NASHUA, NH – Around 40 paraeducators came out to the Board of Education (BOE) meeting on Oct. 28 to urge the board to support a memorandum of understanding that would give paraeducator an extra $25 a day, and special educators an extra $35 a day if their program has a vacancy.
The board discussed the MOU (memorandum of understanding) in a non-public session and rejected it, and authorized the district to negotiate a new MOU.
“This district has an emergency,” Gary Hoffman, president of the Nashua Teachers’ Union said at the board meeting, stating the number of vacancies in both the programs.
As of Oct. 28, there were more than 50 paraeducator vacancies and 14 special educator vacancies in the district. The number of paraeducator vacancies has since climbed to 75.
The BOE approved the MOU last year and ESSER funds were utilized for the extra compensation.
“I can be sympathetic with the district that they do not have access to the same funds that they did last year,” Hoffman said. “My hope is that with 75 openings that there’s some savings that could go to the affected paraeducators and programs that are lacking people. My hope is that whatever we come up with will be kind of self-funded.”
Addressing the board, Hoffman said, “One of the reasons why this memorandum of understanding is so necessary is we absolutely need to make sure that these people who are working in understaffed programs and are receiving more work receive extra pay.”
The night before the meeting, Hoffman met with Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers.
“If you don’t get what you need for our paraeducators on Monday, just know that we will escalate and make sure that everyone in Nashua understands that our kids are not coming first in terms of what this board is doing,” Weingarten said. “Our kids need to come first. These educators do everything that they can, but if you have this much of a shortage and you can’t actually fill the positions and people are doing more, they can’t do more for less, they need to do more for more.”
The two recorded a video where they discussed the issue, while standing in front of quotes from staff in the intensive needs programs that were shared with the BOE.
A quote from Colleen Oreus, an intensive needs educator at Charlotte Ave Elementary School read:
“Please hear our plea: Compensation for intensive needs staff is a necessity! Please provide some compensation before we all flee! Day in and day out, we give our whole hearts and unwavering dedication, yet we face increasing devastation. We are exhausted by overwhelming workloads, facing burnout and emotional strain. Insufficient support hinders the quality of education and services, impacting our students’ progress and development. Limited staff means less time for personalized support, which is vital for those with intensive needs. Burdened by endless demands, we sow compassion and plant the seeds. With every challenge, we stand tall, championing those who often fall. But who stands strong for those who care, when exhaustion lingers in the air? So please hear our plea- And provide some compensation for intensive needs staff before we all flee!”
Another elementary intensive needs paraeducator read:
“The request for us to justify why we should receive the MOU demonstrates a clear lack of understanding of our efforts. We are being asked to take on significant responsibilities with minimal compensation. Given our understaffed situation, the least that should be done is to pay us what we are rightfully owed.”
“I had a difficult time keeping my head above water,” a staff member at Franklin Street Intensive Needs Preschool said about how the vacancies are affecting their school.
Others said that the quality of education has decreased and that teachers are more or less just keeping children safe and are not able to work on the goals of their IEPs.
According to Hoffman, the average para professional takes home a little under $500 a week. The starting pay for a paraprofessional is $16.01 to $16.94 an hour for their first two years. After working in the district for 26 years or more, the hourly rate is $23.26 to $24.27. Pension is not available for paraprofessionals.
He added that New Hampshire receives some of the lowest state funding for public schools in the country.
“It’s going to go down more,” he added. “Frank Edulblut (commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Education) announced that he wants to reduce special education funding another 20 percent.”
“This is tough work. This is important work,” Hoffman said. “These people do this work because they care about the students. They enjoy working with the students but we have to treat them well.”
