Paraprofessionals play a vital role in providing educational services and support to the "professional" staff in our schools. The word "para" means "along side of." Para-professionals who work along side of teachers are called Instructional Assistants. Paraprofessionals who work along side of administrators in the office and elsewhere are Secretaries or Clerks. Most of Northside's instructional assistants work in the classroom with "special needs students." For more information about special needs students, and the programs and services NISD makes available to them, visit the Special Education website.

QUALIFICATIONS for substitute paraprofessionals include high school diploma or GED and a love for working with children in an educational setting. Applications for paraprofessional substitutes are accepted throughout the school year.

An excellent On-line Training Program is available for paraprofessionals from which our Para-subs would benefit greatly. The FREE training program from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln includes such topics as:
Roles and Responsibilities of paraeducators
Organization and Management for the Classroom
Developing Instructional Skills
Behavior Management
Effective Communication with students, teachers, and other professionals
Ethical Issues for Paraeducators
And lots more...!

Persons interested in working as "Para-subs"should complete the on-line application by clicking here: GO TO Online Application