Recruiting Teachers from Within: Career Ladders for Paraprofessional Educators

Abstract

It is vitally important that students have access to teachers who are effective and broadly representative of our society. Yet in urban areas such as New York City (NYC), many teachers lack experience or appropriate qualifications and there is a profound mismatch between the racial composition of the teacher workforce and the composition of students served. Paraprofessionals, individuals who work under the supervision of a teacher to provide instruction or other direct services to students, represent a significant pool of minority teacher candidates. In NYC, paraprofessionals employed by the Department of Education (DOE) may receive tuition support and release time as they pursue higher education. Analysis of the participation and success of NYC DOE paraprofessionals enrolled in The City University of New York (CUNY) sheds light on the potential for paraprofessionals to become teachers and diversify the teaching workforce.

Citation

Croke, E., Dale, T. and Ebenstein, W. (2013), "Recruiting Teachers from Within: Career Ladders for Paraprofessional Educators", Lewis, C.W. and Toldson, I.A. (Ed.) Black Male Teachers (Advances in Race and Ethnicity in Education, Vol. 1), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 43-57. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2051-2317(2013)0000001008