Paraeducator Handbook

Who benefits from
the work of paraeducators?

The benefits of paraeducators' work are many, and the beneficiaries are the entire community—not only students, teachers and other members of the educational team, and parents, but school board members and administrators as well. Trained paraeducators can help an entire school district deliver the quality education its community demands.

Teachers and other members of the education team, such as speech-language pathologists and occupational and physical therapists, find that the inclusion of paraeducators supports and assists the work of licensed and certificated team members. Paraeducators reduce the ratio of students to teacher and provide the attention that a single teacher with a large class cannot give every student. By networking with other school personnel, paraeducators also help meet individual student needs.

With trained paraeducators in the school, parents can feel secure in knowing that their child's education is being provided by a team com-posed of well-trained and dedicated professionals. School boards and local administrations responsible for improving education find that the employment of paraeducators helps them make more effective use of public funds while maintaining quality standards in their schools. By extending the functions and flexibility of the education team, trained paraeducators also decrease the legal liability of a school district at the same time that they help retain staff and maintain the continuity of service to students. Schools with paraeducators on staff will benefit from a lower personnel turnover and improved performance by the education team, as well as students. More precise job definitions for paraeducators will lead to more appropriate evaluations of their work and for that reason will enhance its quality.

How do paraeducators
support NEA goals and values?

Full career partners in the quest for educational excellence and reform, NEA paraeducators are an integral part of the instructional process, which has student achievement as its primary goal. Paraeducators have a strong professional identity, and they advocate for their profession by maintaining positive, supportive, collaborative, and professional relationships with other members of the education team.

Their professionalism is exemplified in their dedication to their employment as a career in and of itself, and not merely a step on the way to becoming a teacher. For many of them, however, experience as a paraeducator may lead to a desire and determination to become a teacher, and increasingly, school systems find the ranks of paraeducators an excellent source from which to recruit teachers.

In helping states develop their paraeducator programs, local associations and unions can support legislative efforts and inform their members about the requirements of IDEA ‘97. They should always make sure that paraeducators interests are considered in collective bargaining, and they should constantly emphasize the professional identity of their paraeducator members by informing them about standards, competencies, and professional development programs. Local associations should consider including NEA paraeducators in efforts to develop partnerships within school districts and communities.

To "Why professional development programs for paraeducators?"