The Para Place

If you are interested in presenting a the 2011 NRCP Conference in Pennsylvania, the Call for Papers is now available. We are looking for presentations on the following topics:

Research Initiatives focusing on paraeducator effectiveness, training and supervision, one-on-one use of paraeducators, or other pertinent topics.

Statewide or local initiatives to set standards.

Hands on Sessions specifically designed to strengthen the on-the-job performance of paraprofessionals working in Title I programs, inclusive classrooms or one-on-one job assignments, home- and center-based early childhood programs, ALS/bilingual education, and vocational/transitional services.

Incentives for Retaining a Skilled Paraprofessional Work Force (e.g. career pathways, credentialing flexible degree programs, collaborative articulated systems between provider agencies and 2- and 4-year colleges).

Standards and professionally developed models for preparing teachers and other supervisors to work effectively with paraprofessionals and direct service providers in education and other human services.

Emerging Roles for Paraprofessionals in occupational, speech/language, physical therapy and other disciplines.

However, if you have an idea that is not on this list, we would still love to hear about it. From Call for Papers page, there is a link where you can submit your proposal online.

Proposals are due by Friday, August 27th, submit yours today!

A teacher named Tami recounts an experience from her first year of teaching:

My kids continued to grow and develop as learners in a happy and caring classroom community.

I cannot however, take credit for all their success.

I had a para educator who was in my classroom most of the day, specifically for 3 of my special needs kiddos.

Her name is Mrs. M.

She was my right hand gal. She was my sounding board, keeper of the peace, and most importantly my friend. It sounds silly, but I couldn't have done it without her! (And until you encounter the title of teacher in a multi-age class with 27 (and soon 29) kids... you don't know the full truth of that statement!)

She then goes on to tell us that Mrs. M was diagnosed with breast cancer:

Tests were taken, surgery performed, a breast removed, chemo started, and one very sick lady left behind.

My classroom wasn't the same without her. We all missed her.

Tami then tell us why she admires Mrs. M and declares her "my hero".

Thanks for sharing Tami!

First Year

Spanish Fork Junior High (Utah) paraeducator Lesley Johnson was recently named the Nebo School District's Secondary Resource Paraeducator of the Year. From the article:

"I feel like I can't do my job without her," said Spanish Fork Junior High teacher Katrina Davenport. "She's so dedicated and devoted to helping people." Johnson said she's had students refer to her as "Mom." She said they've called out, "Hi Mom!" in the hallways.

Paraeducator and others honored

One of the most popular posts on our site is a discussion started by a para from Sioux City, Iowa asking what paraeducators make in different states. The 100 replies to that question show that there is a lot of interest in that area. If you enjoyed that discussion you will likely also appreciate a recent article titled The Paraeducator Dilemma about paraeducators in Yakima, Washington fighting for a living wage.

The entire article provides a great overview of the work that paraeducators do and some of the struggles that they face. Here are a few quotes to whet your appetite:

From Heidi Mann:

"At MLK, the teachers treat us like equals," Mann says. "We're not saying we are equal to them. But I'd say we're at least worth half of what they make."

One of the most popular posts on our site is a discussion started by a para from Sioux City, Iowa asking what paraeducators make in different states. The 100 replies to that question show that there is a lot of interest in that area. If you enjoyed that discussion you will likely also appreciate a recent article titled The Paraeducator Dilemma about paraeducators in Yakima, Washington fighting for a living wage.

The entire article provides a great overview of the work that paraeducators do and some of the struggles that they face. Here are a few quotes to whet your appetite:

From Heidi Mann:

"At MLK, the teachers treat us like equals," Mann says. "We're not saying we are equal to them. But I'd say we're at least worth half of what they make."

On working for a living wage:

While they're taking care of other people's children on the playground and in the school cafeteria, many paraeducators struggle to provide for their own children. Many of their children qualify to receive free or reduced lunch in the district for which they work.

"As far as we understand, we are the lowest-paid unit in the district, and we are the ones who are teaching in the classrooms," (Buffy) Phillips says. "We're not asking to be paid like the teachers are paid. We just need enough to live on."

On the work that paras do:

Paraeducators supervise children on the playground, in the lunchroom and classroom, and before and after school. They tutor students in math. They help children learn to read. They lead small groups. And while they don't craft lesson plans, paraeducators do help teach the lessons.

"I just really could not do my job without them," says Joan Kirk, a special education teacher at Gilbert Elementary School. "We're a team."

Does anything in the article sound familiar to you?

The Paraeducator Dilemma from the Yakima Herald

The U.S. Department of Education is offering $1.5 million for up to 10 Paraprofessional Pre-Service Program Improvement Grants. The purpose of the grant is to improve services and results for children with disabilities.

These grants are designed to help improve the quality of existing paraprofessional certificate or associate degree programs at colleges and universities. Institutions receiving support must enhance or re-design the program curricula so that paraprofessionals are well prepared to work with children with disabilities and their families.

There are two focus areas under this criteria, including:

1. Improvement of early intervention, early childhood special education, and early childhood education paraprofessional pre-service programs.
2. Improvement of K-12 paraprofessional pre-service programs

Note: The two focus areas under this priority only support the improvement of existing EI, ECSE, and ECE or K through 12 paraprofessional preservice programs. This priority does not support the development of new paraprofessional preservice programs, nor does it provide for financial support of paraprofessional students during any year of the project. Projects training paraprofessionals in other related services, speech/language or adapted physical education are not eligible under these focus areas.

The deadline for submission is November 3, 2009.

For more information please contact Shedeh Hajghassemali at 202-245-7506.

You can find a synopsis of this grant opportunity available here.

For the full Federal Register notice on the funding opportunity, please visit http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-21436.htm

I missed this when it was posted back in May, but it is good enough that it is still worth sharing. Below is a blog post where a kind teacher takes the time to publicly thank her two paraprofessionals at the end of the school year:

I am dedicating this blog post to my two Para-Professionals that I work with, Mrs. Rogers and Mr. Nelson. Both have made my year spectacular and I truly mean that I could not have made it without them.

Another Para-Professional Note

Wikipedia now has an entry titled Paraprofessional Educator that begins:

A paraprofessional educator, alternatively known as para-pros, instructional assistants, teacher's aides or classroom assistants, is a teaching-related position within a school generally responsible for specialized or concentrated assistance for students in elementary and secondary schools.

Not all states have a fixed definition of 'paraprofessional' and may use all of the terms listed above interchangeably.

After that, the article could use some help- the good news is, you can change it! If you have an addition or idea to make the article better, just click on "edit this page" at the top of the page and start editing. If you need help, check out How to Edit Wikipedia pages. Once you have edited the document, press "Save page" and your changes will be live! (use responsibly)