JET End of Year Meetings 2021

JET held its End of Year meetings on Zoom over 3 days on June 22, 23, 24. This year the theme was Celebrate! What a year our participants, mentors and staff have had riding the unpredictable waves of the pandemic and finally reaching calmer waters by the end of the school and academic year.

We were thrilled to see our participants and mentors from Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Fall River, Holyoke, Lowell Community Charter Public School, New Bedford, Springfield, Springfield Empowerment Zone and Worcester. We were honored to have the Worcester Superintendent, Maureen Binienda, greeting us. She praised the paraprofessionals for their crucial role in supporting students and teachers and adapting their skills to make remote learning work. She is more eager than ever to see these paraprofessionals become the classroom teachers they want to be.

We heard from JET mentor-mentee pairings around the districts on how they helped each other survive in a year like no other. Each pair shared their unique story of support and encouragement throughout this school year. We appreciate all our mentors and the support they provide.

Some of the JET paras were asked to take on a full teaching role because of teacher shortages caused by the pandemic. This shows recognition of paraprofessionals’ capabilities given their classroom experience and understanding of their students even prior to licensure. Paras are trusted educators and are proving their worth as education professionals.

We asked our JET paras about ‘silver linings’ for this school year.

* I learned how to write Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for my special needs students

* I learned how to group students and manage multiple groups at the same time

* I felt more a part of the teaching team, learning from and with other educators

* I developed greater technology skills for the classroom and my college courses.

We heard, moreover, how JET participants had thrived as students themselves.

* A good number made the Dean’s List, among them Paula Correia, Jeffrey Griffin, Juana Jones, Alex Roman

* Two graduated with honors from community college and start at a university this fall - Juana Jones and Alex Roman

* One was accepted into the 4 + 1 Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) - Jeffrey Griffin

JET staff is so proud to be supporting these committed educators who continue to be role models in the classroom, schools and the community

JET congratulates and celebrates its recent college graduates

* Jessica Pumphret (Boston Public Schools) UMass Boston

* Elizabeth Craven (Brockton Public Schools) Bridgewater State University

* Noreen Erickson (Worcester Public Schools) Worcester State University

Look for more about these graduates in upcoming JET news.