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Smoothing regulatory path for
teaching assistants Union gains approval that state certification meets NCLB requirements 
September 10, 2003 Syracuse teaching assistants, at a NYSUT training session, take a break; from left, Sue Webb, Nancy Peluso, Mark Wagner, Kathy Hartman and Loredana Stone. FOR MORE INFORMATION. NYSUT's Division of Research and Educational Services has prepared a bulletin detailing how paras are affected by NCLB. See it at www.nysut.org/srp, call (800) 342-9810 or write to NYSUT at 800 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, N.Y. 12110. Certified teaching assistants who have received tenure will not have to worry about one of the most troublesome regulations of the No Child Left Behind act. Thanks to the persistence of New York State United Teachers, state-certified teaching assistants automatically meet new federal regulations for paraprofessionals working in Title I programs. This summer, NYSUT convinced the State Education Department to pursue the new option for an estimated 30,000 School-Related Professionals who otherwise would have been required either to complete two years of college, have an associate's degree, or pass a state or local assessment by January 2006 to keep their jobs. "The wealth of experience our certified teaching assistants bring to the classroom passes the test day in and day out," said Antonia Cortese, NYSUT's first vice president. New York City Even in New York City, where paraprofessionals will have to be qualified under an individual evaluation, no additional tests or courses will be required. "We believe that paras who have already undergone an evaluation - and if the superintendent attests to it - that they're already deemed qualified," said Maria Portalatin, chapter leader for New York City's more than 17,000 classroom paraprofessionals represented by the United Federation of Teachers, NYSUT's local affiliate. Paras will be individually evaluated. "We're negotiating the evaluation form right now, but we're essentially pleased that we have agreement on the concept that evaluations are based on service," said Portalatin. NYSUT was also successful in clarifying job title issues with the SED. Many districts use titles such as "aide" for those who are really teaching assistants. In those cases, SED has determined that the new state test for teaching assistants, the Assessment of Teaching Assistant Skills, will qualify the employees under the federal NCLB. The test will also satisfy the requirements of state certification, beginning in September 2004, for all employees who assist teachers with instruction. That's a major win for SRPs who are teaching assistants in everything but title, notes Ann Gentilin, who chairs NYSUT's SRP Advisory Committee. Her own job title is teacher aide, although she assists in instruction in elementary classrooms in her Ulster County district. Gentilin, who praised NYSUT for its commitment to SRPs, advises anyone who assists teachers in a classroom to take the ATAS test. "You may not know if you're in a Title I classroom now and you may not know if your district will be eligible for Title I funds in a year or two," she said. To help paraprofessionals become certified teaching assistants and qualify under NCLB, NYSUT's Education and Learning Trust has developed an 18-credit certificate program and a two-year associate's degree program through several community colleges across the state. Also, the trust offers training and test-prep materials for the ATAS. Call (800) 342-9810 or go to www.nysut.org/etp on the Web. NYSUT's Division of Research and Educational Services has prepared a bulletin detailing how paras are affected by NCLB. See it at www.nysut.org, call (800) 342-9810 or write to NYSUT at 800 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, N.Y. 12110. - Betsy Sandberg Prepare for other state changes In February 2004, changes take effect in New York state certification for teachers and teaching assistants. Teaching assistants will go from having provisional or permanent certification to four levels of certificates for TAs. For more on those requirements, contact your local union, go to www.nysut.org/research/ or call NYSUT's Division of Research and Educational Services at (800) 342-9810 for a copy of the union's Information Bulletin on TA certification requirements. Experience Chris Zostant, a teaching assistant member of the South Colonie TA, has 63 college credits that have helped her, especially working at a high school. She agrees with the compromise because, "in my 17 years, I've worked with people who have few college credits, but they have the job-related experience and I've seen how they help kids succeed. That experience should count." |
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