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.

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 equivalent
• Eligibility for or possession of the Wisconsin DPI #0070 Special Education Program Aide license
• At least 1–3 years of experience working with children or youth
• Ability to follow teacher-designed instructional and behavior plans
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive practices
• Willingness to complete DPI paraprofessional requirements

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Education, Special Education, Child Development, or a related field
• Experience supporting IEPs, BIPs, or special education settings
• Background in trauma-informed or restorative practices
• Experience supporting Scholars with disabilities, including those on the autism spectrum
• Bilingual or multicultural experience

Not sure you meet every qualification? If this role sparks something in you, apply, even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications.

Our Benefits

Comprehensive Package

• Competitive salary
• 11-month schedule aligned to school calendar
• PTO plus holidays, winter break, and spring break
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) with 5.9% employer match
• Life insurance and long-term disability
• Employee Assistance Program

Unique One City Benefits

• On-campus infant and early learning care with discounted tuition
• Homeownership support through the Own-It Program ($19,000 down payment grants)
• Admission priority for age-eligible children of employees

About One City Schools

One City Schools is a public charter school system in Madison, Wisconsin, serving children from birth through middle school. We are redefining what’s possible in public education by integrating academic excellence, strong routines, character development, and deep partnership with families.

Our model works—and our results show it. Our schools have been recognized by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for “Exceeding Expectations,” and we were honored with the 2025 Wisconsin Innovation Award.

Learn more at www.onecityschools.org or watch our story at YouTube.com/@OneCitySchools.

Diversity & Equal Opportunity Statement

One City Schools welcomes applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and life experiences. We believe that our Scholars’ success is tied to the diversity, brilliance, and humanity of the adults who serve them.