STUDENT SUPPORT SPECIALIST / SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM AIDE
One City Schools | Madison, Wisconsin
Full-Time
Salary Range: $40k to $50k depending on qualifications and experience
Reports to: Director of Student Services & Special Education
Application Deadline: Open until filled
Serve with Purpose. Support with Heart. Transform What’s Possible.
At One City Schools, we believe children—and the adults who serve them—deserve an environment where excellence and belonging thrive side by side.
Our work is joyful and demanding. It calls for skill, patience, and the depth of our care and craft. Success here means growing alongside our Scholars by embracing structure, relationship, and persistence every day.
About the Role
As a Student Support Specialist , you will help create learning spaces where Scholars feel safe, supported, and able to flourish. You will work under the direct supervision of a licensed special education teacher to implement individualized supports, reinforce classroom routines, and ensure that Scholars with diverse learning needs experience consistency, care, and high expectations.
Grounded in The One City Way , EL Education , and our CRISP Habits of Character —Compassion, Risk, Integrity, Self-Respect, and Persistence—you’ll help Scholars build the academic, social, and emotional skills that make learning joyful and meaningful.
You’ll also be part of a school community rooted in Crew—our belief that we are responsible for one another’s success.
FULL JOB DESCRIPTION: Link to Full Job Description
What You’ll Do
As a Student Support Specialist, you will be a steady, trusted presence for Scholars across the school day. A few key responsibilities include:
Academic Support
Provide 1:1, small-group, and push-in instructional support
Implement IEP goals, accommodations, and behavior supports under teacher supervision
Reinforce classroom routines such as Threshold, Do Now, Strong Start, Opening/Closing Crew
Support lesson material accessibility within the paraprofessional scope of practice
Collect and track data for progress monitoring and IEP updates
Behavioral & Social-Emotional Support
Model and teach self-regulation, conflict resolution, and social communication skills
Support Scholars with communication, sensory, or behavioral needs, including autistic learners
Use trauma-informed and restorative approaches during moments of dysregulation
Participate in restorative circles, community-building routines, and Closing Crew
Provide physical support when needed (feeding, toileting, ambulation, safety support)
Collaboration & Compliance
Partner with special educators, general educators, and related service providers
Maintain confidentiality in alignment with FERPA, DPI, and IDEA requirements
Follow DPI-aligned paraprofessional scope of practice and supervision guidelines
Participate in IEP meetings, professional development, and Student Support Team huddles
Community & School Culture
Reinforce consistent expectations across arrival, transitions, lunchroom, recess, and dismissal
Build warm, strengths-based relationships with Scholars and families
Support schoolwide events, family engagement activities, and celebrations of learning
Who You Are (Ideal Candidate Description)
You are a patient, caring adult who believes deeply in the potential of every child. You understand that Scholars thrive when adults create predictable, loving, and structured environments—and you see behavior as communication, not defiance.
You might be a great fit if you:
Build trusting, affirming relationships with children
Thrive in collaborative environments where teamwork and shared problem-solving are daily practices
Stay calm, grounded, and compassionate in moments of dysregulation
Believe in culturally responsive, inclusive education
See learning, growth, and character development as intertwined
Want to be part of a school community where joy, consistency, and belonging are essential
What You Bring
Required Qualifications
High school diploma or…