Kindergarten aides urge board to raise part-time pay, request training stipends

Caitlin Trub, a kindergarten aide at Crystal Lake School, told the Ellington Board of Education on Aug. 27 that paraprofessionals perform physically and emotionally demanding work and should be compensated to reflect those duties. “We are not asking for benefits or even PTO. We fully understand those are the perks of working 33.75 hours a week,” Trub said during the public comment period. She urged the board to examine pay for part-time aides and to fund additional training, including PMT training for staff who intervene in physical situations. Trub said some job postings in the district list a minimum hourly rate of $19 while some long-serving aides are earning about $17, and called the pay gap “ouch.” She asked the board to consider a toileting and behavioral stipend similar to what part-time pre-K aides receive and said aides often perform tasks beyond clerical support: “We catch furniture mid flight, put classrooms back together after explosive behaviors, clean bathrooms and help change clothing.” Trub also said aides substitute frequently for lead teachers and lead small-group instruction when students need differentiated support. The comments were delivered during the meeting's citizens-and-staff forum; no formal board action on compensation was taken that night. Board members did not make a motion during the meeting to change pay scales, but members acknowledged the remarks and said they would take them into account in upcoming committee discussions. Trub said the aides have “no union to protect us or advocate for us,” and asked the board to act on their behalf. The public comment concluded without a staff response that night; the board's finance and human-resources committees were referenced elsewhere on the agenda as the venues where staffing and compensation matters are being addressed.