Paraprofessional School Personnel

AFT Paraprofessional and School-Related Personnel Conference

jruss — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:55:31 -0400

Shanker is talking to a conference of AFT Paraprofessionals. His introduction is about how the United Federation of Teachers brought Paras into their fold and how the solidarity between teachers and paras grew quickly. He talks about the idea of certification for paras in schools that would increase their prominence in the schools. The speech then moves to the danger of privatization in public schools. Shanker gives a history of how the AFL-CIO started to endorse presidential candidates and what the AFT will be doing to get good questions to presidential candidates via polling and letter campaigns. The speech goes back to the idea of certification and career ladders for paras by using the study by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which showed that continuing education for personnel benefits school districts.

On Dan Sanders and Paraprofessional and School-Related Personnel (PSRP)

jruss — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:21:18 -0500

Al Shanker comments on Dan Sanders, an official retiring from the NYSUT (New York State United Teachers). Shanker talks about Sanders's efforts during the merger of NYSTA (New York State Teachers Association) and UTNY (United Teachers of New York) to form NYSUT. He also commends Sanders's position as editor of the union's newspaper and his role in fighting vouchers. He also speaks of his personal friendship with Sanders, his colleague and neighbor. Next, Shanker answers questions about Paraprofessionals and School-Related Personnel (PSRP). He speaks about why they should join AFT, and he envisions a new school model in which PSRPs would play a larger and more egalitarian role than currently. In this new school of the future, Shanker argues, PSRPs would benefit from union representation even more.