Berkeley Unified School District

  • Educational Physical Therapist

  • BERKELEY SCHOOLS
  • Berkeley, California United States View Map


BASIC FUNCTION:

Serve as a member of the multidisciplinary team serving the needs of special education children and their families; provide assessment and direct services related to gross motor development, functional mobility, and postural control; provide direct and consultative physical therapy services based upon needs determined through established processes to ensure educational access; develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students.

REPRESENTATIVEDUTIES:

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to this class.

  • Serve as a member of the multidisciplinary team; provide assessment and direct services related to functional gross motor development, gait, balance, and other identified developmental needs; provide consultation to parents and teachers.
  • Conduct developmental and formal assessments to determine program eligibility; assess student abilities in functional mobility (navigating stairs, curbs, and hallways), postural stability, strength, range of motion, motor planning, and environmental accessibility; score and interpret results and write assessment reports.
  • Collaborate with IEP team members to develop goals; determine and recommend frequency of services, accommodations/modifications, and least restrictive environment (LRE) needs.
  • Provide education and support to families; recommend, design, adjust, or order adaptive equipment such as standers, gait trainers, and specialized seating; demonstrate safe use of equipment.
  • Plan and prepare for therapy sessions; provide direct therapy individually and in groups; set up and break down large-scale mobility equipment; maintain records of therapy sessions to document interventions and monitor progress.
  • Manage caseload and new referrals; utilize data-driven metrics (such as gait analysis or standardized motor scales) to monitor student changes throughout the school year.
  • Conduct formal assistive technology and mobility assessments; provide services related to power mobility or specialized positioning for curriculum access.
  • Request and purchase adaptive equipment and mobility aids; ensure all equipment meets safety standards and is properly fitted to the student's growing physical needs.
  • Attend various meetings; coordinate professional and community resources with other staff and agencies, including medical providers and California Children's Services (CCS).
  • Train and provide work direction to assigned staff; provide in-service training for teachers and instructional assistants on safe lifting, transfers, and positioning to prevent staff injury and support student goals.
  • Drive a vehicle to various school sites and District offices to conduct work.
  • Supervise assigned Physical Therapy Assistants (PTAs).
  • Perform related duties as assigned


KNOWLEDGE OF:

  • Child development, motor and reflex development, and applicable pediatric treatment techniques.
  • Biomechanics, kinesiology, and neuroanatomy related to pediatric disabilities.
  • Adaptive equipment (wheelchairs, standers, walkers) and orthotic devices.
  • Medical, educational, and community resources, including CCS.
  • IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and Section 504 regulations.
  • Record-keeping techniques and data collection for functional outcomes.
  • Proper lifting and body mechanics for transferring students safely.
  • Correct English usage, grammar, and technical report writing.


ABILITY TO:

  • Observe and assess gross motor development, gait, balance, and functional mobility.
  • Develop and conduct therapeutic interventions focused on educational access.
  • Communicate effectively with medical professionals, parents, and school staff.
  • Develop and implement IEPs and SMART goals focused on functional educational outcomes.
  • Train staff in safe handling, transfers, and use of mobility equipment.
  • Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships.
  • Maintain current knowledge of technical advances in the field (e.g., wearable sensors, new mobility tech).
  • Meet schedules and timelines.


MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:



Education, Training, and Experience:



Any combination equivalent to: Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) or Master's degree in Physical Therapy and two years of school-based or pediatric physical therapy experience.



LICENSES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

  • Valid California Physical Therapy License issued by the Physical Therapy Board of California.
  • Successful completion of the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE).
  • Valid First Aid and CPR certifications.
Ability to travel between multiple sites on a daily basis

WORKING CONDITIONS:



Environment

Indoor and outdoor work environment (classrooms, playgrounds, gyms).

Ability to travel and transport equipment to multiple sites.

Physical Demands

Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate equipment.

Reaching overhead, above the shoulders, and horizontally.

Significant bending, kneeling, or crouching to assist students at floor level.

Hearing and speaking to exchange information.

Heavy lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling up to 50 pounds (and occasionally more with assistance) to transfer students and move heavy mobility equipment.

EXAMINATION INFORMATION:

The first step in the examination process is the application screening and whether or not the candidate meets the minimum qualifications listed.

The testing process may consist of a written exam, an oral exam, a performance exam, a structured interview (SI), a qualification appraisal interview (QAI), an evaluation of training & experience/education (T&E), and/or any combination thereof.

All tests

will have a passing score set between 50 and 99 depending on a variety of factors affecting that specific recruitment.

All candidates must pass the first examination process to be invited to the next step/test in the process.

As the testing process consists of a minimum of two examination processes,

EXAMINATION WEIGHT:

FIRST EXAMINATION: 50%

SECOND EXAMINATION*: 50%

*Administered only to those who pass the first examination.

OTHER:

Proof of identification for completion of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, must be submitted at the time of processing for employment.

SALARIES:

All salaries, as stated, are based on present information and are subject to change.

The hiring rate shall be the first step of the schedule except for classes where recruitment efforts have indicated difficulty in recruiting at that step. Appointments are made at the minimum salary shown in the posting and increases are granted at intervals based on anniversary date.

Notification of Non-Discrimination Policy

The Berkeley Unified School District is committed to fostering a positive working environment for its employees. Accordingly, BUSD practices shall be free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation and bullying of any employee based on an employee's actual race, color, ancestry, national origin, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression; the perception of one or more of such characteristics; or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

The Board also prohibits retaliation against any district employee or job applicant who complains, testi?es or in any way participates in the district's complaint procedures instituted pursuant to this policy.

The following employee has been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination regarding Board Policy 4030:

Compliance Officer and Title IX Coordinator

2020 Bonar Street, Room 116

Berkeley, CA 94702

Phone: 510-486-9338

Email:

nondiscrimination@berkeley.net

Closing Date/Time: Thu, 30 Jul 2026
Berkeley Unified School District

Berkeley Unified School District

5106448975

About the District

Since the founding of the University of California, Berkeley in 1868 and the establishment of Berkeley’s first high school in 1879, Berkeley’s community has been proud to be a leader in public education.  In 1968, the Berkeley Unified School District was the nation’s first school district to desegregate without a court order.  What you should know about our District:

 

  • Students are our priority.
  • We take pride in our diversity.
  • We hold high expectations for ourselves and our students.
  • We treat each other with respect and act with integrity.

Berkeley Unified is responsible for educating more than 9,400 individual students in 11 public elementary schools, 3 middle schools, one comprehensive high school, and an alternative high school. In addition, the district has 3 preschool facilities and an Adult School serving several thousand students each year. With a tradition of excellence rooted in a vibrant community, Berkeley Unified alumni have become national and international leaders in business, civic society, politics, academia, sports and the arts. Students and staff in Berkeley Unified come from a wide variety of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, surrounded by one of the most intellectually and culturally rich regions in the United States.

The Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals of Berkeley Unified are encapsulated in the four E’s:

  • Excellence
  • Equity
  • Engagement
  • Enrichment

Excellence in Learning, in Teaching, and in Service to our Students and Families

Equity in Access, in Resource Allocation, and Educational Outcomes

Engagement with Parents, Guardians, Families, and Community

Enrichment in Curriculum with Music & the Arts, Libraries, Gardens & Nutrition, Science & Health, Physical Education & Sports

Parent and Community Involvement
The Vision for BUSD is one in which parents, family, and community are an integral part of each school. When parents and families get personally involved in education, their children do better in school and grow up to be more successful in life.  This is why Berkeley has dedicated resources and specialized staff to support the home-school partnership and to give all parents/guardians access to understanding opportunities and services available for their children.

Public Support
Over the past 25 years, the Berkeley Unified School District’s ability to provide well-rounded educational resources and opportunities to all students has been significantly boosted by the generous financial support of local taxes that augment the General Fund for specific purposes.

Berkeley voters have overwhelmingly supported the Berkeley Schools Excellence Program (BSEP), a special local tax first adopted in 1986 and renewed consistently since then, most recently as Measure A in 2006. (1986 to present)

Berkeley voters are as committed to the safety and modernization of school and district facilities as to the students and educational programs they house, most recently evidenced in the renewal of a maintenance special tax and a new facilities bond in 2010.

  • Facilities Bonds (1992, Measure BB of 2002, Measure I of 2010)
  • Maintenance Parcel Tax (Measure H of 2010)

Very Low Class Size
Berkeley Public schools have among the lowest class sizes in the state. While many school districts have exceeded 20 students in kindergarten through third grade, thanks to the BSEP tax measure Berkeley has maintained 20:1 since 1984. Grades 4 and 5 classrooms have average student-teacher ratios of 26-1, again much lower than the state average.

  • All Berkeley elementary schools have fewer students than the state average of 525 students — in fact, the Berkeley average is 375.
  • The average student-teacher ratio in academic classrooms in middle school is less than 28:1, and many math classes are 20:1.
  • The average student-teacher ratio in academic classrooms in high schools is 28:1.

Because the Berkeley community recognizes that public education is the cornerstone of a productive, creative, and healthy society, all of our schools benefit from the generosity of monetary and in-kind donations.  Visit our “Public Support” page to find out more about the generosity and commitment of our supporters and how the many different funding and volunteer organizations enhance each child’s education in the Berkeley Public Schools.

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