Let's fight for the respect we deserve
Our special education survey revealed a staggering result: Of the more than 2,200 special education vacancies across our school system, more than two-thirds of them were paraprofessional positions.
Now is our moment. It is time to say enough is enough.
Paraprofessionals are a crucial part of our school system and we are needed more than ever. We love our jobs, and we love our students. We are ready to stand up and use our voice, not just for ourselves but for our students, too.
If the DOE wants more paraprofessionals, they need to show us the RESPECT we deserve. They can do this by:
✓ Paying us more.
✓ Valuing our work.
✓ Upholding our rights.
We launched our RESPECT for Paraprofessionals campaign at our November paraprofessional representative meeting. We are seizing this opportunity to mobilize together, educate each other and fight for what we deserve.
At the meeting, we heard from passionate speakers from each of our paraprofessional focus groups that helped us frame our campaign.
Here’s some of what each group had to say:
R is for Rights: We must know and take advantage of the rights we currently have, know how to enforce those rights and strategize about how to build on and expand those rights.
E is for Empowerment: We need to organize so we feel empowered to stand up for ourselves and achieve the goals we have in our workplace.
S is for Support: We need to find more ways to be there for each other and to stand in solidarity to get the support we need from our employer to do our jobs.
P is for Protection: We need to know the job protections we have, how to take action when something goes wrong on the job and how to get the resources we need to stay protected as we advocate for more job protections.
E is for Engagement: We need to listen to each other and create spaces to share ideas and concerns so we can turn those thoughts into actions.
C is for Compensation: We need to be paid a living wage so that no paraprofessional has to take a second job to make ends meet.
T is for Training: The DOE needs to provide us with hands-on training specific to our work as paraprofessionals. We must advocate for this training in the areas we need it most.
As we move forward with our RESPECT campaign, we will mobilize and work together to demand that the DOE hears us and gives us the respect we deserve.