“If you're interested in education, if you're interested in working with kids, especially in supporting their academic growth and helping to work with kids throughout their academic journey, this is a very fulfilling and rewarding job.” 

Moses Lake School District Director of Public Relations Ryan Shannon 

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School District is hoping to fill around 20 open paraeducator positions through a hiring event later this month. It's designed to connect prospective employees directly with school administrators, teachers and human resources staff. 

The district will host a paraeducator career fair from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Nov. 17 at Vanguard Academy, 740 E. Yonezawa Blvd. Applicants will have the opportunity to learn about available positions, receive assistance completing applications and participate in on-the-spot interviews. 

According to Moses Lake School District Director of Communications Ryan Shannon, paraeducators play an essential role in supporting both students and teachers throughout the district. 

“Paraeducators are a valuable resource for our students, as well as being an excellent resource for our teachers as well,” Shannon said. “We have multiple positions open across the school district, and so the district has decided to hold a paraeducator career fair to aid in filling this crucial role that it needs.” 

The district currently has about 20 paraeducator openings, according to Shannon. 

School officials are encouraging prospective applicants to pre-register through a QR code available from the district, though registration is not required to attend. 

In addition to interviews and application support, some candidates may leave the event with conditional job offers. 

“There will be on-the-spot interviews as well as application assistance from our human resources staff,” Shannon said. “There will be administrators and current staff there to talk about the importance of the role, give applicants an understanding of what expectations are and what being a paraeducator means to the students of our schools.” 

The district is also offering a financial incentive for new hires. Applicants who attend the career fair, are hired into a paraeducator position and successfully complete a 90-day probationary period will be eligible for a $500 hiring incentive. 

Paraeducators serve in a variety of educational settings and provide both academic and instructional support, Shannon said. Some work with students who need additional help in core subjects such as reading and math, while others serve in special education classrooms or provide one-on-one assistance to individual students. 

“A paraeducator serves as an additional academic support for students, especially if they need assistance in one area versus another,” Shannon said. “We also have needs within our special education department as well, serving as one-on-one specialists with those students, helping them out with whatever curriculum and whatever is necessary from the instruction aspect of things.” 

Candidates must possess a high school diploma or equivalent, complete the required paraeducator assessment and pass a background check. Additional information about qualifications and available openings is available on the district's careers webpage. 

Shannon said the career fair offers a unique opportunity for people who may be interested in education but are unsure whether a paraeducator position is the right fit. 

“I think that's key because rarely do you have that opportunity when you apply for a specific position within the school districts,” Shannon said. “Having a career fair lends itself to providing some amazing opportunities to interact with staff and to get that firsthand knowledge as to what does the day in the life of a paraeducator look like.” 

The role can be particularly rewarding for individuals who enjoy working with children and want to make a difference in their community, he added. 

“If you're interested in education, if you're interested in working with kids, especially in supporting their academic growth and helping to work with kids throughout their academic journey, this is a very fulfilling and rewarding job,” Shannon said. 

The district says filling the vacancies is important not only for the students receiving services but for the entire educational system. 

“When we don't have these positions, that is felt across the district,” Shannon said. “It puts additional strain on our system.” 

He added that paraeducators help ensure classrooms function effectively and allow teachers to better focus on instruction. 

“Having those people on staff that can fulfill those roles allows the entire classroom to function and allows the teacher to complete their role more effectively,” Shannon said. “They're another cog in the system that allows us to continue to move within the educational world.” 

Ultimately, district leaders hope the event will generate enough interest to significantly reduce or eliminate the current vacancies. 

“Ideally, we walk away (from) the evening with every single opening filled,” Shannon said. “That would be a huge win for our district. It'd be a huge win for paraeducators, and it would be a huge win for our students.” 

Residents interested in attending the career fair can find additional information and current job listings at mlsd161.org/careers.