I have worked in two different states, and in both states, the situation is much the same. But for many of you, it would absolutely shock and disturb you.
But for a lot of you might not know what those positions are. If a student requires a paraprofessional, or several students in most cases, it means there’s significant intellectual emotional or physical needs that a single classroom teacher cannot support while supporting their 25 students. So they bringing someone like me. And well my job is to provide for support for that one student or two in the classroom, nine times out of 10 I’m providing support for all 25 students. This means providing alternative ways of figuring out the classroom assignment. Explaining the educational materials app levels each of the 25 students can understand. It means managing classroom behavior, to help the teacher. It means managing the classroom behavior to prevent my students from being reactive. It means getting to know each individual student on a level that allows me to predict behavior. It means making just as much if not more choices then the average teacher would make. In most cases, paraprofessionals are also used for breakfast lunch and recess duties. We are also trained with CPRAD, as well as being able to administer medication, often through ports directly into a student stomach. This includes lifts to help a student onto the restroom or even assist with the entire restroom process.
In order to be in this position, you have to have associates degree in most places. You also have to pay for your class, and your licensure. You are such pay for your fingerprints and background check in many cases. So often times the entire first week of the job, is spent paying yourself back for getting the job.
Now, you’ve got the job. You are showing up on your first day, and getting to know the students. You were answering questions, and you were going to quickly find out whether or not the teacher respect you enough to make the appropriate calls, or if you are simply a shadow in the background. I have experienced both. I’ve also experienced teachers where they won’t even let the paraprofessionals store their jacket and backpack in the classroom, but if they have a favorite para they will. Because we don’t have a single room to store our stuff when we arrive on school property. Additionally, you learn very quickly that it is completely normal and acceptable for you to go home with bruises. As a man I was pendant to a corner by a seven year old kicked and punched over 43 times. The mother of the child had it wrote into the IEP, that we could not even put hands on the child to remove them from ourselves. It was excepted and supported by the school district. I have seen other Paras walk into job, interviews, and show them the physical scars. They got from their previous roles as Paras, and walk out the job.
Now you’ve been on the job for a little bit, you’ve gotten to know the students. The next thing you’re gonna start noticing is when a student is having an off day, and for instance, when children are being abused. And, most often you were told to document it. But you don’t have a computer. You don’t have Time to access email. Often times you don’t have access to the referral system to provide documentation. I had to keep a paper notebook of a student from multiple weeks on end as they came back to school, covered in animal waste. There was nothing we could do but document. And we finally had enough documentation to call child services, nothing happened. And it breaks your heart. I have also seen situations where all the paraprofessionals been together and go around the school and wash children’s clothes in secret so that way these kids can go home with a clean jacket or a clean blanket.
I have had students lose their parents to head on car accidents. I have had students whose parents overdose in the pick up and drop off line. I have had students the outright, abused by their parents, and then, because the the teachers know that abuse is going on threaten the student with notifying the abusive parent of the child’s behavior. And I have had them tell us to threaten that student in that way. And before I knew that that child was being abused, that was the only thing that would work. And the teachers knew, they knew. And it broke my heart to make that call once I found out. I had another student lose their primary caregiver because their siblings and other family members did not believe in wearing masks.
Some of you will see the above, and be absolutely horrified. But this is very much standard for paraprofessionals. Now let’s get into some much worse stuff. We are paid the least out of any job in the school district. And this is a crossed almost every school district that includes less than the lunch workers, not that they shouldn’t be paid a reasonable wage. We are just paid less than that. In my previous school district I was paid $16 an hour. To work 730 until 245. If I inadvertently had to clock out later, because I was escorting a student somewhere, I would be question about it in my time would be rewound back to 245. They would hold your check hostage at the end of the pay period to figure out why you were three minutes over. And I’m not joking. Eventually, they just started running the clocks 3 to 5 minutes behind. And I’ve also reported that to the state, and there was no problem found with it.