About this role
Rockwood Preparatory Academy is hiring Instructional Assistants for the 2026-27 school year. We are a K-5 charter school in the Rockwood neighborhood of Portland, serving students in the Reynolds School District. Our mission is simple: every student who walks through our doors leaves with rock-solid reading, writing, arithmetic, and spelling skills.
We run a Direct Instruction model, which means our curriculum is structured, proven, and always focused on student achievement. We believe that where a child comes from has nothing to do with what they're capable of, and we build our school around that belief every single day. That shows up in our data, in our classrooms, and in the students who leave RPA reading well above grade level.
If you're someone who genuinely loves working with children, who believes every student deserves a real shot at success, and who wants to be part of a team that takes that seriously, you're going to fit right in here.
Instructional Assistants at RPA are real contributors to student growth. Depending on your skillset, you may be teaching small groups using our Direct Instruction curriculum, supervising students at recess and lunch, supporting classroom teachers, or some combination of all three. No two days look exactly the same, and the work you do directly impacts how students learn and grow.
What the job looks like:
You'll work alongside teachers and staff to support student learning and maintain a positive, structured environment. That means teaching small groups with fidelity to our curriculum, supervising students and holding behavioral expectations consistently, maintaining student records and inputting data as needed, and showing up as a dependable, professional presence for students and colleagues every single day. We expect punctuality, follow-through, and a genuine investment in the Rockwood community. In return, you'll have a supportive team around you, strong systems that actually work, and leadership that wants to see you succeed.
What we're looking for:
High school diploma or equivalent required. Willingness to meet paraprofessional qualification requirements. Experience working in schools is a plus but not required, we're happy to train the right person. Comfort with Google Workspace and basic computer skills, strong communication, the ability to take direction and use your own initiative when needed, and a background check. Most importantly, a caring nature, outstanding integrity, and a belief that all children are capable of high levels of achievement when given the right instruction and support.
The details:
40 hours per week, Monday through Friday. Shift is 7:15 AM to 3:45 PM with required PD until 4:30 on Wednesdays. 194 contract days. Starting wage is $18.94/hour, with a bilingual differential bringing the starting rate to $19.49/hour. Wage classification is based on experience. We cover employer-paid 6% PERS, medical, dental, vision, and EAP.
Physical demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of what an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.
• Standing and walking for extended periods, including sustained movement during recess, lunch, arrival, and dismissal duty
• Sustained talking throughout the day, including projecting the voice clearly across a playground or cafeteria and maintaining a brisk lesson pace with group signals
• Frequent sitting in adult and child-sized chairs, on the floor, and at low tables while working with small groups
• Regular bending, kneeling, crouching, reaching, twisting, and stooping to work at student eye level, access materials, and assist students
• Frequent use of hands and fingers for writing, handling instructional materials, and operating a computer or tablet
• Close visual acuity to read student work, scripted lesson presentations, and data on a screen, plus the ability to visually supervise a large group of students across an open space
• Hearing sufficient to distinguish individual student responses within a group response and to monitor student interactions during supervision
• Occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling of instructional materials, furniture, and equipment up to 40 pounds
• Ability to move quickly and respond physically in the event of a student safety concern, behavioral incident, emergency drill, or evacuation, including moving at a fast pace across the building or playground
• Outdoor duty in varying weather, including heat, cold, rain, and wind
• Work is performed in a school setting with frequent interruptions and a moderate to high noise level