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A new toolkit is now available to assist school districts with implementing training requirements as part of the paraeducator certificate program.
View the toolkit.
Educational Support Districts (ESDs), unions, community colleges, or any partners involved in supporting the professional development of paraeducators in Washington may also find the toolkit useful
We will add to, and update, this toolkit as needed.
You are encouraged to also access the online Google Drive folder, titled “Implementation of the Paraeducator Certificate Program”. In this folder, you will find program standards, curriculum/outlines, reports, crosswalks, materials from the pilot sites, and more. The materials in the toolkit will reference the files in this folder.
On July 17, the Paraeducator Board heard presentations and took action on several policies, include:
- Maintaining current WAC related to the structure of the certificate program. Members determined that a paraeducator must complete the Fundamental Course of Study training prior to earning the general certificate or subject matter certificates.
- Members approved the following be brought forward for formal adoption in September:
- Requiring unit and course completion written documentation for the Fundamental Course of Study
- Defining paraeducator employed years
- Members are also considering adding Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) standards to the paraeducator standards of practice.
For a complete review of the July board meeting, including summaries for each tab, please visit our website.
At the July 2019 board meeting, PESB approved changes to clock hour policy. Recommendations focused on flexibility and access, streamlining the system, and accountability.
For a list of policy changes, please visit our website.
To learn more about these policy changes, attend one of our upcoming webinars:
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The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) has appointed Dr. Yukari Amos, a professor from Central Washington University, as the four-year institution of higher education representative on the Paraeducator Board. Dr. Amos’s research on the paraeducator career pathway makes her particularly well suited to serve on the board. Her four-year term began on July 17, 2019. |
Meet Dr. Amos
Dr. Amos brings to the Board a wealth of knowledge and experience in education policy. Her background includes being a former social studies and ESL teacher in Federal Way and Tumwater. Dr. Amos received her Ph.D. in multicultural education from the University of Washington.
When asked what she is most looking forward to as a board member, Dr. Amos states, “being able to contribute my knowledge and experiences with paraeducators, and improving their career advancement.”
A farewell
Dr. Yukari Amos will be replacing Jan Byers-Kirsch who is retiring from her role at Central Washington University this academic year. Jan has shared on her retirement from the Board, “I enjoyed being a member of the Board, the friendships I made, the professionalism and collaboration, and I am so proud of the phenomenal ground breaking work we developed to improve the status and expertise for paraeducators in Washington.”
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