(Above) High School paraprofessionals, from left: Deb Grundseth, Aleisha Terhaar, Betty Schmidt, Patti Kaiser, Pam Bast, Denise Meierhofer, Ann Cassidy, Missy Nathe.
Last week (Jan. 11-15) Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa schools honored their paraprofessionals. A few ways this took place included the teachers taking the paras out for lunch at Classic Co. Bar & Grill. Also, on Friday, elementary teachers took over recess duty, a task normally assigned to the paras.
So what does a paraprofessional do? From the Minnesota Department of Education website = "Paraprofessionals may work in a variety of positions in a school district including, but not limited to, instructional assistants, Title I paraprofessionals, pupil support assistants, special education paraprofessionals, job coaches, lunch room and playground assistants, hall monitors and media center assistants. Many teacher assistants work primarily or exclusively with students who have special educational needs. Their duties vary according to the needs of the student from physical assistance and care to behavioral management and academic assistance. In Minnesota, paraprofessionals must meet specific locally-developed requirements depending on the role and duties they are assigned. When hiring paraprofessionals, all school districts are required to meet the requirements of Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.363."
Reader Comments(0)