When it comes to professional development, School-Related Professionals don’t always get the attention they deserve from districts. Many SRPs don’t get training at all. Others say the training they get isn’t appropriate for their role. At the Schenectady City School District, paras and TAs consistently received training — but it was often the same training every time.
“It’s not valuable information after you’ve heard it 19 times,” said Tracy Cimino, president of the Schenectady Paraprofessionals unit of the Schenectady Federation of Teachers. “They were not doing quality training; and for me, as head of the unit, that’s very frustrating because I’m hearing from members who are saying, ‘Why should I come?’”
Cimino was beginning to look at alternatives, including partnering with NYSUT’s Education & Learning Trust when the schedule for the latest superintendent’s conference day came out, and there was a hole where their training should have been.
“They had nothing planned for us, and so it was just a perfect confluence of events,” she said.
ELT was able to develop a training solution that was spot-on for the group, “Empowering Paraprofessionals and Teaching Assistants in Classrooms for Students with Disabilities.”
“A lot of the paras we hire are young, just out of school or in their early 20s and they don’t have an education background or experience working with this population,” Cimino said. Unless they have direct experience — a relative or acquaintance who has a disability — they don’t know what to expect. As a result, they must learn by doing and rely heavily on the teachers in the room, and that can be disheartening. “This training helped them feel more confident, so they’re not always waiting for directions,” she said.
The course focused on providing strategies to help paras and teaching assistants support students with disabilities, based on their individual learning styles and needs. The training also covered the role each professional plays.
To make the training more accessible, ELT presented it virtually, broadcasting it to more than 200 participants in 18 different classrooms. “We wanted to do it in small groups so it would be interactive,” said Cimino, who suggested the district consider paras and TAs to act as facilitators in each room. The selected moderators were able to ensure that even though the training was virtual, it was still engaging.
In addition to equipping them with tools to strengthen their roles, the training also emphasized the importance of self-care, which is essential to being at their best with students.
“These classrooms are so intense. It can be very draining,” Cimino said.
Professional development like this can be an important employee retention tool, giving new professionals the tools they need to be successful and stay on.
Cimino said the lack of training upon hire was contributing to high turnover at the district. “Normally, they get hired, and on day one, they go right into special ed classrooms. It’s brutal.”
Now, as a result of pushback from the local, and the tremendously positive feedback about the recent ELT training, the district is considering implementing two days of training prior to placement, Cimino said. The district is also considering future professional development opportunities, including targeted training for specific diagnoses that the paras will be working with.
“They’re being sincere and genuine when they say they want better for us,” Cimino said.
Interested in taking advantage of NYSUT’s ELT to further your learning goals? Visit elt.nysut.org/.