Paraeducators

[Anonymous]

Genuinely asking: what can MCPS do to get paras benefits? Someone in the Board of Education needs to bring up this issue. But whom?

[Anonymous]

No benefits and no union rep either?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No benefits and no union rep either?

Temporary part time (TPT) paras don’t get benefits. Permanent paras who work at least four hours have full benefits, and we have union representation as well - all support staff are part of SEIU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So a para working with a special needs student does not need a degree in special education? Do they receive any training? Some of the special needs students are a full time job 1:1.

The 1:1 para jobs are all temporary, part-time. That means hourly pay and no benefits. Not sure how MCPS gets away with this (maybe because students ts are transient/you don't know if they'll be back the following year?). A new FT special ed para makes about $26k plus benefits, and has all the school holidays off, but only gets paid a few of them (for example, paid for Xmas and New Years Day, but not the week of no school).

Some 1:1 paras are permanent. But many aren't.

[Anonymous]

Even FT paras are grossly underpaid. Many elementary schools rely very heavily on them and often use them as subs.

[Anonymous]

I believe 1:1 tpt positions are classified as long term substitute support positions (not the same pay as teacher LTS), and fall under the substitute teacher section of the MCEA contract. No benefits, but MCEA representation. They are temp bc often the position was created due to a student’s IEP, and that is updated at least once a year and can change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So a para working with a special needs student does not need a degree in special education? Do they receive any training? Some of the special needs students are a full time job 1:1.

The 1:1 para jobs are all temporary, part-time. That means hourly pay and no benefits. Not sure how MCPS gets away with this (maybe because students ts are transient/you don't know if they'll be back the following year?). A new FT special ed para makes about $26k plus benefits, and has all the school holidays off, but only gets paid a few of them (for example, paid for Xmas and New Years Day, but not the week of no school).

Some 1:1 paras are permanent. But many aren't.

Their hours are likely coded as perm para hours (gen Ed, sped Ed, hsm, ect), but the principal is choosing to utilize the para as a 1:1.

Regardless, more paras are needed, and unfortunately they are vastly underpaid.

[Anonymous]

Can university students- Education majors - be tapped for four hours as paras, not just as student teachers? Some could use the $ even if low. I don't know just trying to find ways to get more paras.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can university students- Education majors - be tapped for four hours as paras, not just as student teachers? Some could use the $ even if low. I don't know just trying to find ways to get more paras.

Yes, we've known several students who did this and they were really good. The main hiring barrier I've heard of is the commute. It's hard to deal with DC area traffic for a part time job. I think some areas like the ones closer to Umd tend to have more candidates than places on the west side.

[Anonymous]

It's a matter of priorities. And right now in MoCo, and in most of the country, it's clear from budgeting that teachers and paras are not a priority.

Think about it: other than the blanket statement to reduce the staff in Central Office, what would you cut to better fund teachers, Paras and substitutes? Most can make better money elsewhere.

The low pay used to be worth it because of the pension and health care benefit, and the vacation (summers and holidays off). But the amazong pension and health care benes those are gone and the low pay remains. The switch to Cigna is laughable, there is no good pension for the new employees, and the ongoing lack of respect, lack of autonomy, and low pay for educators, means the educator shortage is going to be a problem for at least a generation.

[Anonymous]

A lot of military wives work as paras where we live—they can do it anywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes there’s a shortage, but the lunch/recess coverage is still bad even when you are fully staffed. There is no money for more than 2 staff members per 100 students or so.

How can this be? You need 1 teacher for 30/students in a classroom, right? So wouldnt you need at least 3-4 paras at lunch recess if 100 students?

My kid was in a grade of 180+ students and there would be 2 paras supervising recess. It was a madhouse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes there’s a shortage, but the lunch/recess coverage is still bad even when you are fully staffed. There is no money for more than 2 staff members per 100 students or so.

How can this be? You need 1 teacher for 30/students in a classroom, right? So wouldnt you need at least 3-4 paras at lunch recess if 100 students?

My kid was in a grade of 180+ students and there would be 2 paras supervising recess. It was a madhouse.

My Kindergartner was “lost” twice at recess. Our 6 year old
Neighbor came home
With a black eye. Another neighbor kid in K with ADHD wandered off
Property during recess on “an adventure.” He was pretty proud, but as adults we were horrified.

2 adults for 225 kids under the age of 8…..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can university students- Education majors - be tapped for four hours as paras, not just as student teachers? Some could use the $ even if low. I don't know just trying to find ways to get more paras.

Yes, we've known several students who did this and they were really good. The main hiring barrier I've heard of is the commute. It's hard to deal with DC area traffic for a part time job. I think some areas like the ones closer to Umd tend to have more candidates than places on the west side.

How about Montgomery College students? There are at least three campuses - Rockville, Takoma/Silver Spring and Germantown. Do they have childhood education programs? Since MCPS and MoCo College already have a partnership for HS students, they could have one to have their college students work in MCPS as paras. Isn't the current BOE President Silvester affiliated with MoCo College? She needs to step it up, have her coordinate this.

[Anonymous]

Are paras in ES lunch rooms and how many per grade? Same few as for recess?