Paraeducators

Join Our Team of Paraeducators at Lake Washington School District

If you’re passionate about helping students learn, grow, and succeed, becoming a paraeducator with Lake Washington School District (LWSD) could be the perfect opportunity for you. Paraeducators are the heart of classroom support, helping teachers provide individualized attention and ensuring every student has the tools and encouragement they need to thrive. Whether you’re beginning a career in education or continuing one centered on service, this role makes a real difference every single day.

Why become a paraeducator?

Becoming a paraeducator offers the opportunity to directly impact students’ lives while developing valuable skills in communication, leadership, and education.

Benefits include:

• Helping students discover their strengths and overcome challenges.
• Building meaningful relationships with teachers, students, and families.
• Working collaboratively as part of a caring, supportive school community.
• Earning competitive pay, excellent benefits (for positions anticipated to work 630 hours during the school year or approximately a minimum of 4 hours a day), and participation in Washington State’s retirement system.

What does a paraeducator do?

Paraeducators support student learning under the supervision of certificated teachers and specialists. Responsibilities vary depending on assignment and may include:

• Assisting individuals or small groups with academic tasks and classroom activities.
• Supporting students with physical, behavioral, or medical needs.
• Reinforcing positive behavior and promoting social-emotional growth.
• Supervising students in classrooms, playgrounds, or other learning environments.
• Providing support to students receiving special education services.
• Additional guidelines for working with students receiving special education services.

Minimum requirements to become a paraeducator in Washington State

To qualify as a paraeducator in Washington, candidates must meet one of the following minimum requirements:

1. Education Requirement: Hold an Associate degree (AA) or higher from an accredited college or university. Refer to information below if your degree was earned outside of the United States.
2. College Credit Requirement: Have completed 72 quarter credits or 48 semester credits at the 100 level or above.
3. Assessment Requirement: Have graduated from high school and passed one of the following:
   • ETS ParaPro Assessment with a score of 455 or higher, or
   • Pearson Paraprofessional (ParaProfessional/WEST) Assessment with a score of 220 or higher.

Tip: If you don’t meet these educational requirements but still want to support our schools, you may consider applying to be a substitute paraeducator or instructional assistant. See our Careers page for more information.

Foreign Transcript Evaluation

If your degree was earned outside the United States, you’ll need to complete a foreign transcript evaluation to confirm U.S. degree equivalency before it can be accepted for hiring purposes. You will have the option to submit a course-by-course evaluation or document by document evaluation.

Steps:

1. Choose a NACES-approved evaluation agency. LWSD requires evaluations from agencies that are members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) at www.naces.org.
2. Submit your transcripts, diplomas, and translations (if required).
3. Request an electronic copy of your evaluation.
4. Upload a copy of your evaluation report to your applicant profile.

Cost and timeline: Evaluations typically cost $100–$275 and take 1–2 weeks to process, depending on the agency.

Alternatives to a Degree

If you don’t have a college degree or credits, you can still qualify by passing the ETS ParaPro or Pearson Paraprofessional (WEST) assessment, which measures reading, writing, and math skills necessary to support instruction in schools.