IT TAKES A TEAM

WHEREAS, education in America's one-room schoolhouses was a one-person operation, with the teacher responsible for the student's education as well as the care and maintenance of the schoolhouse; but education today, in 16,000 large and small, urban and rural school districts, requires a team of people for successful student achievement; and

WHEREAS, many anecdotal stories attest to the positive contribution of paraprofessionals in special education and regular classrooms to student achievement; and studies by Policy Studies Associates, the American School Board Association and the National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals concur that when paraprofessionals have clearly defined roles and responsibilities and adequate preparation and supervision, they can contribute to students' academic success; and

WHEREAS, the school secretary and district administrative personnel handle over 60 million student records and staff records and are the glue that hold the entire school and school system together and are the people that administration, teachers, support staff, students and parents depend upon; and

WHEREAS, school bus drivers safely transport students to and from educational field trips to museums, concerts, zoos, farms and other places and institutions that support student achievement and athletic events as well as safely transport 28 million students to and from school; and

WHEREAS, studies by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the American Foodservice Association and Harvard Medical School show that children who eat breakfast and lunch served by food service workers have increased composite math and reading and test scores, improved behavior, more consistent attendance and better health; and

WHEREAS, studies by Cornell University, Virginia Polytechnic and State University and John B. Lyons, among others, show higher student achievement in schools that are clean and well maintained by custodians and maintenance workers; and

WHEREAS, studies by CASEL:  University of Illinois at Chicago and Learning First Alliance show that students who learn in safe school environments with well-trained security personnel also perform better academically:

RESOLVED, that the AFT continue to pursue and encourage research that documents the important contributions of the work of PSRPs to student achievement; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT continue to encourage locals and state federations to recognize and promote the importance of PSRPs; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT continue to encourage state federations and locals to promote professional development for PSRPs that enables them to positively contribute to student achievement; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT continue to advocate for standards for the employment and training of PSRPs.