NEA task force seeks recognition and advancement for paraeducators. She recalls how she and Sherry McDonald, her classroom partner at Konnoak Elementary in Forsyth County, North Carolina, once talked a special education student out of thinking he was stupid. He's now doing very well in middle school. More than 500,000 paraeducators now work in American public school classrooms and libraries, primarily serving kids from low-income families or those with disabilities or foreign language backgrounds. Yet the U.S. Department of Education reports that only 13 states have any sort of para credentialing system in place.
Paras are as valuable in the education family as everybody else.
Each year their job becomes more complex. Educate paras on the requirements of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. Through a video, manual, and brochure, the task force will send out the word that IDEA requires training and supervision of support staff who work with disabled kids and allows these employees to work with regular ed students. In addition, thesematerials will also advise paras on how to push states to write and deliver guidelines for para training and how to apply for federal professional development grants. Promote state standards for paraeducators.