with a range of academic, social and emotional needs. At the beginning of a student’s experience with Menta, a collaborative meeting is held that includes the student, significant people in their lives, Menta staff and other professionals as appropriate. During that meeting, a comprehensive assessment of the student’s past, present and future desires is used to establish a student centered plan (MAP) that serves as a foundation of the student’s Menta programming. A guiding principle of Menta is ‘we do not give up’, while also holding our students and staff to high expectations. The educational offerings at a Menta program provides students with a quality education that is designed to nurture and enhance the skills and maturity needed to meet the challenges of being productive adults and citizens in a rapidly changing 21st century world.

Menta’s programs utilize a unique curricular framework that relies on the Expanded Menta Method and Trauma Informed Practices as the foundational principles for the teaching, counseling and mentoring work done by our highly trained staff. Personalized learning is the hub of our strategic curricular design intended to meet the needs of every student. Starting with the end in mind (learning targets and academic goals), a leveraging of current technologies coupled with highly trained instructional facilitators creates a rich learning environment supporting all student needs. Menta’s learning spaces are unique and specially designed to combine traditional teacher/student interaction with state of the art technology and learning innovations. Those learning spaces are flexible and can accommodate a variety of learning activities, such as inquiry learning and project based learning. Our spaces are designed to mimic productive spaces learners would find in business and/or corporate environments, thereby helping students achieve a mind-set designed for adult learning and work.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND/OR PARTNERSHIPS

The Menta Group affiliates are members/partners with CEC, CASE, Autism Speaks, ASBA, AAPSEC, AASA, CCSSO, SEAA, ASCD, and many more associations that focus on the education of children with disabilities.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The Menta Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Menta Group ensures equal employment opportunities regardless of race, creed, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation or disability. The District has a policy of active recruitment of qualified minority teachers and non-certified employees. Any individual needing assistance in making application for any opening should contact the district office.

Company Description

The Menta Group, Special Education Services (Est. 1973) is a network of non-public and some public-private partnership therapeutic day schools, meeting the social-emotional needs of students PK-Age 22. Programming from location to location varies in special education focus and grade level. Our accredited therapeutic day schools are in Illinois and Arizona and we are growing!