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A paraeducator, as defined by the Kansas State Department of Education, is someone who is "qualified to assist certified teachers in the instruction of exceptional
children ... this individual therefore shall be referred to as an 'instructional paraeducator'." The prefix, para, means alongside or beside, in this case referring to those
who help in the education profession in the school system.
In other words, a paraeducator is someone who works under the supervision of a teacher or other certified special
education staff member to help educate special needs children. Paras and teachers work as a team on lessons and special projects to help insure that all children receive the best education possible. Though paras
may do clerical tasks in the classroom, such as grading papers, recording grades, etc., their primary purpose is instructional.
More and more paras are hired each year to help students in special education programs. At this time there are close to 90 paraeducators employed by the Marion
County Special Education Cooperative, working in all five school districts countywide. The need for paras has grown yearly, both because of student numbers and
student needs. That need fluctuates throughout the school year as students move in and out of the districts as well as in and out of our special education programs.
At a recent count, there were over 7,700 paras working in the state of Kansas alone. These paras, like those in our cooperative, work with a wide variety of students
and their exceptionalities.
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