Meeting the Standards and Growing the Union

Meeting the Standards for Paraprofessionals (MSP), AFT’s course designed to help classroom ESPs fulfill the “highly qualified” requirement, is increasing membership and producing involved, active ESPs.

Alachua Education Association expanded with 10 new members as a result of offering the MSP course to help paraprofessionals become highly-qualified.

United Teachers of Dade addressed the needs of all Title I Paraprofessionals. The union continues to offer the course with the following twists:

• Upon passing the requirements for highly-qualified, ESP’s are offered the opportunity to take the rest of the courses (Managing Anti-Social Behavior, Foundations, School-Home Connections). Upon successful completion of the MSP courses, an ESP moves from a pay grade 7 to pay grade10

• Non-members who are not in the unit such as cafeteria workers, bus drivers and maintenance may also take the courses. Upon passing the reading and math portions, they also have the opportunity to take the remaining three courses.

• UTD has an agreement with the district that when ESP positions do open up, the district will hire from this pool of highly-qualified ESP’s trained through AFT Para-Certification Course