Thank you to our Falcon Paraprofessionals!!
In the 1960s, paraprofessionals were hired to work in schools thanks to an anti-poverty program implemented by President Lyndon B. Johnson. However, paraprofessionals were typically seen as “lesser than,” due to the low salary attributed to the role. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the impact of paraprofessionals began to take shape, as the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) campaigned for better salaries and benefits for these professionals. Through the 1970s, the role of paraprofessional transformed from a low-wage job to a sought-after profession. It is believed that the idea of honoring paraprofessionals came a little later when the governor of Missouri decided to celebrate the work of paraprofessionals in the education sector. Since then, Paraprofessional Appreciation Day has spread across the country, with many school districts taking the first Wednesday in April as a chance to say “thanks.”
To learn more about paraprofessionals, please click here.