Board approves one-year MOU to centralize recruitment and placement of instructional assistants

The Paradise Valley Unified School District Governing Board voted unanimously to approve a one-year memorandum of understanding with the Paradise Valley Education Association that allows the district to recruit and place instructional assistants centrally.

District staff said the action responds to persistent vacancies among instructional assistants since the COVID-19 pandemic. A staff presenter said the district has run "pretty consistently around a 30% vacancy rate" for instructional aide positions and recommended the limited-term MOU to allow centralized recruitment and placements while preserving site input. "What this effectively proposes to do is to allow us to do some of that work at the district level, and then work with sites to find good matches," a staff member said.

Board members asked clarifying questions about the scope of the MOU. The district clarified the MOU applies specifically to instructional assistants (paraprofessionals who assist teachers and often support students in special education settings) and does not change certification requirements for teachers. The district said instructional assistants sometimes pick up additional hours at campuses, and that the MOU is for the current year only; future bargaining could make any long-term changes.

The board approved the MOU by voice vote. The meeting record identifies the motion as moved by Mrs. Christiansen and shows the motion passed unanimously. The presenters said the district intends to continue recruiting and to consider MOU language in future bargaining discussions if necessary.