The nation’s educators are being honored this week, with an emphasis Nov. 19 on support staff and some South Dakota school districts said classroom aides and other workers are proving to be very valuable in the current educational landscape.
American Education Week dedicates time to highlighting the contributions of paraprofessionals, librarians, custodians and others.
Ann Pettit, executive director of elementary curriculum and instruction for the Douglas School District, from mental health questions to more individualized learning plans, said students have unique needs these days. As classroom leaders take on new challenges, other pieces of the staffing wheel are stepping up in their roles to keep it all together.
“Sometimes we think (of a) public school, we think about the teacher or the administrator,” Pettit observed. “But there are roles across all our schools that support in additional ways, from food service members, transportation members and then paraprofessionals inside the classroom.”
For teachers, Pettit noted their responsibilities seem to grow each year and paraprofessionals are doing all they can to make managing the classroom easier. She added aides still work side-by-side with the teacher at times, but are being given more independence to assist students in one-on-one situations, as needed.
Amy Ferley, superintendent and special education co-director for the Edgemont School District, said for her small district, paraprofessionals are crucial as staff make it a priority to improve the learning environment for students with special-education needs. She pointed out the teacher shortage has made it hard to hire a science teacher, meaning students are taught online for that period.
“We do have paras that help supervise and mentor those kids to help make sure that they’re on track, that they’re learning, even though there’s not a live teacher in the classroom with them,” Ferley noted.
Recognition of the contributions comes as the Trump administration this week moved forward with plans to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. The White House argued it is time to move the agency’s functions back to the states but teacher advocates warned about specific classroom support eroding, including helping students with disabilities.
