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Several of you have understandably inquired about the status of a raise for teacher aides and paraprofessionals. TCTA has met incredible resistance from most legislators to a minimum salary schedule for paraprofessionals, which has made it inordinately difficult to get legislation moving that would raise paraprofessional salaries, despite clear evidence that aides are ridiculously underpaid. TCTA’s leadership has consistently valued and supported our paraprofessional membership, and it is a top legislative priority for us to continue our efforts to raise compensation to appropriate levels.
Until the Legislature convenes again in the 2011 regular session, this issue is best addressed at the local level. All school districts are receiving additional state funding, and many will also be receiving significant infusions of federal dollars. TCTA can help you identify how much your district is receiving in additional funds, once that information becomes available.
We encourage you to ask your school administration and board to allot a portion of these funds to increase paraprofessional salaries when the budget for the upcoming school year is approved. This can be accomplished either individually or through your local CTA, and we are available to assist at the state level with providing information to bolster your argument.
Finally, one of two things is likely to have to happen to make paraprofessional salaries an issue for legislators and districts; either a shortage of available personnel (which helped raise bus driver salaries a few years ago) or a grassroots effort to make candidates for local school boards and the Legislature aware that this issue needs to be a priority. We will redouble our efforts at the state level to bring this issue to the attention of candidates and incumbent legislators, and encourage you to do likewise at the local level.
Posted: 06/30/09 ("The Classroom Teacher," summer 2009)
