Teacher Paraprofessionals At Work. Lee M. Bailey Superintendent Grady County Schools

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1 Teacher Paraprofessionals At Work Lee M. Bailey Superintendent Grady County Schools Revised 5/2014

2 Paraprofessional PARAPROFESSIONAL ASSIGNMENT Paraprofessionals are recommended by the principal and approved by the Superintendent. Title I paraprofessionals are assigned by the principal and the Title I Coordinator. Special Education paraprofessionals are assigned by the principal and Special Education Director. Qualifications/Requirements (Revised August. 2003) Federal Requirements paraprofessionals hired after January 8, 2002, shall have one of the following: (A) Completion of at least two years of study at an institution of higher education (60 semester hours or 100 quarter hours); or (B) An associate s (or higher) degree; or (C) Obtain a minimum score of 250 on the GACE Paraprofessional Assessment These requirements do not apply to paraprofessionals with: Primary duties to act as a translator. Duties consisting solely of conducting Parental Involvement Activities WORK SCHEDULE All paraprofessionals will work the 190 days included in the school calendar. This would include the 180 school days, pre-planning, post-planning, and teacher workdays. WORK HOURS Paraprofessionals are paid for a seven hour work day, except for Pre-K and Crossroads paraprofessionals. Georgia Pre-kindergarten paraprofessionals are paid for an eight hour work day. The specific times of arrival and dismissal are to be determined by each principal. Adequate time should be set aside for paraprofessionals to complete all work at school. DESIRABLE SKILLS: POSITION DESCRIPTION Knowledge of child development/understanding nature of the child, good interpersonal skills, communication skills, ability to work under direction of one or several people, clerical skills which include typing, duplicating, filing, data processing, keyboarding, and operating testing and instructional equipment.

3 PRIMARY FUNCTION: The paraprofessional is a support staff position working under the supervision of the professionally certified personnel. The paraprofessional has some decision making authority limited and regulated by board policy and state law. MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND SPECIFIC DUTIES: Performed under the general supervision of professionally certified personnel may include but are not limited to: A. INSTRUCTIONAL 1. Conduct small group or individual classroom activities based on lesson plans developed by the teacher. 2. Assist with supervision of students. 3. Assist with student assessment, grading work and tests, and collecting data on student progress. 4. Assist with registration, initial records, and assignment of materials for new students. 5. Assist the classroom teacher in securing, organizing and administering of make-up work for students due to illness. B. MANAGEMENT 1. Assist with routine record-keeping. 2. Assist with the preparation of materials for instruction (including the copying/duplicating of materials, construction of displays/bulletin boards, learning centers, and manipulatives). 3. Assist in distribution of instructional materials. 4. Locate, operate and return needed equipment. 5. Assist in the ordering and inventory of classroom equipment and materials. 6. Assist with school-wide supervision, such as loading/unloading buses. 7. Assist in the verification of student absences by phone contact with parent. 8. Assist in the maintenance of computer records and/or teacher records related to the instructional program and student progress. 9. Assist in the maintenance of permanent records. 10. Assist the principal/assistant principal in monitoring attendance, honor roll, outstanding students and other programs than enhance instruction. 11. Assist in organizing field trip requests and handling follow-up arrangement. 12. Assist with classroom housekeeping. 13. And other duties assigned by the supervisor. RESTRICTIONS ON PARAPROFESSIONALS Though the position of paraprofessional is of major importance in the classroom, the classroom teacher has the total responsibility for effective student learning. The paraprofessional is not a teacher and is not to make out lesson plans or determine grades. All aspects of a paraprofessional s work is confidential. Though student supervision is a responsibility of a paraprofessional, there should be no attempt made to administer punishment to children or to deal with major discipline problems. Parent conferences are to be held by the teacher only. Please encourage parents who want to talk about their child s work to contact the teacher through the school office.

4 All Grady County Paraprofessionals should follow the Guidelines of the Grady County School District, Technology and Internet Acceptable Use Policy concerning restrictions for , mobile devices, personal and social media usage. (See Grady County Webpage) PUBLIC RELATIONS As an employee of the Grady County Board of Education, you are a public servant. You not only accept the responsibility of public service but also certain responsibilities that are associated with working with young people. Gossiping about the school, its staff, or children is bad taste and should never be done. Supporting your school, your supervising teacher, and your principal will always pay dividends. Our schools and our school system are not perfect, but the total staff should work together to try to improve them. SICK LEAVE All clerical staff, regular teacher s paraprofessionals positions, maintenance and custodial personnel, and transportation personnel shall be eligible for sick leave earned at the rate of one and onefourth (1 ¼) days for each completed month of service. Any unused sick leave may be carried forward from one fiscal year to the next until a maximum of 45 days is accumulated. Personnel of the Grady County Board of Education employed on a one-half (1/2) time basis or less are not entitled to sick leave. Sick leave may be granted upon the approval of the employee s immediate supervisor or his designee in which the person is employed for absences due to illness or injury or necessitated by exposure to contagious diseases in which the health of others would be endangered by his/her attendance on duty, or to illness or death in the person s immediate family. Immediate family is defined as father, mother, sister, brother, husband, wife, child, grandparent, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, grandparent-in-law, and any relative who lives in the home of the employee. A medical statement signed by a licensed physician will be required to substantiate sick leave for absences of three (3) or more consecutive work days, or at any time when absences recur frequently or habitually provided the employee is forewarned and documentation recorded. During any school year, the supervisor may grant, in writing, a maximum of three (3) days of any accumulated sick leave for personal or professional reasons upon written request. Persons will be charged with sick leave for absence only on days upon which they would otherwise work, and no charge for sick leave shall be made for absence on Sunday, holidays, or other non-work days. Each supervisor is responsible for the conduct of his/her staff regarding leave policies and may require medical certification of sickness or may refuse to grant sick leave time when he shall determine that the staff member is not utilizing sick leave as prescribed by the policy of the Grady County Board of Education and the laws of the State of Georgia. Additional information is available in the Grady County Schools Support Personnel Handbook or contact Dana Pritchett ( ).

5 LEVELS OF EMPLOYMENT Effective July 1, 2003 Minimum Requirements 1. High School Diploma/Transcript 2. Grady County Schools Paraprofessional Online Application 3. Georgia Paraprofessional Assessment Test 250 or above. 4. Application for Certification-Paraprofessional Meet minimum requirements. Rank I Rank II (A) Completion of at least two years of study at an institution of higher education (60 semester hours or 100 quarter hours); or (B) An associate s (or higher) degree A paraprofessional that meets the requirements of Rank II is not required to pass the Georgia Paraprofessional Test. Paraprofessionals employed previous to July 1, 2002 will maintain Rank II status earned under past requirements. Requirements CERTIFICATE RENEWAL PROCEDURES 10 PLU s Professional Leaning Unit each 5 year period (1 PLU = 10 hours of credit) PLU s cannot be carried over to the next 5 year period. 1. Record-keeping at the System Office: Maintain a file for each paraprofessional of earned PLU s and/or college credit. Review files annually to identify expiration dates. Notify of expiration 1 year prior to expiration date. 2. Record-keeping for employee: Maintain copies of all PLU s and/or college credit Register for PLU and/or college credit according to procedures. Submit transcripts or certificates to the county office (Dana Pritchett) at the time of renewal or after meeting renewal requirements. EVALUATION Evaluation shall occur annually and shall be conducted by the supervising teacher and/or principal of school of employment.

6 PROCEDURES FOR LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM RECORD KEEPING FOR AUXILIARY PERSONNEL 1. An Individual Report Form will be kept in the Superintendent s office to record completion of professional development hours for training and renewal. Verification of contact hours will be the responsibility of the superintendent. 2. The Individual Report Forms will be reviewed annually to identify expiration dates for notification to applicants. GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE If you have a problem or concern, discuss it with your supervising teacher or principal first. If this is inappropriate, you may discuss your concern with the Title I Coordinator, (if you are paid by Title I), Special Education Director, or the Assistant Superintendent. Most problems can be solved at the school level in an informal manner. However, there are specific and detailed grievance procedures on file in each school office. NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY It is the policy of the Grady County Board of Education not to discriminate on the basis of sex, age, race, physical handicap, political affiliation, religion or national origin in the educational programs and activities of or admissions to facilities operated by the Board or in the employment practices of the Grady County Educational Agency. For more complete definition, see Support Personnel Handbook.