Video & Transcript Research : 'paraprofessional pathway'
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NH
Transcript Highlights:
- The first area that was really prominent was what we call paid pathways.
- The first area that was really prominent was what we call paid pathways.
- The first area that was really prominent was what we call paid pathways.
- the paraprofessional that they had in their home district.
- <01:51:52.079>
and <01:51:52.199>make <01:51:52.280>it pathway and make it pathway
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Pathway, especially for students from under-resourced communities.
- It's just the pathway that they need in order to have that. experience.
- Augmented salary schedules, and allows uncertified teachers to pursue multiple pathways.
- It's there is no one pathway that's going to get where we need.
- It's a funding mechanism and a pathway to really meet this moment.
Keywords:
instructional materials, public schools, Education Code, adoption, rejected materials, local funds, open educational resources, Texas Education Code, school districts, open enrollment charter schools, funding restrictions, environmental regulation, business compliance, local authority, economic development, state preemption, local control, open education resources, SB 762, Texas public schools
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- We ask you to enter a high-quality PREP pathway, of which there are three.
- And that is the pathway to ensure that.
- That applies to everybody and even the paraprofessionals. OK. And then last question.
- And the teacher incentive Bill Oppmann right now there are three pathways. Yes, sir.
- Academy ISD now has a pathway for 100% teacher eligibility. in the program.
Keywords:
public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- In our LFT issues survey, 1,498 educators responded, including teachers, paraprofessionals, bus drivers
- In our LFT issues survey, 1,498 educators responded, including teachers, paraprofessionals, bus drivers
- No bus driver, paraprofessional, cafeteria worker, custodian, clerk, nurse, or teacher should be punished
- We are on a track and a pathway to actually really surpassing that number of children.
Keywords:
registrar of voters, parish registrar, chief deputy registrar, confidential assistant, election administration, elections, salary schedule, compensation, merit evaluation, population-based pay, census-based pay, Department of State, Secretary of State, State Board of Election Supervisors, redistricting, senate districts, Senate District 33, Senate District 34, Senate District 35, precincts
AL
Transcript Highlights:
- All professional, paraprofessionals, and bus drivers, cooks, and all, most of that come from the state
- For bus and other paraprofessional service for our education.
- It just create a pathway to fill that gap. >> Okay.
- to fill that It just create a pathway to fill that gap. gap. gap.
- Whether you're a bus driver, a teacher, you know, this is a pathway to fill the problem.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Education Committee Mar 26th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- pathway to getting toward credentialed teachers in the classroom?
- I'm willing to work with everyone to figure out a new pathway.
- As leaders, we endeavor to provide meaningful pathways to all students. Thank you.
- We endeavor to provide meaningful pathways to all students.
- We endeavor to provide meaningful pathways to all students.
Summary:
The Assembly Education Committee heard several education bills, with AB 887 by Assemblymember Berman proposing that every school district and charter school adopt a plan so all high schools offer at least one computer science course by 2029-30. Supporters, including a teacher and student, argued California is falling behind other states and that computer science is essential for student opportunity and workforce readiness. ACSA opposed the bill, citing the shortage of qualified computer science teachers and administrative burden. The bill passed the committee on a 6-0 vote and was sent to Appropriations.
The committee also heard AB 1390 by Assemblymember Solache, which would allow local and county school boards to raise trustee compensation above long-standing statutory minimums that have not changed in decades. Supporters said the current stipends are too low to make board service accessible to working families and younger community members. There was no opposition testimony, and the bill passed with five votes, with the roll left open for additional members.
AB 865 by Assemblymember Gonzalez would create a $5 million, three-year grant program for dual-language immersion instructional materials, split between high-demand languages and other languages. Supporters said districts often lack standards-aligned materials in languages beyond Spanish, forcing teachers to create their own. The bill passed 7-0 to Appropriations. AB 857 by Assemblymember Gibson, requiring annual cultural competency training for K-12 staff, also passed 5-1 after supporters linked it to the state reparations task force report and argued it would improve trust and student outcomes.
The committee additionally approved AB 677 by Assemblymember Bryan, which would make it easier for unhoused students to access school-based vision and dental screenings by allowing directory information to be used for that purpose with an opt-out process; it passed 8-0. AB 903 by Assemblymember Avila Farias, directing the Department of Education to develop best practices on education technology and digital equity, passed after amendments and with some opponents indicating they would remove opposition once the amendments were in print. Finally, AB 917 by Assemblymember Avila Farias, extending permanent-status protections to certain educators in small districts and county programs, drew significant opposition from small districts and regional occupational programs over flexibility and funding concerns; the bill still passed 5-2 with the roll held open for additional votes.
NY
New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
2026 Joint Budget Subcommittee on Commerce / Economic Dev. and Small Business - 03/18/2026
Transcript Highlights:
- We also look forward to discussing the inclusion of funding for teacher and school paraprofessional workforce
- the end, when the dust settles on this budget, you will find we will have, again, a program and a pathway
Summary:
The joint Economic Development budget subcommittee meeting opened with introductions, review of subcommittee rules, and identification of the agencies to be discussed, including the Department of Economic Development, Urban Development Corporation, Alcohol and Beverage Control, Cannabis Management, and the Gaming Commission. The chairs also outlined broad budget priorities, including support for innovation hotspots, incubators, minority- and women-owned businesses, biomedical research, centers of excellence, advanced technology, workforce development, and grants tied to tourism, cultural institutions, public safety equipment, and food retail subsidies.
Most member comments focused on small business conditions and economic development policy. Senators Borrello and Chan emphasized that small businesses are the backbone of the economy and argued for reducing taxes, utility costs, fines, permits, and regulations; Chan suggested a possible one-year utility tax holiday. Assembly Member Slater similarly criticized New York’s tax and regulatory climate and promoted legislation to create a Department of Regulatory Review and Economic Growth. Assembly Member Buttenschon discussed one-house proposals such as changes to small business stock ownership rules and a hardship savings account, while Assembly Member Bendett said county infrastructure funding should be increased substantially.
Several members highlighted sector-specific investments. Senator Addabbo and Assembly Member Woerner stressed the importance of racing and gaming, including addiction treatment and recovery, integrity in racing, and stronger drug testing. Assembly Member Otis pointed to science and technology initiatives such as Micron, Empire AI, quantum research at Stony Brook, and broadband/digital inclusion through ConnectALL. Assembly Member Cashman supported investment in the Cornell Center for Food and Agriculture, and Senator Hinchey praised tourism matching grants, restaurant and farm food donation tax credits, and incentives for heat pumps and clean energy retrofits.
No formal votes were taken. The meeting ended with staff continuing consultations with members and the chairs concluding the session.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- So, I would suggest that the other thing we need to be thinking about is how we train paraprofessionals
- So, I do think this paraprofessional category actually has been a topic the last several years.
- But this limited scope paraprofessional idea for things that are, you know, sort of standard and almost
- cookie-cutter practice, we can and should be developing paraprofessionals who do that.
- And I'll say, Representative, the TEA is keenly focused on this CCMR, kind of the different pathways
WY
Transcript Highlights:
- clear that although our university, the University of Wyoming, is working on creating some great pathways
- asking you to like holistically look what this bill does because I think... creating some great pathways
- to make creating some great pathways to make this<01:02:59.760>
happen, <01:03:00.480>we <01:09:23.040>- professional development works, the math teacher, the science teacher, the shop teacher, the paraprofessionals
- ,
the the uh the uh paraprofessionals, the the uh the uh paraprofessionals,
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- insurance report, the paraprofessional insurance report, the paraprofessional specialist,<00:20:
- The transfer from the Grow Your Own reserve to the special education teacher pathway program will help
- A dedicated paraprofessional specialist at the department will be critical to providing statewide guidance
- , professional development, and technical assistance for paraprofessionals.
- I currently represent over 900 teachers and work with 250 paraprofessionals in our district as well.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- So you might ask for the paraprofessionals and the custodians and the librarians and... ... the bus drivers
- So again, we're providing pathways and supports through dollars so that they can get there.
- The pathways we're providing for teachers include traditional university programs, a year-long residency
- These changes give more teachers a better chance and pathway to recognition and reward.
- last two years, demonstrate that your long-run model of educator preparation is a valid, valuable pathway
Bills:
HB2
AR
Transcript Highlights:
- VR and Medicaid are options, but there needs to be some clear pathways.
- Well, they just gave me that pathway to guide me to success to get what I want.
- Like, for example, they gave me the pathway to join the football team.
- I'm an equipment manager, by the way, and they gave me the pathway to join the Alpha Phi fraternity,
- So it's just a pathway to join the football team.
Summary:
The committee first approved the minutes from November 17 by motion and voice vote. It then heard a presentation from Arkansas State University on its inclusive postsecondary education programs, HOWL and ATLAS, led by Dr. Kristen Johnson and Shane Broadway. The programs serve students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, by providing on-campus living, academic support, life-skills training, financial literacy, internships, employment support, and community integration. Johnson explained that HOWL is a comprehensive transition program that does not lead to a degree but is eligible for financial aid, while ATLAS is degree-seeking and provides additional supports. She reported strong outcomes, including high goal attainment and a majority of graduates working full time, and emphasized that the programs are designed to help students build autonomous adult lives.
Members asked about recruitment, eligibility, costs, school outreach, business partnerships, and transition planning. Johnson said the programs have done extensive outreach through IEP meetings, transition symposia, email blasts, and school visits, but that awareness remains a challenge. She identified major roadblocks as business concerns about liability, fragmented collaboration, and difficulty navigating funding streams such as vocational rehabilitation and Medicaid. She also said more coordinated statewide communication and coalition-building are needed, and noted that ASU is helping launch a state alliance for similar programs, with new programs opening at ASU Mountain Home and the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff.
The committee then heard from the University of Central Arkansas about Project Ascend, a new low-sensory living-learning community for neurodiverse students in Hughes Hall. Dr. Debbie Daly and Jeremy Gillum described it as a voluntary, self-identified program focused on community building, belonging, and retention rather than remediation or degree planning. The program has hosted a few low-sensory social events and plans to expand outreach through campus tours, orientation, and targeted communications. Members asked about recruitment, participation, success measures, and how to avoid duplicating ASU’s efforts; UCA said it is still in its infancy and will measure success mainly through participation, retention, and student engagement. The meeting ended with general support from members, discussion of collaboration across institutions and agencies, and adjournment of the task force.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- From building pathways and partnerships in addition to the bachelor programs we offer, we also focus
- These pathways will strengthen military alignments.
- These pathways strengthen military and regional workforce pipelines, and our bachelor degree holders,
- These pathways will strengthen military alignments.
- Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant, Grow Your Own.
Summary:
The Committee on Education Postsecondary held an informational hearing focused on how Florida’s public colleges and universities are aligning bachelor’s degree programs with workforce needs and improving student outcomes. Chancellor Kathy Hebda described Florida College System enrollment growth, the state college system’s workforce-oriented bachelor’s degrees, approval and accountability processes for those programs, and outcomes data showing strong completion and wage results, especially in health care. Emily Sykes of the Board of Governors outlined the State University System’s program review practices, performance-based funding metrics, strategic emphasis programs, and the MyFloridaFuture tool that lets students compare earnings, debt, and employment outcomes by major and institution.
University and college leaders then described campus-level workforce initiatives. Florida Gulf Coast University highlighted employer-driven microcredentials, digital badges, internships, career fairs, service learning, and partnerships with regional employers. UCF discussed its career navigator requirements, major industry partnerships such as Lockheed Martin, nursing and faculty career-integration efforts, and a centralized career development center. Northwest Florida State College and the University of West Florida emphasized their bachelor’s programs, transfer pathways, teacher and nursing outcomes, military and defense-related workforce pipelines, cybersecurity training, and stackable credentials tied to regional labor needs.
During member questions, senators asked how microcredentials and military experience translate into college credit, whether credentials transfer across institutions, and what legislators can do to help. Witnesses said the state’s common course and articulation systems already support transfer, and they encouraged continued legislative support for innovation, faster curriculum alignment, internships, and specialized transfer degrees. No bills were voted on, and the meeting ended with no public comment and an adjournment motion adopted.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- ESPs include the paraprofessionals who ensure students with disabilities get the support they need and
- Teachers, paraprofessionals, custodians, and other school employees would all be eligible for the pool
- Um, next up, I believe we have another paraprofessional.
- dated count of paraprofessionals. dated count of paraprofessionals.
- Anyone who is an employee of a school, so, you know, bus drivers, teachers, paraprofessionals, people
Bills:
HF3119
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:06:23.000>
that going um as opposed to a pathway that going um as opposed to a pathway - <00:09:43.240>
as <00:09:43.360>well both of those Pathways as well both of those Pathways - <00:14:18.600>
programs pathway and while other pathway programs pathway and while other pathway - be following this kind of a pathway be following this kind of a pathway strategy<00:14:42.519>
- communities may start with one pathway communities may start with one pathway instead<00:19:59.600
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Education Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Joint Committee on Education
Transcript Highlights:
- And what—so that's for the paraprofessionals in Cambridge. And what about for teachers?
- And what—so that's for the paraprofessionals in Cambridge. And what about for teachers?
- As dedicated paraprofessionals are to... ...outside of the classroom.
- Prior to this, I spent 20 years working as a paraprofessional in Boston.
- The role of ESPs and paraprofessionals dates back to the 1950s and '60s, nearly 70 years ago.
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Education held a public hearing on a large slate of bills, with most testimony focused on two main topics: improving access to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for students with disabilities, and raising educator pay statewide. On the AAC bills (House 514/Senate 418), parents, advocates, and attorneys described how AAC devices and communication books help nonverbal or minimally verbal children communicate, participate in class, and reduce frustration and behavioral issues. Testimony emphasized that while districts are generally required to provide devices, many teachers and school staff lack training to use them effectively; the bill would direct DESE to update licensure and training requirements so newly licensed teachers are prepared to support AAC users. Committee members asked about current teacher-prep practices, implementation, and whether DESE could act without legislation, and witnesses said the proposal was intended as a long-term solution and had previously received some support and compromise language.
The committee also heard extensive testimony on House 733/Senate 370, which would set a statewide minimum salary of $70,000 for teachers and $55,000 for education support professionals (ESPs/paras), with inflation adjustments and a phase-in structure that would shift costs over time from the state to municipalities. Supporters, including the bill sponsor, MTA leaders, and school employees from several districts, argued that current pay is not a living wage, contributes to staffing shortages and turnover, and forces many educators to work multiple jobs or rely on public assistance. They said the bill would help recruit and retain staff and better reflect the importance of the work. Committee members raised questions about how the state would fund the mandate, how it would interact with Chapter 70 school aid and local budgets, whether other states have similar mechanisms, and whether the proposal could create disincentives for districts already paying above the floor. Witnesses pointed to the Student Opportunity Act, the Fair Share Amendment, and the need for a broader school funding formula review as possible parts of the solution.
The committee also briefly heard and discussed Senate Bill 435/House Bill 736, which would require de-escalation training for school bus operators, with the training paid for by employers. The sponsor and a parent advocate said the bill was prompted by a school bus incident involving a child with cerebral palsy and epilepsy and would improve safety and reduce reliance on law enforcement. Members asked whether the bill should also cover bus monitors and other transportation staff, and whether private contractors and public operators currently provide similar training. At the end of the hearing, the chairs closed testimony on the full list of bills and adjourned the hearing without taking any votes.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:56:54.720>
toward position to build a pathway toward position to build a pathway toward - The workers that are covered under this are paraprofessionals, bus drivers, custodians, food service
- The workers that are covered under this are paraprofessionals, bus drivers, custodians, food service
- The workers that are covered under this are paraprofessionals, bus drivers, custodians, food service
- I'm a widow of a paraprofessional that has spent 33 years doing this job that I truly love.
WY
Wyoming 2026 Regular Session
House Floor Session-Day 18, March 3, 2026-AM
Wyoming House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- They can have more teachers or less paraprofessionals, or they can have more paraprofessionals, less
- They can have more teachers or less paraprofessionals, or they can have more paraprofessionals, less
- They can have more teachers or less paraprofessionals, or they can have more paraprofessionals, less
- We keep talking about paraprofessionals. paraprofessionals. paraprofessionals.
- . paraprofessionals. paraprofessionals.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- Line 120, the A3 increases the appropriation for the alternative pathway support position by $113,000
- Line 125 is a proposal to eliminate funding for the pathway preparation grants.
- <00:16:14.560>
This for the pathway preparation grants. - This for the pathway preparation grants.
- I'm a special education paraprofessional and the local president for the Bloomington Federation of Paraprofessionals
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- So you might ask for the paraprofessionals and the custodians and the librarians and the bus drivers
- So again, we're providing pathways and supports through dollars so that they can get there.
- And so those pathways and those additional dollars to help them all gain certification, I think that
- These changes give more teachers a pathway to recognition and reward.
- These changes give more teachers a pathway to recognition and reward.
Bills:
HB2
Keywords:
disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace, medical examiner, county judge, sheriff, mayor, emergency coordinator, emergency manager license, volunteer management system, volunteer registration, criminal history check, background check, Texas Division of Emergency Management
Summary:
The Senate Education K-16 Committee met to consider HB 2, the major school finance bill, with the chair explaining that the committee substitute would provide about $8 billion in new public education funding. The bill was described as including permanent teacher compensation increases, expanded teacher incentive allotment funding, support for early literacy and numeracy, teacher certification and residency pathways, special education funding, career and technical education, school safety dollars, and facilities support for charter schools. The committee adopted the committee substitute without objection after roll was called and a quorum was present.
Members questioned the bill’s structure, especially the balance between across-the-board teacher pay and the teacher incentive allotment, the treatment of uncertified teachers, and differences in requirements between traditional public schools and charter schools. Senator Menendez and Senator West raised concerns about equity, charter-school parity, facilities funding, inflation, and whether the bill should include more support for fine arts and extracurricular programs. The chair responded that the bill was designed to direct most new money to traditional public schools while also preserving flexibility and that charter-school and public-school alignment would need further work.
Invited witnesses Dr. Imelda De La Rosa and Val Acri testified in support of the bill, emphasizing that the Teacher Incentive Allotment helps recruit and retain teachers in rural districts and supports mentorship and certification pathways. Public witnesses also supported the bill but urged more funding for fine arts, local flexibility, and full restoration of House-proposed funding levels. Dr. Josh Jones supported year-long teacher residencies, Dr. Philip Morgan asked for more local control and restoration of fine arts funding, Rich Saina supported the bill but warned about hold-harmless reductions, and Dr. Greg Poole supported the bill while asking for flexibility for high-performing districts that already pay high salaries. After the invited testimony and some public testimony, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair so members could attend the Senate floor.