It takes a team for a school to be successful. Paraprofessionals and other school support staff are essential team players. We are proud that thousands of paraprofessionals belong to AFT Massachusetts—men and women who perform vital work in the classroom and throughout the school community. Below are some key resources for paraprofessionals. If you know of other resources that should be added here, please send an e-mail to dmurphy@aftma.net.
Paraprofessional Teacher Preparation Grant Program
In 2003, AFT MA sponsored legislation to establish the Paraprofessional Teacher Preparation Grant Program. The program provides tuition assistance to paraprofessionals who aim to become certified teachers. We continue to work hard to ensure that funding for this important program is continued.
- Obtain detailed information about the program from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Office of Student Financial Assistance.
Journey into Education and Teaching (JET)
Based at UMass-Dartmouth, JET is an accelerated program for paraprofessionals to earn a bachelor’s degree and an initial teacher’s license in elementary education and moderate disabilities. Tuition is free for qualifying participants.
AFT Resources for Paraprofessionals and School-Related Personnel (PSRPs)
- Main page: http://www.aft.org/yourwork/psrp/
- AFT’s Standards for a Profession report (standards for paraprofessionals)
- Other AFT reports on issues affecting PSRPs: http://www.aft.org/yourwork/psrp/pubsreports.cfm
