rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/petition/fixparapay?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-petition-area-fixparapay' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> UFT Paras for A Fair Contract https://actionnetwork.org/groups/uft-paras-for-a-fair-contract https://actionnetwork.org//images/generic_facebook.jpg New York City public school paraprofessionals/para-educators play an essential and invaluable role in our school communities by providing accessible, quality educational and support services to all of our schoolchildren. And yet, New York City public schools are experiencing hundreds of para vacancies that may result in thousands of New York City school children not receiving federally mandated IEP services due to shortages of full-time, qualified paras. The reasons for this are many. But, quite simply it’s because we’ve seen our profession no longer be respected as a life-long career by the City of New York and the Department of Education. New City York public school paras are struggling to earn a living wage in our city and often have to work multiple jobs to survive. There are also various other inequities that exist in our current contractual pay structures and our rights. Being a paraprofessional must be a sustainable career, once again , and not only viewed as a “career ladder”. We need the DOE and our union leadership to not only recognize and protect the important role we as educators play in our schools and in our students' lives, but we call for fairer pay, better benefits, workplace safety, job security and increased access to job training that will give our jobs, and us, the respect we deserve. We must support related legislation and fight for these things at the collective bargaining table. To this end, we call on our union family to support the Resolution to Meaningfully Support and Sustain New York City Paraprofessionals. It reads: Whereas UFT paraprofessionals/para-educators play an essential and invaluable role in our school communities by providing accessible, quality educational and support services to all of our schoolchildren; Whereas, New York City public schools are experiencing hundreds of para vacancies that may result in thousands of New York City school children not receiving federally mandated IEP services due to shortages of full-time, qualified paras; and Whereas, our New City York public school paras are struggling to earn a living wage in our city and often have to work multiple jobs to survive; and Whereas, various other inequities exist in their current contractual pay structures and rights; and Whereas, being a paraprofessional must be a sustainable career and not only viewed as a “career ladder”; and Whereas, U.S. Senator Edward Markey (MA) introduced a resolution in November of 2023 called The Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Bill of Rights which recognizes the important role these educators play in our schools and in our students' lives, and calls for fairer pay, better benefits, workplace safety, job security and increased access to training that will give these jobs and the folks who do them the respect they deserve; and Whereas, Senator Markey, in January of 2024, along with his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Rep. Ann Kuster (NH), also introduced legislation called the Preparing and Retaining All (PARA) Educators Act, that would establish a grant program to help schools recruit, train, and retain paraeducators by funding pipeline and credentialing programs, high-quality professional development, and higher wages; and Whereas, both this resolution and legislation are endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers, and National Education Association (NEA), alongside dozens of other labor and education organizations; therefore be it Resolved; that the UFT formally endorses the The Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Bill of Rights resolution and the Preparing and Retaining All (PARA) Educators Act; and be it further Resolved, that the UFT, in regards to paras, will endeavor in collective bargaining to fight for living wages for them, higher and equitable longevity raises; retention rights; injured in the line of duty (LODI) parity; chapter 683 and ESY pay parity; increased paid family leave; and stronger job protections and job security. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/fixparapay