Instructional Assistant 26/27 SY

Position Type:

Paraprofessional Job Families

Date Posted:

2026-02-12

Location: Administration or As Assigned

ABOUT CLEVELAND METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) is Ohio's third-largest public school system, serving more than 35,000 students.

CMSD strives to ensure that every child receives a high-quality education, regardless of the provider. To that end, CMSD lets families choose which District schools their children attend, with options that include STEM, the arts, single-gender education, International Baccalaureate, Montessori, and early college.

Our schools have autonomy over human and financial resources in exchange for accountability for performance. The principal has primary responsibility and accountability for establishing their school as a high-quality, high-expectation academic center focusing on personalized instruction, professional support for teachers, and school-wide practices that lead to measurable results.

CMSD ensures that students have access to technology and training to prepare them for the future. The District provides a free laptop or tablet for every student and connects every family that needs internet access. Graduating seniors leave commencement with not only a diploma but also a laptop.

In our pursuit of a more fair, just, and good system of education, we strive to ensure that all of our learners, both scholars and educators, to be challenged with academically and intellectually complex tasks that are worthy of their efforts and provide them opportunities to demonstrate their best work.

BUILDING BRIGHTER FUTURES

The Cleveland Board of Education adopted the Building Brighter Futures (BBF) initiative on December 9, 2025. Building Brighter Futures is a strategic and data-driven plan shaped by more than a year of community engagement, information analysis, and thoughtful deliberation. The goal of this plan is to strengthen enrollment and ensure scholars attend a newer school building that offers more educational opportunities, including algebra in the eighth grade, more sports and extracurricular activities, and college credits and college and career pathways in high school. BBF is ensuring academic excellence so every CMSD scholar can thrive.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

An instructional assistant, also known as a paraprofessional, provides assistance with handling the unique needs of students by providing additional instructional support. This includes tutoring individual or small groups of students, reinforcing instruction as directed by the teacher, monitoring and overseeing student progress, maintaining behavioral standards and order, and providing individualized support for the students as directed in their individual education plan (IEP). Our instructional assistants also provide student supervision before, during, and after school, while they are loading, and unloading buses, on the playground, in the cafeteria, during emergency drills, and during other school events. When needed, an Instructional Assistant also supports activities of daily living and intervenes to redirect inappropriate behavior. Successful instructional assistants work closely with their assigned teachers and other professionals to create a high-quality instructional environment.

• Minimum Salary for an 185 Assignment: $34,808
• Full salary schedule can be located in the CTU/CMSD Collective Bargaining Agreement and is impacted by post-secondary education and number of years of relevant experience.

Responsibilities

(Instructional Assistant):

Adapts to the individual social, emotional, and academic needs of the students

Respects and redirects scholars through preventative, proactive, and dignified classroom management techniques that reflect structure, equity, and consistency

Understands, believes, and can articulate how and why Special Education is a service and not a destination

Reinforces student activities and behavior as directed by the teacher in areas which might include academic tasks, social skills, or other instructional components of the program

Assists the teacher in the implementation of behavior management programs and with intervention of behavioral problems and provides information to teacher regarding student performance

Identifies, locates, and uses materials appropriate for each student

Schedules space for specialized instructional programs and coordinates the arrangement of equipment, desks, tables, chairs, and activity areas

Assists and monitors the students in special training activities, including personal hygiene, and other self-help skills

Observes students as directed by the teacher and records specific behaviors exhibited as outlined on each student's IEP

Records academic and social progress as required by the teacher

Assists the teacher in preparing, collecting, and adapting materials

Collects and uses equipment under the direction of the teacher

Maintains materials and equipment in good condition

Performs other routine duties as assigned by principal

Participates as a member of a team, follows guidelines and instructions of teacher and school team

Paraprofessionals are not expected to perform duties in student homes

Our instructional assistants are assigned to one of the following roles:

Paraprofessional 1-on-1:

Support for 1 child which includes spending your entire day with the student

For a student with behavioral needs:

Assist with implementation of behavior intervention plan (including but not limited to tracking of data, taking students away from instruction for de-escalation, etc.)

Assist with communication under the guidance of the intervention specialist and/or speech language pathologist (i.e. use of augmentative communication, implementation of PECS, or a picture schedule, etc.)

Physical assistance as needed

For students with physical disabilities:

Scribe for written assignments

Physical assistance for moving in and out of wheelchair or navigating building

Physical assistance on and off transportation

Physical assistance for hygiene needs (i.e. toileting, washing hands, etc.)

Physical assistance for eating, including obtaining lunches, assist with opening and set up, assist with feeding

Paraprofessional Multiple Disabilities/Autism (MD/AU):

Student population: students typically serviced in a MD/AU classroom exhibit more severe cognitive disabilities. These students receive instruction focused on application of the state standards through essential life skills. Intervention specialists in these classes utilize the Ohio Learning Standards–Extended for their classroom instruction. The students in these classes may exhibit several deficits which may include academic deficits, inability to retain information, needs related to adaptive behavior/self-care, behavioral needs, etc. There may be students who are non-verbal who will communicate with different forms of augmentative communication or assistive technology (i.e. GoTalk, iPad/iPod, visual scheduling, etc.) More one-on-one instruction is needed for students in these classes. The students also need to be monitored throughout their school day.

Assist with implementation of behavioral intervention plan (including but not limited to tracking of data, taking students away from instruction for de-escalation, etc.)

Physical assistance on and off transportation

Physical assistance for hygiene needs (i.e. toileting, washing hands, etc.)

Physical assistance for eating, including obtaining lunches, assist with opening and set up, assist with feeding

Conduct small group activities that are planned by the Intervention Specialist

Attend Encore classes with students to provide support

Paraprofessional Medically Fragile (MEF):

Student population: Students typically serviced in an MEF classroom have medical needs that make it necessary for them to be in a building with a full-time nurse. In addition to this they present themselves with the most severe disabilities. These students receive instru