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Paraeducators urge Ventura Unified to boost staffing and support, recount daily demands
Summary
Multiple paraprofessionals and union representatives told the board they perform essential, often uncompensated work—requesting more para staffing, better compensation and sustained support for students with higher needs.
Several paraprofessionals, union representatives and community members used the public‑comment period to urge Ventura Unified trustees to address paraeducator staffing, workload and compensation.
Robert Ibara opened the public comments by describing paraeducators’ day‑to‑day responsibilities, telling the board that “paras do the job that not everyone can do,” and praising earlier steps to make hourly wages more competitive while urging continued improvement. Casey Rodriguez, speaking as a paraeducator attending a county disability summit, said heavy caseloads make classrooms unsafe and that some classrooms “desperately need more paras.”
Amanda Carrier, who identified herself as a bilingual paraeducator at Citrus Glenn Elementary and said she was rehired after budget cuts, described the emotional labor of the role and asked trustees to recognize paras’ essential supports: “Par educators are an essential part of every school here in VSD. We support those students that often are the most vulnerable and have the most needs.”
Union representative Katherine Pike, speaking for the Ventura Unified Education Association, emphasized solidarity with immigrant families and called for more immigration‑sensitivity training following recent regional events. She told the board: “Our students cannot learn in fear,” and urged further supports and training for staff.
Other speakers, including Holly Riddle and Nathan Donnelly, detailed long workdays, split assignments across sites and concerns about budget choices that they said prioritize administrative or contracted services over direct classroom support. Speakers asked for site visits by trustees to observe paraeducator working conditions firsthand.
Board members listened and thanked speakers; trustees noted the public testimony will inform ongoing budget and staffing discussions. The board did not take an immediate action on staffing during the meeting; several trustees asked staff to provide requested data in follow‑up.
