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Paraprofessionals urge higher pay and training; community speakers push living-wage frame
Summary
Two public commenters described paraprofessionals routinely stepping into teacher roles without training and urged the board to prioritize real pay increases over symbolic recognition; commenters urged the district to make compensation a higher priority in budget decisions.
During public comment, paraprofessionals and community members urged the board to address pay and training to retain support staff.
Efrain Garza, who identified himself as a literacy aide at O’Hela Middle School, described repeatedly being placed in full classroom roles without formal training or coaching during the pandemic years and said the conditions make retention difficult.
“No training, no help,” Garza said, describing a pattern of being asked to teach intervention and ELAR classes without an instructional coach or conference period to plan.
Brett Covington, speaking separately, broadened the argument to the district’s non-certified workforce, saying that pay is the clearest measure of value. “A paycheck, a real pay raise, that’s what matters more. That’s where you really say what you value,” he told trustees, urging the board to consider compensation beyond token events.
Trustees thanked the speakers and later discussed compensation scenarios in the budget briefing, including one-time retention payments and multi-percent raises under a VADER scenario.
