Onboarding Support Aide

About the School:

Located in the heart of Oakland, Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children is a one-of-a-kind educational experience committed to empowering our students to realize their full potential. The School also provides vital early intervention and outreach services to visually impaired students, with or without additional challenges, throughout western Pennsylvania. Founded in 1887, our School is best equipped to care for and educate students with visual impairments. As a private institution chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the School educates approximately 200 enrolled students from 80-85 school districts within western Pennsylvania.

Position Overview:

The Instructional Aide Trainer serves as a lead support and onboarding specialist for Instructional Aides within assigned programs. This position is responsible for modeling best practices, providing on-the-job coaching, and supporting the successful integration of new staff into classroom routines and school culture.

The Trainer plays a critical role in strengthening instructional consistency, improving staff retention, and ensuring high-quality support for students with blindness, visual impairments, and multiple disabilities. This role combines direct student support with structured staff development, modeling, and real-time coaching throughout the school day.

Position Information:

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Working Schedule: Mondays - Fridays from 7:00am to 3:00pm

Working Days: 187 days per year. (Not including optional Extended School Year)

Payrate: $22.43 - $24.43 per hour depending on education level achieved.

Job Responsibilities:

Staff Training and Onboarding

• Serve as a primary on-the-job trainer for newly hired Instructional Aides during onboarding and initial placement.
• Model effective instructional support strategies, including student engagement, prompting, communication supports, and behavior support implementation.
• Provide hands-on guidance in personal care procedures including hygiene routines, feeding plans, g-tube awareness/assistance (as applicable), and safe lifting/transfer techniques.
• Support staff understanding and implementation of positive behavior support plans and individualized student programming.
• Orient new staff to classroom routines, student-specific needs, and program expectations.
• Coordinate and monitor the onboarding process for newly hired Instructional Aides by tracking completion of required competencies, training modules, hands on training / signoffs; communicate with supervisors regarding progress and outstanding requirements to ensure timely completion.

Coaching and Professional Development

• Provide ongoing coaching to probationary Instructional Aides in areas such as:
  
  
  
  • Student engagement and interaction
  • Data collection and documentation practices
  • Implementation of instructional and behavioral strategies
  • Development of recreational and leisure skills during non-instructional time
  
  
  
  
• Offer real-time feedback, modeling, and reflective support to strengthen staff performance.
• Support Instructional Aide Managers in identifying staff development needs and training opportunities.

Culture and Team Support

• Promote a positive, respectful, and collaborative school culture aligned with WPSBC values.
• Act as a role model for professionalism, flexibility, patience, and problem-solving in high-need instructional environments.
• Support relationship-building among staff and contribute to a welcoming environment for new hires.
• Assist in strengthening staff retention through mentorship and daily support.

Communication and Collaboration

• Collaborate with teachers, instructional managers, nurses, therapists, and administrators to ensure consistent student support.
• Communicate effectively regarding staff progress, training needs, and classroom support needs.
• Participate in staff meetings, training sessions, and program planning as requested.
• Provide support across school programs as needed to meet student and operational needs.

Direct Student Support

• Provide direct support to students within assigned programs as directed by supervisors, teachers, or daily schedules.
• Assist with activities of daily living, including toileting, hygiene, changing, feeding, lifting, positioning, and mobility support across classroom, therapeutic, and pool settings.
• Maintain high standards of dignity, safety, and professionalism in all personal care interactions.
• Support consistent implementation of student routines, schedules, and individualized plans.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

Qualifications:

Required:

• Minimum of 3 years of successful experience as an Instructional Aide or equivalent role within a special education or related setting.
• Demonstrated expertise in student personal care (toileting, feeding, hygiene, lifting, positioning).
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to model professional behavior for peers.
• Proven reliability, strong attendance record, and consistent job performance.
• Ability to provide constructive feedback and support to adult learners.
• Strong collaboration skills and ability to work across multiple classrooms and teams.

Preferred:

• Experience supporting students with blindness, visual impairments, multiple disabilities, or medically complex needs.
• Prior informal mentoring, peer coaching, or leadership responsibilities.
• Training in positive behavior support, AAC, or specialized feeding/support protocols.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to lift, carry, push, pull, transfer, reposition, and provide physical assistance to students weighing up to 50 pounds, utilizing appropriate lifting techniques and assistive equipment when available.
• Ability to safely perform personal care duties, including toileting, diapering, feeding assistance, hygiene, dressing, and mobility support throughout the school day.
• Ability to frequently stand, walk, bend, kneel, crouch, squat, reach, climb stairs, and transition between floor-level and standing positions while providing direct student support.
• Ability to escort, guide, and physically assist students during classroom activities, transitions, community-based instruction, recess, lunch, transportation, and emergency situations.
• Ability to respond quickly and appropriately to student behavioral, medical, or safety needs, including intervening in crisis situations and implementing approved safety procedures when necessary.
• Ability to work in a variety of instructional and residential environments and move throughout the campus as needed to support students and staff.
• Ability to tolerate prolonged periods of standing, walking, and other physical activity while maintaining continuous supervision of students.
• Ability to meet the physical demands of a fast-paced educational environment while maintaining student safety and providing consistent support throughout the workday

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This position operates in a highly specialized educational setting serving students with significant medical, physical, and developmental needs. The Instructional Aide Trainer is expected to provide both direct student support and structured staff coaching within fast-paced, high-need classroom environments.