Posted by Beth 

When NCLB was enacted, it ramped up requirements on what paraprofessionals may and may not to do. The law specified that paras needed to work under the direct supervision of a teacher, which includes not being assigned to work as a substitute teacher.

The AFT is surveying its para members to see if these provisions of the law are being implemented. The good news--they are. The bad news (to some)--is they are not being fully implemented in many places. According to AFT para members, before NCLB was passed, 47 percent provided instruction without working under the supervision of a teacher. Now, only 36 percent report that they do so. And before NCLB, 42 percent report that they were asked to work as a substitute--that number has now dropped to 34 percent.

The other news from the survey results thus far is that "instruction under the direct supervision of a teacher" is a gray area subject to interpretation. Here are some comments from paras in that situation:

• I work 1:1 with an autistic child. Every lesson the teacher gives, I go over for further understanding for my student.
• Under certain reading reforms, paras provide instruction without working under the direction of a teacher on a daily basis.
• The teacher will be gone with students for over an hour 3 days a week. Myself and the other para in the room have 4 kids we are in the room with doing instruction for that hour.
• I work as a literacy aide. I am expected to take small groups of students on my own in the afternoon for instructional support in reading. In the morning I work in the classroom.
• But I will teach the class when a teacher is not present. Someone has to take charge!

And substituting can be a dicey situation for a para if a supervisor asks her to do so:

• Support staff are always called on to sit in a classroom when a teacher has to go to a meeting because a parent came in for an unscheduled meeting, or the parent is late for an IEP meeting so the teacher is late getting to their class.
• My understanding is that my job description states my duties plus "other" duties. Principals have told me that "other" means that I could be used in any capacity depending on the need.

It is a good thing that these folks belong to a union that advocates for protection of their job responsibilities!