Paraprofessionals are Critical to Urban Massachusetts Students, Now More Than Ever

It is critical to students’ development and learning, especially in urban areas, to keep paraprofessionals employed. Without paras, urban districts lack the teacher cultural diversity that is so important to students’ success. JET participants are paraprofessionals who at the same time are enrolled in college, working to obtain their bachelor’s degree and become teachers. They are on their way to becoming teachers in their community districts and diversifying the teacher workforce.

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the U.S., schools were one of the first things to close across the country - higher education institutions and K-12 schools alike. In a matter of weeks, all students were now learning remotely from home, putting a huge responsibility on parents and caregivers of children. Families were now responsible for ensuring their children were attending school, completing assignments on time, and providing all support and extra help. Paraprofessionals have played a tremendous role in bridging this newly created gap in remote learning. As adults who often come from the communities they work in, paraprofessionals have an even deeper level of understanding around the impacts their students are facing. Statistically speaking, paraprofessionals are more diverse than teachers, racially, culturally and linguistically. They have developed relationships with their students and their families and are able to communicate with parents in their native language. This level of communication and support is critical during a time with such a high risk of developing gaps in education.

As school districts wrestle with budget cuts, it is imperative that district administrators recognize the inequalities that will grow even larger without paraprofessionals. Their impact must be realized; our students’ success relies on it.