"parapro"

Photo © Stephen Cherry THIS WEEK IN ANNAPOLIS Kirwan Blueprint Bill Nears Finish Line The Kirwan Blueprint bill (SB 1030) raced through both chambers of the General Assembly this week and is now inches away from final passage. The Senate took up the legislation first and passed the bill 43–1 with several amendments. The House then worked […]

Hiring thousands more educators so students get more individualized support. Expanding career technical education and pre-kindergarten. Pay raises for teachers and certificated staff. There’s a lot to like in the state’s plan for what a new school funding formula could support. But we need to do more — specifically for education support professionals (ESP), the non-certificated school […]

  Members register at the Calvert County Education Support Professional Development Day in November. Activism like that of the custodians in Washington County, proves that orga­nizing — coming together for the common good — works. It’s the power of a strong voice and collective action that turned the heads of Washington County’s Board of Education. Now custodians are in […]

Photo © Brion McCarthy Rick Webster, Construction Trades “An advisory committee contact says contractors can’t find people and that they need an influx of new skilled workers. Students can walk away from my program career- or college-ready with a complete skill set ready for a variety of construction trades — carpentry, architecture, project management. The opportunities and benefits […]

Debbi is a 12-year Cecil County paraeducator. She works full time at her school, rents a room in her house on Airbnb, and is looking for a restaurant job. From Time Magazine to the New York Times, from Arizona to North Carolina (and Kentucky, Oklahoma, and West Virginia in between), the situation and status of […]

Photo © NEA The Kirwan Commission is working on a plan to dramatically raise educator salaries — and not a moment too soon. A new poll of Maryland educators finds that far too many are struggling to make ends meet at home and keep their heads above water at work. 2 in 5 Educators Working Second Jobs The poll […]

Steve Burnett, Ed.D., is a counselor and instructional team leader at Glenelg High School in Howard County. His experience includes being a pupil personnel worker, supervisor of school counseling, and assistant and interim principal. As educators, we all know the synergy that is created when we work together for our students’ success. School counselors are […]

Ian Pope is an alternative education paraprofessional and coach of the junior varsity boys basketball team at Reservoir High School in Howard County. “We have to reach each student where they are and help raise them up to be where they need to be for success. “ — Ian Pope If you’ve ever driven a car you have noticed […]

THIS WEEK IN ANNAPOLIS Maryland Senate Poised to Pass the Fix the Fund Constitutional Amendment The Maryland Senate is scheduled to vote on the Fix the Fund Act, Senate Bill 1122, on Monday and move it one step closer to placing a Constitutional Amendment on the ballot in November 2018. The bill was amended in […]