Efforts Underway to Elevate the Paraeducator Role

An item from a K-12 blended learning organization.

Engaging conversations with our Bronx school & community partners

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Join the conversation as we partner with communities to design and implement culturally responsive school change.

In This Week’s Issue

• Go Local: Efforts Underway to Elevate the Paraeducator Role in the Bronx
• Did You Know? We are an approved RI vendor for PK-12 School Redesign & Strategic Support services & a PD Provider in MA’s DESE registry
• Join the RISTE Tech Coach Group

Go Local: Efforts Underway to Elevate the Paraeducator Role in the Bronx

 “Why are we searching so far outside of school neighborhoods and not investing our time, money, and capacity into the people within our own communities?”

This critical question was center stage last week as members of Highlander Institute and Baychester Middle School met with Bronx educators and local organizations to discuss the Institute’s “Community Educator” concept.

As a partner school in Highlander Institute’s Community Educator initiative (generously supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York), Baychester invited their current employees who live in or close to the school neighborhood. Spanning roles such as paraprofessional, school aide, and secretary, participants expressed a passion for culturally responsive education and creating empowering experiences for local students. Their interest in supporting local students and families — and helping them feel seen, uplifted, and trusted by their schools — provided powerful support for the Community Educator concept.

Dr. Meisha Porter of the Bronx Community Foundation elevated these perspectives to a group of school principals, district administrators, nonprofit representatives, alternative pathway providers, and CUNY staff committed to brainstorming collective strategies to diversify the teacher pipeline. The rich conversation provided insights from professionals across educational systems, highlighting both opportunities and concerns, and setting the stage for additional partner sites to explore Community Educator programming.

We are grateful for the insights provided by educators and community members across systems in the Bronx last week, and appreciate the hospitality of Dr. Porter. Establishing proof points of innovative staffing models and roles are crucial to attracting more talented community members to education professions. We are excited to launch the community educator concept at Baychester beginning next school year and to share our learnings.

2023-2024 Partnerships 

If your strategic plan or professional learning roadmap elevates culturally responsive learning environments, Highlander Institute can help operationalize your goals! Did you know that we are an approved RI vendor for PK-12 School Redesign & Strategic Support services and a registered PD Provider in the Massachusetts DESE database? Let’s talk about how we can support your 2023-2024 implementation needs!

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From Other Organizations

Join the RISTE Tech Coach Group

RISTE’s Tech Coaches Communication Group is now live! This self-serve discussion group is for all educational technology coaches, integration specialists, instructional coaches, or other tech-loving teachers and administrators to meet and discuss current issues, problems, and possible solutions. Once added to this group, you’ll be able to post and respond to others via email and receive invites to monthly Coaches’ Coffee virtual meetings, held from September – May.

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Highlander Institute www.highlanderinstitute.org Providence, RI Please feel free to contact us directly, visit our website, or connect with us on social media!