Paraprofessionals
Who Are Paraprofessionals and What Do They Do?
Paraprofessionals are a vital part of the classroom team with a wide range of responsibilities and skills.
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Staffing Our Schools
Special Report
Why Staffing Schools Is Harder Than Ever
Why schools are struggling to recruit and retain staff and how it affects student learning.
Recruitment & Retention
From Our Research Center
Paraprofessionals: As the 'Backbones' of the Classroom, They Get Low Pay, Little Support
They are critical to student learning and well-being, but often find better pay and benefits in other fields.
Education
Districts Lay Off Thousands of Paraprofessionals as Students Switch to Remote Learning
With looming budget cuts and no clear need for teacher aides, administrators are gutting their paraprofessional staff, a move that could have long-term academic consequences.
Teaching
Opinion
'Teachers & Aides Need to Work as a Team'
Three educators share advice on working with instructional aides/paraprofessionals, including having a "team" mindset and demonstrating empathy.
Teaching
Opinion
A 'Communication, Action, Reflection' Cycle Makes a Teacher-Paraprofessional Relationship Work
Three educators share ideas on how to make a teacher-paraprofessional relationship work, including through constant communication, planning, and reflection.
Teaching
Opinion
Tips for Working With Classroom Aides
Four educators share tips on how teachers and paraprofessionals can work effectively together, including by maintaining regular daily communication and providing professional-development opportunities.
Teaching Profession
Paraprofessional With 'Gentle Spirit' Dies at 27 From COVID-19
A former high school athletic standout and homecoming king, Pedro Garcia III “could connect with anybody,” no matter the language, said a teaching colleague in Cozad, Neb.
Teaching Profession
When Strikes Happen, Teachers' Aides Have the Most to Lose
School support staff members, including paraprofessionals, can go unpaid when schools are closed—meaning they had more at risk during statewide walkouts than full-time teachers.
Teaching Profession
Washington State Taps Paraeducators to Fill Special Education Teacher Shortage
A new law creates a streamlined path for instructional aides, who already have deep experience working with students with disabilities, to gain teaching credentials.
Equity & Diversity
Bilingual School Staff Who Want to Teach Face Bureaucratic, Financial Barriers
With the demand for bilingual educators on the rise, a new report explores the kinds of hurdles that make it difficult for multilingual classroom aides to make the transition to becoming teachers.
Teaching Profession
Report Roundup
Paraprofessionals
Teaching assistants significantly contribute to student achievement, particularly in disadvantaged schools, according to a new study presented this month at the annual conference of the National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research.
Teaching Profession
Colleges Seek Out Future Special Ed. Teachers
Through new offerings and partnerships, education schools are looking for ways to bring more prospective candidates into the field.
Teaching Profession
Training Gains a Toehold for Instructional Aides in Special Education
Crucial for assuring that school inclusion takes place for students with disabilities, these workers have long been left out of the loop on professional development.