Para Today, Teacher Tomorrow: Building the Educator Pipeline

Discover how a large school district empowers paraprofessionals to transition from instructional support roles to leading their own special education classrooms. Explore targeted professional development strategies designed to support diverse student populations and leave with actionable insights to apply in your own school division.Participants will be able to: 1. Understand the rationale and research supporting the development of paraprofessionals into special education teachers—including how this approach addresses workforce shortages, enhances instructional quality, and supports student success. 2. Identify multiple pathways for supporting the para-to-teacher pipeline based on available resources and district needs. 3. Outline a basic action plan tailored to their own school or district context, incorporating key components needed to build or strengthen a paraprofessional-to-teacher pipeline.