The Governing Board approves the use of noncertificated people to work with certificated personnel to assist them in discharging their professional duties. Instructional aides, tutors, noontime assistants and various similar categories, both volunteer and paid, are included within the classification of "paraprofessionals."
The general purposes of employing paraprofessionals are:
1. To assist teachers in providing more individualization and enrichment of instruction to their classes.
2. To relieve teachers of many nonteaching duties and tasks, except during instructional time.
3. To help build an understanding of the school programs among citizens, thus stimulating widespread involvement in the total education process.
It is expected that paraprofessionals will be members of a professional team dedicated to working for the best interests of students. All members of the team are expected to be loyal, courteous, cooperative, industrious and dependable. They must accept responsibility to act with the highest ethical standards as they work with students.
No person shall be initially assigned as an instructional aide unless he/she has passed the basic reading, writing and mathematics skills proficiencies required for graduation from high school in the district. Exceptions shall be those permitted by law. (Education Code 45344.5 or 45361.5)
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
45330 Paraprofessionals
45340 et seq. Instruction aides, especially
45344.5 Requirement of passing basic skills proficiency examination by instructional aides
45360 et seq. Teacher aides
45361.5 Requirement of passing basic skills proficiency examination by teacher aides
Management Resources:
U.S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS
Title 1 Paraprofessionals, Non-Regulatory Guidance, March 1, 2004
Policy WAUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
adopted: March 13, 1992 Petaluma, California