Paraeducators

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Question for experienced paras, do you go in tomorrow (first scheduled workday)? Or do you wait for the specific school schedule (don't have it yet)?

All paras are supposed to report to work tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Question for experienced paras, do you go in tomorrow (first scheduled workday)? Or do you wait for the specific school schedule (don't have it yet)?

Report to work tomorrow through Friday. If you have separate lunch/recess hours, you aren't paid for those this week and should only work your para hours.

[Anonymous]

Paras also don't get paid all of the holidays (some - egz paid for the Thursday of Thanksgiving but not the Fri that schools are also closed. Over winter break, paid for Xmas and New Years Day but not the rest of the break.

My salary when I was a FT para 22-23
school year, was $26k. I quit after the end of the school year - horrible job, low pay, and no respect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Paras also don't get paid all of the holidays (some - egz paid for the Thursday of Thanksgiving but not the Fri that schools are also closed. Over winter break, paid for Xmas and New Years Day but not the rest of the break.

My salary when I was a FT para 22-23
school year, was $26k. I quit after the end of the school year - horrible job, low pay, and no respect.

The saving grace to being a perm para is access to benefits. Temp paras get shafted.

[Anonymous]

Temporary Part Time Paras (TPT) do not start until next week when the students return.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those of you insisting that paras get benefits, sick days, etc….it all depends on the way the position has been designated. Any job with “tpt” in the title means temporary part-time & those employees do not get any benefits.
“Temporary part-time” is a bit of a misnomer though because you can work the full school day (7 hours of work, lunch is not included or paid time) and that is 35 hrs of work/week. The position is also for the full school year, so not temporary. I know of 4 tpt paras at the school that I work at. Generally they start most paras off as tpt & then after a year or more you can apply for a para position w benefits. There is a para at my school who has been tpt for many years (5plus at least). I’m not sure what the issue is, maybe performance related?

Might be performance. There is a test you have to pass too. In most cases I've seen TPT staff get first priority for jobs if possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Paras also don't get paid all of the holidays (some - egz paid for the Thursday of Thanksgiving but not the Fri that schools are also closed. Over winter break, paid for Xmas and New Years Day but not the rest of the break.

My salary when I was a FT para 22-23
school year, was $26k. I quit after the end of the school year - horrible job, low pay, and no respect.

The saving grace to being a perm para is access to benefits. Temp paras get shafted.

The above was for a FT para WITH benefits (health insurance and 4 days off per year). FT Paras don't get paid for all the school holidays, only some

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Paras also don't get paid all of the holidays (some - egz paid for the Thursday of Thanksgiving but not the Fri that schools are also closed. Over winter break, paid for Xmas and New Years Day but not the rest of the break.

My salary when I was a FT para 22-23
school year, was $26k. I quit after the end of the school year - horrible job, low pay, and no respect.

The saving grace to being a perm para is access to benefits. Temp paras get shafted.

The above was for a FT para WITH benefits (health insurance and 4 days off per year). FT Paras don't get paid for all the school holidays, only some

Yes, the full Holiday vs NWNP/NPS schedule by job classification is here:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/district/departments/ersc/employees/pay/schedules/work_schedule_2024-2025.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Paras also don't get paid all of the holidays (some - egz paid for the Thursday of Thanksgiving but not the Fri that schools are also closed. Over winter break, paid for Xmas and New Years Day but not the rest of the break.

My salary when I was a FT para 22-23
school year, was $26k. I quit after the end of the school year - horrible job, low pay, and no respect.

This is the crux of the problem! Nothing will change until paras receive higher pay and more respect from school staff and parents. Quite a few paras are former SAHP. These people are often highly educated but are treated like "the help". MCPS is lucky to have them.

[Anonymous]

Do they typically hire older 65yrs+ (e.g. grandparents) for paras position?

[Anonymous]

I would think so. I don't believe there are any age limits and the schools desperately need paras.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do they typically hire older 65yrs+ (e.g. grandparents) for paras position?

Quite a few older paras. Do ask about duties - some require a lot of movement and lifting.

[Anonymous]

When do paras eat if they are working all day? I have heard some will get called into classrooms AND be on lunch recess duty.

[Anonymous]

When i was a para i got about 10-15 minutes to eat. Squeezed it in.

I have a masters so after a couple of years using the 4-hour para position as my side-gig (for the benefits, of course) to my hobby job with no benefits, I transitioned to a 12-mnth principal's admin asstnt in a high school. So my 2 positions switched. Much better bennies with a 12-month job.

[Anonymous]

A friend quit her para job after 1 semester. This is not at all unusual. I am a HS teacher and i see new para faces every semester.