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School staff and administrators press for paraprofessional training, support amid special‑education changes
Summary
Staff and an administrator at a school listening session outlined a pathway for paraprofessionals to advance into special‑education technician roles, described ongoing negotiations over paraprofessional terms and urged continued professional development as state-level special‑education changes take effect.
Tech coach (staff member) said the district uses a multi-step training pathway for paraprofessionals, with about 40 online modules followed by classroom classes that qualify participants to be special‑education technicians. "As soon as they repeat, I think it's 40 of those," the tech coach said, adding that completing the modules lets staff "attain the status of special ed technician."
The tech coach said the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) is leaving implementation details to local school districts, and that districts will decide whether and how to remunerate those who complete the pathway. "OPI, as I understand it, is kind of leaving it up to the school districts to decide," he said.
A staff member who spoke later urged continued negotiations for paraprofessional technicians, saying the issue surfaced in recent meetings with superintendents and will be part of upcoming bargaining. "I definitely want to put on the negotiations as we go forward for the paraprofessional technicians," the staff member said.
Speakers also discussed employment terms and staffing capacity. The tech coach said many positions are structured on two‑year contracts and described his nine months of experience coaching and supporting staff in a small‑town school setting, noting that local dynamics differ from larger districts.
District staff framed training and bargaining as part of broader professional‑development goals. The staff member highlighted the need to keep arts programming and mental‑health services for students alongside changes prompted by new special‑education laws enacted last year. "We need to continue to keep doing that and educating ourselves," the staff member said.
Next steps described at the meeting included ongoing negotiations over paraprofessional roles and continued professional development for teachers and paraprofessionals; no formal votes or binding decisions were recorded in the session.
