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Dear School-Related Professional:

New York State United Teachers and our national affiliates are committed to high standards in public education for students and school personnel. As the voice for thousands of dedicated individuals who work in public schools in New York state, NYSUT wants to make sure every member has the information, professional development and support needed to meet high standards on the job. This publication, available for download online, offers detailed information about state and federal requirements for education paraprofessionals.

A new federal law ("No Child Left Behind," also known as NCLB) outlines several rigorous options for meeting the standard of a "qualified" paraprofessional. In months of tough negotiations with the State Education Department, NYSUT leaders made the point that experienced teaching assistants should not have to jump through new hoops to meet the federal requirements. Thanks to NYSUT's persistence, state officials eventually agreed that teaching assistants who are state-certified and who have tenure will automatically meet the new federal requirements for Title I programs. This affects 30,000 experienced paraprofessionals around the state who otherwise would have been forced to complete two years of college, have an associate's degree or pass a written assessment to keep their jobs.

And in New York City, paraprofessionals will be able to meet the federal requirements through an individual evaluation. The United Federation of Teachers, which represents paras in New York City, negotiates specifics of the evaluations, which will take into account on-the-job experience. No additional tests or courses will be required.

Thankfully, your unions' negotiations have prevented some of the most burdensome consequences of the new rules, but I can tell you that many challenges remain. Speaking about the differences in federal and state requirements, one of our paraprofessional leaders noted: "It's like comparing apples and oranges." We will continue to press for improvements in these complicated "apples and oranges" requirements. On your behalf, NYSUT and its national affiliates will keep up the pressure to convince bureaucrats that they must eliminate overlapping, confusing regulations and red tape.

This information is designed to help you answer important questions, whether you are experienced or new on the job. For example: "How do I know if I work in a Title I school? How do I qualify for state certification? Where can I find courses to help me prepare?" NYSUT provides answers to these and other questions, and stands ready to help in every way as we work together to help students learn.