The American Federation of Teachers also believes that there should be clear regulations for teacher aides. Celia Lose of the AFT says the group believes teacher aides should have at least a high school education and that there should be a specific certification program. Paraprofessionals should not be teaching. They should be assisting teachers. The AFT says the aides are an invaluable resource because they often have the same background as the students, where the teachers might not.
Paraprofessionals often can bridge the divide between home and school.
Because the students identify with the aides, they often feel more comfortable going to them with questions or problems. That is one possible solution to the issues surrounding teacher aides. LeTrendre supports the move by several districts that have instituted career ladders as a way for teacher aides to be educated and move toward becoming professional teachers within the system. This would also act as built-in pool of teachers to draw from to put an end to the nationwide teacher shortage. The implementation of the teacher aide requirements wanted by the Education Department could be difficult because many are union members.