Collective Bargaining Agreement for Paraprofessionals
Paraprofessionals are Essential to the Success of Our Students and the Establishment of a Positive Learning Environment
The CCEU members of the PFT Executive Board are committed to the economic and workforce security of all employees in the Paraprofessional unit. We believe that the quality of the educational programs in the PPS is enhanced by all the classroom and non-classroom paraprofessionals in the system. Paraprofessionals must be treated with respect and compensated fairly.
The CCEU members of the PFT leadership continue to oppose the state-authorized residency requirement on paraprofessionals.
Whether it is the classroom assistant in early childhood, the emotional support aide in school age, the teen advocate, or the security aide, our schools would not be able to deliver quality services in a safe environment without these dedicated educators. It is unacceptable when these members of our union are treated as second-class workers on the job or seen as expendable when the district tries to solve its financial difficulties.
Many paraprofessionals have undergraduate degrees and some have advanced degrees. As the opportunities for paraprofessionals tighten while federal law requires increased credentials for paraprofessionals, the nationwide movement for alternative certification of teachers becomes even more disconcerting.
The primary role of a classroom paraprofessional is to assist the teacher in providing a meaningful education for the children. Paraprofessionals assist the students in achieving their educational goals through direct instruction and indirect support in the classroom.
Paraprofessionals help mediate communication, socialization, and behavioral challenges and encourage the students to have success in the educational environment.
Teachers and Paraprofessionals coordinate and plan together, ensuring a safe and orderly learning environment for the children. Without special education paraprofessionals, the services to our most vulnerable students—children with disabilities—would be significantly diminished.
CCEU supports paraprofessionals' involvement with other community organizations. CCEU members include paraprofessionals and the CCEU will continue to support greater involvement of paraprofessionals in the decision-making process in the district.
The PFT leadership remains committed to maintaining a strong vision for all members. Our paraprofessional contract is one of the strongest paraprofessional contracts in the country with dozens of workplace protections. Over the past several decades, CCEU members of PFT leadership have maintained and negotiated improvements to the agreement in many areas.
Highlights of the Paraprofessional CBA and Issues
The CCEU members of the PFT Executive Board are committed to the economic and workforce security of all employees in the Paraprofessional unit. We believe that the quality of the educational programs in the PPS is enhanced by all the classroom and non-classroom paraprofessionals in the system. Paraprofessionals must be treated with respect and compensated fairly.
The CCEU members of the PFT leadership continue to oppose the state-authorized residency requirement on paraprofessionals.
Whether it is the classroom assistant in early childhood, the emotional support aide in school age, the teen advocate, or the security aide, our schools would not be able to deliver quality services in a safe environment without these dedicated educators. It is unacceptable when these members of our union are treated as second-class workers on the job or seen as expendable when the district tries to solve its financial difficulties.
Many paraprofessionals have undergraduate degrees and some have advanced degrees. As the opportunities for paraprofessionals tighten while federal law requires increased credentials for paraprofessionals, the nationwide movement for alternative certification of teachers becomes even more disconcerting.
The primary role of a classroom paraprofessional is to assist the teacher in providing a meaningful education for the children. Paraprofessionals assist the students in achieving their educational goals through direct instruction and indirect support in the classroom.
Paraprofessionals help mediate communication, socialization, and behavioral challenges and encourage the students to have success in the educational environment.
Teachers and Paraprofessionals coordinate and plan together, ensuring a safe and orderly learning environment for the children. Without special education paraprofessionals, the services to our most vulnerable students—children with disabilities—would be significantly diminished.
CCEU supports paraprofessionals' involvement with other community organizations. CCEU members include paraprofessionals and the CCEU will continue to support greater involvement of paraprofessionals in the decision-making process in the district.
The PFT leadership remains committed to maintaining a strong vision for all members. Our paraprofessional contract is one of the strongest paraprofessional contracts in the country with dozens of workplace protections. Over the past several decades, CCEU members of PFT leadership have maintained and negotiated improvements to the agreement in many areas.
Highlights of the Paraprofessional CBA and Issues
- PFT leadership has negotiated employer-provided health care benefits including dental coverage.
- PFT leadership has a history of supporting paraprofessionals employees’ rights issues, and secured a grievance and arbitration process equal to the professional agreement.
- PFT leadership negotiated paraprofessional salary increase every year at every step and maintenance of sick leave and personal leave provisions.
- PFT has negotiated the maintenance of special education and special education related paraprofessional positions.
- PFT leadership has provided continuing education opportunities for the paraprofessionals that are required by the State to have 20 CE hours every year.
- PFT leadership has negotiated for paraprofessionals with language on lunch duties/duties.
- PFT leadership has negotiated overtime pay for security personnel.
- PFT leadership has secured seniority, displacement, reassignment, and recall provisions.
- PFT leadership negotiated inclusion of paraprofessionals in the school level performance-based compensation award.