Decatur County Schools seeks special education assistant at Parsons Elementary

Decatur County Schools was looking to fill a special education assistant, or paraprofessional, position at Parsons Elementary, a job that carries immediate weight in a small district where one missing support worker can affect classroom coverage, student transitions and IEP services. The posting set a Friday, June 12, deadline, underscoring the district’s push to lock in staffing before summer planning moved deeper into the new school year.

The district said applications could be picked up at the Board of Education office, submitted to Hugh Smith, or completed online. Smith is listed by Decatur County Schools as the personnel supervisor and the contact for job postings, while Michelle McElrath serves as the district’s special education supervisor and is the point of contact for questions about special education services.

The qualifications show the job is not an entry-level classroom helper role in the casual sense. Applicants needed a high school diploma or GED, had to be at least 21 years old, and had to show either two years of college or a passing score on the Parapro assessment. The notice also required a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation fingerprint background check and a physical from a licensed physician.

That matters because Tennessee rules tie paraprofessional work in instructional settings to clear training or testing requirements, and state guidance says local districts must ensure students with disabilities receive instruction and special education services from personnel who meet applicable licensure requirements. In practice, assistants help carry out individualized learning plans, support behavior and transitions, and give teachers extra hands when one classroom teacher cannot meet every need alone.

Decatur County Schools says it provides a full continuum of special education services and uses co-teaching, collaboration and consultation in the least restrictive environment. In Parsons Elementary School, where public school data lists about 375 students in grades K-4, the absence of even one support position can ripple beyond a single classroom and into schedules, service delivery and daily routines for students who rely on direct assistance.

The staffing need also fits a wider pressure point across Tennessee. The Department of Education’s ParaPro guidance says paraprofessionals serving in instructional roles must hold an associate degree, complete two years of college, or demonstrate proficiency through a qualifying assessment. Tennessee also offers technical assistance through TN-TAN and has registered apprenticeships for paraprofessionals, a sign that districts continue to face a difficult pipeline for school support jobs.

For families at Parsons Elementary, the hiring notice was more than an employment listing. It was a reminder that special education services depend on people being in place on time, and that delays in filling support roles can quickly become classroom delays for the students who can least afford them.