skip to main content

Monday, May 29, 2023

play newscast audioPlay

Advocates call for a climate peace clause in U.S.-E.U. trade talks, negotiations yield a tentative debt ceiling deal, an Idaho case unravels federal water protections, and a wet spring eases Iowa's drought.

play newscast audioPlay

Gold Star families gather to remember loved ones on Memorial Day, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy says the House will vote on a debt ceiling bill this week and America's mayors lay out their strategies for summertime public safety.

play newscast audioPlay

The growing number of "maternity care deserts" makes having a baby increasingly dangerous for rural Americans, a Colorado project is connecting neighbor to neighbor in an effort to help those suffering with mental health issues, and a school district in Maine is using teletherapy to tackle a similar challenge.

Paraeducators Protest Work Cutbacks – and Win

play audio
Play

Monday, August 15, 2011   

TACOMA, Wash. - As many schools ponder cutting another ten percent from their budgets in the coming months at the governor's request, the Tacoma School District's decision not to cut some employees' hours is a stark contrast. Those employees are paraeducators, who work one-on-one with students with severe physical or learning disabilities. Already some of the lowest-paid workers at schools, their hours were going to be trimmed by 30 minutes a day.

Paraeducator Barbara Randall-Saleh, who is president of the Tacoma Federation of Paraeducators, says the cuts would have made them part-timers, affecting not only their paychecks, but also their health insurance.

"It just meant for several people that they would have to be looking for another job, because they just couldn't make ends meet with half an hour being cut, plus the increase in cost to their medical benefits. So, it's a great boost for everybody."

Randall-Saleh says there's already not enough time in the school day for many special-needs students, and her colleagues often stay at school longer - without pay - although they've been told that is technically against the law.

"It's the paraeducator that's with 'em in the morning when they get them off the bus. They're with 'em in the afternoon when they put 'em back on the bus to send them home. One concern is their safety. We do it because we care about the students."

She credits the paraeducators, and also the teachers who voiced support for them, for convincing the district not to cut their hours. They wrote letters, testified and even picketed at school board meetings over the summer, suggesting that the district could look for savings in non-instructional areas instead.

There are about 600 paraeducators in the Tacoma school district.


get more stories like this via email

A new ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court means ephemeral streams, such as this one in the mountains east of San Diego, are no longer protected by the Waters of the United States rule. (Chris Hunkeler/Flickr)

Environment

play sound

The U.S. Supreme Court has gutted federal protections for much of the country's wetlands. The court found that the Waters of the United States rule…


Environment

play sound

Environmental advocates say the U.S. Supreme Court has dealt a major blow to the Clean Water Act and to Maine's ability to protect some of its most …

Environment

play sound

A U.S. Supreme Court case that began in Idaho has weakened protections across the nation under the Clean Water Act. The justices on Thursday handed …


Researchers found cities with the highest ParkScore rankings are healthier places to live based on the metrics of physical inactivity and mental health. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

The nonprofit Trust for Public Land has published its annual ParkScore rankings, and some area cities are high on the list. Washington, D.C.…

Environment

play sound

For the first time in nearly three years, the widespread drought that has had Iowa in its grip is predicted to end. The latest drought outlook says …

According to Virginia's opioid cost calculator, which tracks monetary impacts like lost labor, health care, crime, household costs, and state and federal costs, the state is facing a price tag of around $3.5 billion. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

As the opioid epidemic continues to take its toll, a Virginia group is working to keep people safe. The Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition in Roanoke …

Social Issues

play sound

A new report outlined the importance of student debt relief to workers in New York and across the country. An American Federation of Teachers …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Extreme heat kills about 700 people in the United States each year, but a new toolkit and weather alerts can protect folks in Texas and beyond…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021