By Richard Finegan 

There seems to be lots of interest on the web in information about paraeducators and our work with special needs kids.  Plenty is written about us by teachers, administrators, union professionals or college professors who’ve never actually done our jobs.   Not much out here is written by paraprofessionals ourselves.  That is a shame.

Sara and Richard Finegan

Some, even some of our coworkers, may have the impression that we are little more than day care workers in the public schools.  Most of us have been asked by a general ed teacher to leave the classroom (and the kids we are there to help) to go run some menial errand.  Many of us are not even consulted about or included in IEPs relating to the kids we work with, as if our observations or insights are of no consequence.

If we are going to be taken seriously, as professionals, we need to support efforts to make our jobs more professional.  Continuing education classes should be required for us, in my opinion.  Certification by the state might be appropriate where that is not already done. 

But I’ve drifted from my point:  We need to speak for ourselves.  We need to assert ourselves as intelligent, articulate professionals capable of worthwhile contribution to the discussion of our own jobs and role in the special education system.

With the expansion of full inclusion, where kids with special needs are distributed among the general ed population ad not segregated in special classes, more of us than ever before will be working in general ed classrooms without the constant presence of a special ed teacher.  Many of the general ed teachers will turn to us for guidance in dealing with issues relating to our kids.  If you’ve worked as a one-on-one to an included child you know this to be true.

We need to be prepared to step up to the plate.  Don’t wait for the general ed teacher to identify problems to you; bring things to his or her attention.  Suggest solutions or consultations with the special ed case manager.  Be an advocate for your kids.  Be an advocate for yourself as a knowledgeable coworker in the classroom, more than just a warm-bodied adult.

We contribute to this acceptance of us as professionals when we stop letting the conversation, both in the schools and on the web, be ABOUT us and start being WITH us.

We need to speak for ourselves. 

So here is my invitation to all paraeducators with something to say to the world:  contact me.  I have no desire to be a lonely voice in the wilderness of the internet .  I can see that appropriate posts get published and, more importantly, FOUND by search engines like Google, bing, Yahoo, AOL. Together we can be stronger.

If there is enough interest in this, I am considering setting  up a separate blog that can serve as a forum and sounding board for paraeducators.  What do you think?

I am cross-posting this on The Demanding Classroom and Readers With Autism.  Each blog already contains earlier posts for and about us as paraeducators.  You can look for the category “Paraeducators” on either blog to find my posts, which are mostly different on each site.

advocate · blog · classroom aides · continuing education · forum · general education · Inclusion · one-on-one · paraeducator · Paraeducators · paraprofessionals · professional · Richard Finegan · special education

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