Published:2023-02-25 State Test for paraeducators needs reform
By Reneé Diaz Washington State Journal A national test given to people who want to be paraeducators in public schools often slows the process and presents roadblocks for bilingual applicants, some educators say. Substitute House Bill 1015, sponsored by Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos, D-Seattle, attempts to solve these problems. “As many of you are aware, school districts are not only dealing with a significant shortage of teacher applicants but also struggling to fill their para-pro positions,” said Rural Education Center Director Jim Kowalkowski. “While this bill will not completely solve that issue, we will provide greater flexibility than those developed by a national testing company.” Paraeducators work under the supervision of teachers or other professional practitioners. A paraeducator’s responsibilities include monitoring a child’s development, acting as a translator and providing one-on-one tutoring and instructional support. Currently, the test for paraeducators is provided only in English, and that’s a problem for bilingual applicants. “It’s really important to us that we hire bilingual people to teach our students who come from so many different backgrounds, Lyon Terry, assistant principal at Mount View Elementary School in Seattle, said. Terry believes the bill will support hiring bilingual applicants and help hire teachers that reflect the demographic of students his school serves. “We’re trying to hire people who would reflect our extremely diverse and bilingual community,” Terry said.
Published: Wednesday, April 17, 2024 CLIMATE JOBS WASHINGTON A new coalition of labor unions, Climate Jobs Washington (CJWA), announced a slate of budget and legislative victories that will create high-quality union jobs, accelerate climate action, and advance equity across the state
Published: Wednesday, April 17, 2024 20 Dollars an Hour $20/Hour Minimum Wage Proposal Clears Key Committee Action
Published: Wednesday, April 17, 2024 Helping Address Drug Crisis Snohomish County Awards Funding to 11 Community Organizations Providing Recovery Services
Published: Wednesday, April 17, 2024 PUDs Energy Block Party on April 27 Snohomish County PUD is hosting its Energy Block Party at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 27 at its Electric Building headquarters in downtown Everett.
Published: Tuesday, April 16, 2024 Nominate Your Favorite Mother Mothers have the hardest job on the planet, so the team at CM Heating and Cooling wants to show their appreciation by gifting a free HVAC unit to a local mom to recognize the unparalleled dedication of mothers