Special education teacher assistants

Question: I read your article on special education teachers last fall. I am interested in working with students with disabilities but I don't have a degree. Are there any positions in special education for which I could qualify?
— Bobby

Response: You could work as a special education teacher assistant. They aid special education students under the supervision of a qualified teacher.

These students have disabilities ranging from attention deficit disorder and mental retardation to autism, blindness or deafness.

Job Description
Responsibilities vary for special education teacher assistants. But they generally include helping supervise and discipline students while providing for their physical care and hygienic needs.

Additional duties include helping with students' games and physical exercises and observing and reporting their behavior.

These assistants also help the teacher with classroom activities such as displaying educational materials and preparing bulletin boards. They're sometimes called instructional aides, depending on the school district.

Qualifications
A high school diploma is the minimum educational qualification. However, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 now requires applicants without an associate's degree to pass a district proficiency test. It assesses reading, writing and math ability.

In the Los Angeles Unified School District, the test is generally four hours long. There may be additional requirements depending on the school district.

Professional Association

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)

Arlington, VA

(888) 232-7733

www.cec.sped.org

California Chapter

Michael Grimes

1962 Windward Point

Discovery Bay, CA 94514

E-mail: hgrimes@inetmail.att.net

This is an international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities or the gifted.

Types of membership include professional level for special education teachers, plus a category for students. Members have the option of joining a division such as the Teacher Education Division.

Membership benefits include field updates through regular journals and division-specific publications such as Teaching Exceptional Children journal. Joining also provides discounts on national and state conferences and access to online career center.

Annual professional membership dues are $99 and annual student members are $37 for California members. Annual Teacher Education Division dues are $20.

Employment Outlook
Above average growth is projected through 2010 for special education assistants, but hiring needs differ from district to district.

Job Resource
For special education teacher assistant positions, consider the following online resource in addition to making direct contact with school districts:

Ed-Join.org

www.edjoin.org

This is an online public education job site for California. The site provides a listing of employment opportunities by position including special education and by area including Los Angeles County.

Earnings
Special education teacher assistants could earn from approximately $11 to $13 per hour, depending on district. Most special education teacher assistants work part-time, from approximately 15 to 30 hours per week.

 
Susan W. Miller, M.A., is a National Certified Career Counselor, a Certified Vocational Evaluation Specialist and holds diplomate status on the American Board of Vocational Experts. She heads California Career Services, a private practice career counseling firm in Los Angeles.

E-mail career questions you'd like answered in this column to info@californiacareerservices.com or visit California Career Services at www.californiacareerservices.com.