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Paraprofessionals & school-related personnel
Paraprofessionals and School-Related Personnel (PSRPs) are essential to Head Start, our preK-12 public schools and our colleges. Their impact on students’ lives is long-lasting. We need to do everything in our power to ensure dignity and respect for these hardworking individuals. If passed, the Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Bill of Rights would lift up the need for living wages, safe working conditions, respect and dignity.
RISE Award
Recognizing Inspiring School Employees
Voices
Some people believe that eliminating the federal Department of Education, which administers funding for the special education programs mandated by law, means kids without disabilities will get a better education.
Beyond stripping money away from special education, one of the worst threats to kids with autism by the Trump administration is a profound misunderstanding of autism itself.
As Republican lawmakers push a plan to slash $2 trillion from federal programs—while handing more tax breaks to billionaires—millions of families could lose access to the basics they rely on.
Kentucky paraeducator Dennis Wheatley has been thinking about what it would mean for schoolkids if the president of the United States is allowed to do what he wants and take an ax to federal funding for special education, preschool, after-school and anti-poverty education programs—not to mention Medicaid.
Special education paraprofessional Jeff Whittle started supporting children with disabilities as a volunteer in junior high school.
Special education paraprofessional William Schwandt explains why he’s deeply alarmed about federal money for public education, science and health programs being withheld by the Trump administration.
PSRP Resources on Share My Lesson
This tip sheet is a great starting point for new paraprofessionals to understand their new role and will help supplement the mentoring they receive from their more experienced colleagues.
This AFT toolkit is designed to help schools, unions, and communities celebrate and honor paraprofessionals and school-related personnel (PSRPs).
In this heartfelt reflection, Tony Ybarra shares why he loves his role, from being a trusted adult in his students’ lives to advocating for safety and support on the road.
Discover 12 actionable tips from PSRP leaders to strengthen your voice, support your colleagues, and advocate for school communities.
Learn how classroom teachers, ELL specialists, and other educators can collaborate effectively with paraprofessionals on behalf of English language learners.
AFT's Chelsea Prax will review national research on mandatory reporting, including its relationship to the education sector, and how educators think about this required state intervention, including key points from the 2025 publication, "Nobody Wins."
Toolkits
No one working a full-time job should be paid so little that they cannot afford to feed themselves, put clothes on their back, see a doctor, or keep a roof over their head. Fair wages for work should extend to every workplace and every working person. Too many school and college support staff make less than a living wage for the areas in which they live. This toolkit is designed to provide local AFT affiliates and their members with tools, training and supports to develop a living wage campaign tailored to the specific political, economic, and social conditions found in their state or local school system.
Respect is something that every worker should feel. Education workers work hard and support our students, our public schools and by extension, our communities. This toolkit includes strategies and tactics to help raise the profile of the work we do as school and college support staff as well as engage in collective action to win the respect we all deserve.
Work shouldn’t hurt! Staff and students should be able to go to school without fear of being hurt or attacked. Employers have a duty to protect workers and to provide a safe and healthy workplace free from harm. As a union we have the collective power to address safety in a cohesive and meaningful way. This toolkit explores different ideas, strategies, and tactics on the local, state and national level to help ensure that workers get what they need to do their jobs safely.
