Job Description

DEKALB IL

FULL-TIME, HOURS M-F FOLLOWING A SCHOOL CALENDAR, APPROXIMATE HOURS 7 A.M. TO 4 P.M.

SALARIED WITH BENEFITS WITH PAID BENEFIT TIME OFF, DIRECT-HIRE WITH OUR SCHOOL

AUG 11TH START 

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

• DRIVE STUDENTS TO AND FROM SCHOOL, USING A SCHOOL VAN
• MANAGE CLASSROOM BEHAVIORS (SECURITY) DURING CLASSROOM HOURS
• 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

• VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE WITH PASSENGER ENDORSEMENT
• VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE WITH CDL-B IS IDEAL, BUT NOT REQUIRED
• MUST BE AGE 23 OR OLDER
• HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR EQUIVALENT
• PARAPROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION IS IDEAL, BUT NOT REQUIRED
• Absolutely must be punctual and have good attendance 
• Have an established work history of transportation and demonstrated length-of-stay in jobs
• Must have patience and a willingness to work with students that require behavior and emotional support
• MUST HAVE ACCEPTABLE MOTOR VEHICLE RECORD
• Pass drug and criminal background screening procedures

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

Coming Fall 2021: K-8 Special Education will be added to the existing Grades 9-12 Education at our Menta Academy DeKalb campus.

MENTA ACADEMY DEKALB 912 AND TRANSITION PROGRAMS /MENTA ACADEMY DEKALB

Menta Academy Dekalb 912 is a collaboration with Dekalb Community School District 428 and like other Menta programs utilizes 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. Every aspect of the framework supports students with attainment of graduate competencies.

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 Academy Dekalb’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.

MENTA ACADEMY DEKALB TRANSITION

The Menta Academy Dekalb Transition program is designed to prepare students for the post secondary opportunity that best meets their adult goals.  Students can work towards transition to college and technical schools, the trades such as automotive restoration, branches of the military, or gainful employment in the field of their choice.  Menta Academy utilizes the language of the workplace to emphasize the connections between their current learning environment and the expectations typical of the workplace.  There is a strong focus on job development and placement in entry level positions that will lead to gainful employment after high school.  

The goal of the transition program is to develop and facilitate skills necessary for young adults, ages 17 to 22, to handle the challenges of life transitions in a safe and nurturing environment. They are submersed in an environment rich in career exploration, skill development, health and wellness, behavior regulation, and independent living. Facilitators are committed to providing meaningful real world experiences, individualized for each young adult to maximize their level of independence.

All individuals experience transitions throughout their lives. Students and the staff who support them, explore various options in current or new environments in order to  determine the best match. For some youth, such as those with disabilities and others who face significant educational and vocational challenges, policy mandates and innovative practices are needed to ensure they learn the skills necessary to  reach optimal outcomes in the transition from one life role or environment to the next.

For those students that need more intensive transitional services a continuum of support is established once students have earned necessary credits and demonstrated self-management of behaviors, they then are taught to generalize classroom skills in a community setting. This continuum of placements within Menta allows students to acquire and practice new skills and behaviors in a safe environment. As students progress from a Menta classroom to transition services and then on to adult life, they are assessed on learned skills and behaviors through various methods.

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.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND/OR PARTNERSHIPSThe 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!