More than 40 instructional aides from schools across Henrico County attended last night's public hearing on the district's proposed 2008-09 budget.

Their message was clear: Instructional aides should make at least half the salary of teachers.

One parent from the school district understands the importance of paraprofessionals:

Caroline Nelson, a Henrico parent, called these workers "the silent cog . . . that keeps the educational system moving forward."

Fortunately, the School Board was able to understand the importance of paraprofessionals as well:

(The School Boards) identified a two-step increase for full-time aides as a priority in the budget.

That increase would give the county's 363 full-time instructional aides, almost all of whom work in exceptional education, a nearly 9 percent pay raise.

Read the entire article on the paraprofessional pay raise here.