SEIU Local 200U

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Better Schools, Stronger Communities: The Paraeducator Career Ladder

The Paraeducator Career Ladder is strengthening our schools and our communities by putting more teachers in our classrooms and helping school employees move ahead in their careers. It was jointly established by the Services Employees International Union (SEIU) and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to support paraeducators pursuing careers as certified teachers. One of the largest and most successful paraprofessional training programs in the country, it currently has more than 5,000 participants.

Grade School Teacher Since July 1995, more than 1,200 program participants have been hired as teachers by LAUSD, helping to relieve the Los Angeles teacher shortage.

95% of Career Ladder Participants hired as teachers are still teaching in the District.

Graduates of the career ladder are 85% minority and 65% bilingual.

Why was the Paraeducator Career Ladder established?

Like many urban and rural areas throughout the country, Los Angeles has faced a serious teacher shortage, especially in the areas of mathematics and science and elementary, bilingual, and special education. However many of LAUSD’s 15,000 paraeducators have the desire and ability to become certified teachers. These paraeducators all have experience working in the classroom and most come from the community in which they work. Many who wanted to become teachers could not because of time, money, or family constraints. The Paraeducator Career Ladder was established in 1994 as a joint project of LAUSD and SEIU Local 99 to tap the potential of paraeducators who want to become teachers and guide them towards areas of teacher shortage.

How does the Program work?

The Career Ladder provides partial tuition reimbursement, educational advisement, career counseling, support and mentoring for paraprofessionals working towards teacher certification. Career Ladder participants are placed in one of five levels of the Ladder based on educational background and their proficiency in a series of teaching-related performance areas corresponding to the California Standards for the Teaching Profession. Career ladder participants may study at any accredited college or university in the Los Aarea and pursue any teaching credential that qualifies them to serve students in elementary or secondary school. Although the career ladder has no time limits, the program has built-in incentives to encourage participants to finish quickly. Although the Career Ladder has no time limits, the program has built-in incentives to encourage participants to finish quickly. Graduates of the career ladder who received tuition reimbursement are required to teach for LAUSD for at least two years if offered a position or pay back all assistance received.

Who can join the Career Ladder?

Any LAUSD employees who is employed as a paraprofessional can become a Career Ladder participant.

How is the Paraeducator Career Ladder funded?

The Career Ladder is part of the Personnel Division of the District and is an integral part of the District’s recruitment strategy. LAUSD allocates approximately $1 million to the program each year and the state also partially funds the program.