Paraeducator Handbook Summary

NEA Paraeducator Handbook Summary With over 770,000 paraeducators in the United States public schools alone, it is important to understand a paraeducators many job duties and titles, and their capability to provide educational support for teachers, staff, and students. Paraeducators play a vital role in cultivating student’s educational accomplishments by assisting and supporting certified and licensed educators in instructional and other direct services. Unlike in the past, paraeducators are now considered to be equivalent and appreciated members of education. Paraeducators, like teachers, benefit from support (as well as training, supervision, and development). The NEA Paraeducator Handbook is beneficial for building awareness and appreciation

It is important to build consciousness (and gratitude) to paraeducators roles and responsibilities in the classroom or schools. Starting with the definition, paraeducators are employees that collaborate (work) alongside and under the supervision of a licensed (certified) teacher or instructor and provide support for the teacher, children, and their families. Paraeducators are often responsible for management of a program (or classroom), design, implementation, and evaluation of the instructional program, and student progress. Both teachers and children benefit from a paraeducator’s assistance, as many work directly with students at different educational levels (preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, special education), helping to achieve academic achievement and overall school safety. Teachers and students benefit from paraeducators because they allow teachers to provide a more separated instruction and more individual attention to their students. Paraeducators also aid board members to save money, but still achieve and maintain educational standards for the children. Professionalism is a core value and an integral part of the instructional process to paraeducators who embrace the professional values and goals of

The NEA most notably assisted on its members’ behalf in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act in 2004, through negotiating, providing information and worships, and collaborating with school and state officials to make sure the application of NCLB and IDEA 2004 is impartial. In the past decade, IDEA 2004 and NCLB have recognized the roles of paraeducators (the term paraprofessional was used), but have also placed guidelines as well. Most specifically, the IDEA 2004 promises free public educations, not dependent on the type of disability, but discusses how paraeducators can aid in maximizing students success. The IDEA is important to paraeducators because it only acknowledges their role in the educational environment with special education students (and in general), but states paraeducators’ guidelines and requirements under state laws, regulations, or policies. Although the term paraeducator is not defined, the IDEA 2004 requires certification of paraeducators who work with students with disabilities. In addition, IDEA 2004 highlights that LEAs can only use paraeducators in assisting children with disabilities if they have been properly trained and are supervised (states must decides standards and training though). IDEA 2004 also allows for state grants that are used to