IV 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 297 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that paraprofessionals 
and education support staff should have fair compensation, benefits, 
and working conditions. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 7, 2025 
Mrs. HAYES (for herself, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. BROWNLEY, Ms. PINGREE, Ms. 
SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. TLAIB, Ms. TOKUDA, Ms. MCCLELLAN, Mr. JOHNSON 
of Georgia, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Ms. CRAIG, and Mr. GOTTHEIMER) sub-
mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Education and Workforce 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
paraprofessionals and education support staff should 
have fair compensation, benefits, and working conditions. 
Whereas 
paraprofessionals 
(also 
sometimes 
known 
as 
‘‘paraeducators’’) include education assistants and in-
structional assistants who work in elementary schools, 
secondary schools, or public institutions of higher edu-
cation; 
Whereas education support staff (also sometimes known as 
‘‘classified school employees’’ or ‘‘education support pro-
fessionals’’) include professionals who work in elementary 
schools, secondary schools, or public institutions of higher 
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education in clerical and administrative services, trans-
portation services, food and nutrition services, custodial 
and maintenance services, health and student services, 
technical services, and skilled trades; 
Whereas more than 3,000,000 paraprofessionals and edu-
cation support staff are the frontline workers who trans-
form schools in the United States from brick and mortar 
buildings to places of learning and support for more than 
49,000,000 students across the United States; 
Whereas, since the onset of the COVID–19 pandemic, school 
staff employment has fallen across positions and there 
are still 331,000 fewer school staff than before the 
COVID–19 pandemic, leaving schools without the nec-
essary staff in almost every position; 
Whereas, since the onset of the COVID–19 pandemic, a 
shortage of teachers has resulted in some paraprofes-
sionals and education support staff being expected to as-
sume the duties of teachers without commensurate com-
pensation or benefits; 
Whereas many paraprofessionals and education support staff 
are undercompensated for their work, and do not receive 
a living wage, much less a competitive, family sustaining 
living wage; 
Whereas many paraprofessionals and education support staff 
are, as a matter of practice, laid off at the end of each 
school year and rehired annually, and lack job security; 
Whereas, unlike most school employees, many paraprofes-
sionals and education support staff are not full-time em-
ployees because their services, including those of bus 
drivers and food service workers, are time delimited; 
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Whereas many paraprofessionals and education support staff 
lack access to high-quality, affordable health care because 
they are intentionally hired for insufficient hours to re-
ceive health and retirement benefits, or otherwise are 
charged exorbitant employee premiums for health insur-
ance; 
Whereas, while paraprofessionals and education support staff 
are often the most diverse subset of school employees, are 
more likely to have grown up in the communities they 
serve, and are the trusted school community members for 
many students and parents, the voices of paraprofes-
sionals and education support staff are not always valued 
in forming school policies; 
Whereas paraprofessionals and education support staff often 
serve students facing systemic barriers, but are often ex-
cluded from professional growth and development oppor-
tunities; 
Whereas, like many school employees, paraprofessionals and 
education support staff are too often subject to workplace 
violence and other safety hazards, including contaminants 
and extreme temperatures; 
Whereas paraprofessionals and education support staff de-
serve real solutions that would empower them to— 
(1) work in a stable, safe environment; 
(2) have multi-year job security; 
(3) receive livable and competitive wages, access to 
sufficient hours, and fair compensation for their work; 
and 
(4) have a voice on the job and meaningful input in 
school policy; 
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Whereas respecting paraprofessionals and education support 
staff is essential to creating and maintaining safe and 
supportive school environments that are conducive to stu-
dents learning and thriving; and 
Whereas Congress seeks to recognize the rights, respect, and 
dignity that paraprofessionals and education support 
staff deserve as they continue to care for and educate the 
next generation: Now, therefore, be it: 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that— 
(1) paraprofessionals and education support 
staff— 
(A) should be compensated at a rate that 
is a livable, competitive wage; 
(B) should have access to high-quality, af-
fordable health care and health care benefits at 
a de minimus personal cost; 
(C) should be considered to be eligible em-
ployees under the Family and Medical Leave 
Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.); 
(D) should be entitled to 16 weeks of paid 
family and medical leave; 
(E) should have paid leave for all planned 
and 
unforeseen 
school 
closures, 
including 
weather-related closures, professional develop-
ment days, and other short-term closures; 
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(F) should have access to meaningful and 
free or affordable professional growth and de-
velopment opportunities during regular paid 
working hours that provide a path to career ad-
vancement; 
(G) should have sufficient resources and 
supplies to enable them to do their job effec-
tively and efficiently, including up-to-date tech-
nology; 
(H) should have access to training and ap-
propriate personal protective equipment; 
(I) should have representation in organiza-
tions that determine policies that may affect the 
working conditions of paraprofessionals and 
education support staff; 
(J) should receive notification and the op-
portunity to provide significant input about the 
implementation of electronic monitoring, data, 
algorithms, and artificial intelligence technology 
in the applicable school and should receive high- 
quality professional development as new tech-
nologies are introduced; 
(K) should have adequate notice and op-
portunity to participate, when appropriate, in 
individualized education program meetings, be-
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havior intervention team meetings, and other 
similar meetings relating to the students the 
paraprofessionals and education support staff 
support, to the extent permitted by law; 
(L) should experience a safe and healthy 
working environment free from recognized haz-
ards that cause or are likely to cause death or 
serious physical harm; 
(M) should experience appropriate staffing 
levels to ensure that students have adequate 
support and that paraprofessionals and edu-
cation support staff can complete their jobs ef-
fectively, efficiently, and safely; 
(N) should receive adequate notification re-
garding the duration of their employment; 
(O) should have an employment contract 
that includes a provision for the automatic re-
newal of the contract at the expiration of the 
contract, rather than the automatic termination 
of the contract at such expiration, and a provi-
sion for termination of employment for just 
cause, rather than termination of employment 
at will; and 
(P) should have a process for reporting 
workplace issues and concerns to their employer 
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