FULL TRANSCRIPT (with timecode)
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Welcome to Voices, a national award-winning podcast brought to you by the Seneca Valley School District.
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Jeff Krakoff: This is Jeff Krakoff. Today we're joined by Dr. Jeff Roberts, Director of Student Services, and Kyra Bobak, Director of Human Resources. Thanks for joining us.
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Jeff Roberts: Good to be with you this morning.
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Jeff Krakoff: So, want to talk to you about paraprofessionals, you know, not just in Seneca Valley, but schools pretty much everywhere are having trouble finding good people, keeping them. So, I know that there's a paraprofessional incentive program that was approved by the board late in 2023 and is effective now. So why don't I start with you, Dr. Roberts, can you explain you know what? What is a paraprofessional and what is their job?
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Jeff Roberts: So, paraprofessionals are the folks in our buildings that assist students so that they can have a positive school experience, and so that our students can learn and grow. And there's a lot of different, uh, types of paraprofessionals. Um, you know, years ago we would talk about a teacher's aide, but the range of responsibilities is wider than that. So, we use the term paraprofessional. So, some of our folks are involved with supporting students with special needs. And we call those personal care assistants. They work one on one with the student. Oftentimes, you know, they need physical assistance with writing or might need to have the materials that they're using in class modified to make them larger. Um, all of those kinds of things are part of what our personal care assistants do. Um, so there's opportunities for folks that want to work one on one with a student. But most of our paraprofessionals work with a range of students. Um, so we have special education classroom paraprofessionals, and they might work with, uh, three, four, five, six students in a classroom that maybe need some additional assistance. They need to have a test read to them, or perhaps they need somebody that can write down their answers, um, so that their, uh, responses are legible. You know, those are examples of some things that are special education paras do. In a lot of cases, they're working one on one with kids to build skills. So perhaps a reading lesson has occurred in the classroom and it's time to do individual practice. And that paraprofessional could work with a small group of students, um, to build skills so that they can progress appropriately.
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Jeff Roberts: Um, a couple of other big categories of paraprofessionals. We have nurse paraprofessionals that work in our health offices, and we actually have nurse paraprofessionals that, um, go with students that have specific needs. So, the people that are properly trained are, you know, making sure that students that might have a seizure disorder or something else are able to participate fully with the rest of their peers. We also have technology and cyber paras. So those are folks that really like the tech work. And are good at maintaining laptops and printers and those kinds of things, and making sure that students and teachers can do their best work. So, we try to minimize any kind of breakdowns that occur and try to rectify those very quickly. And our tech assistants are fabulous at that. And I remember just the other night at a school board meeting, we recognize one of our tech assistants, um, for the amazing job that they do to make sure that our students and our teachers are able to do their job teaching and learning.
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Jeff Krakoff: Okay, that's a lot of different types. I'm curious, roughly how many paraprofessional positions are there at Seneca Valley?
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Jeff Roberts: Uh, slightly over 100 paraprofessional positions. Um, so across our nine buildings, you can imagine, um, there's, you know, somewhere between 6-12 as a range in each of the buildings. So, while they might be working individually with one teacher in a classroom, there is a family of paraprofessionals in each of our buildings. And I actually missed one category. I'll go back real quick and just share that we have building paraprofessionals, and those folks are supporting students in the cafeteria, making sure that they're having a good experience at lunch. And then they're also making sure that teachers have the materials that they need. So, our building paraprofessionals do a lot of copying, a lot of sorting and organizing. So, we've got opportunities for folks that have that sort of interest as well.
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Jeff Krakoff: Okay. So, Kyra, what kinds of skills qualifications do you need a particular degree? Does somebody need to be a paraprofessional at Seneca Valley?
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Kyra Bobak: Yeah, I'd say first and foremost, um, anyone who is interested in pursuing being a building paraprofessional or a classroom paraprofessional or a tech paraprofessional, you know, our across our district's K-12, um, should truly have a love for children, you know, a strong passion for teaching and learning, um, and, and a willingness to really make a difference in the life of a child. You know, our paraprofessional positions are so critical to the daily operations of our buildings and the supports that we provide to our students, um, that we really want individuals, and we're looking for individuals who are caring, um, flexible. Um, they have patience and they really are interested in working as a team. You know, we truly take pride in fostering a learning environment of collaboration and one that looks at the whole child. Um, so not just the academic piece, but the social piece, the emotional piece. And this role is so critical to those supports, um, and making the child succeed on all levels. So really, someone who wants to be a team member, who enjoys working in a learning teaching environment and is willing just to make that difference and help and assist in any way possible. And in regard to qualifications, uh, the Pennsylvania Department of Education does require all Pennsylvania school districts, um, that, you know, have paraprofessionals and work in this capacity, that the individuals have a high school diploma and also some post-secondary education. So associate's degree or higher, or at least two years of 48 post-secondary credits. Um, however, if an individual does not have this, I do not want them to be discouraged.
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Kyra Bobak: Um, we do have a process in place, um, with our administrative team and individuals who support individuals that we hire. We are permitted to do this, that work with them around learning assessments and bring them to that qualification level. Got it. That gives you a little bit about the skills and the qualifications that we are looking for. Um, I also want to mention that once the individuals are hired, we take pride in really, um, fostering that learning with adults as well. And paraprofessionals, they're part of that adult group in our employee group.
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Jeff Krakoff: So, we offer professional development and supports necessary. So that regardless of their credentials, we want to help them grow and feel supported so that they can be successful in our classrooms.
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Jeff Krakoff: Well, that all sounds great, Dr. Roberts. So, let's say I'm somebody considering I've got, you know, the qualifications needed. And I'm thinking about this. What would you say to me?
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Jeff Roberts: So, Jeff, I would say this is a great opportunity for you to give back to the community. So, we know well that our children are the future of our society. And, you know, it's a team effort for us to be able to help them learn and grow and be their best selves as adults. So, uh, the rewards for it, of course, you know, um, there's compensation for the, for the job, but I think the, the payoff is much, uh, much more than that. Um, it's about being able to contribute to making our schools a better place and, you know, having the satisfaction of seeing kids get on the bus at the end of the day. And they're all smiles and they're giggling and laughing because they've had a great experience at school. And in the same way, many of our paraprofessionals are out there on the curb as kids get off the bus and you get to see those smiles and those, uh, those excited moments for students throughout the day. It's a really nice opportunity because, um, our paraprofessional roles happen during the school day. So, folks that are parents, you know, they can get their kid to school, be a paraprofessional, and they can, you know, be with their student right after school. So, it's not, um, an 8 to 5 job where, you know, they're away and there's a long commute in those kind of things. Many of our paraprofessionals live in our community. And so, um, it's a great place to work from that perspective. I also think that it's a very positive place to work. Um, you know, we're in the business of growing people. And so that's a great opportunity for everybody that wants to be a part of that. Um, so I think also one of the things that our particular paraprofessional group, uh, is strong in is, is that connection piece. So being able to have colleagues that you like and that you want to interact with. Um, we have dynamic teachers. And I think that that, uh, rubs off on everybody that's in the building.
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Jeff Krakoff: Let's talk a little bit more about the, uh, paraprofessional incentive program. Kiera. Kind of. How did this get started? What inspired it? And what is the incentive program all about?
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Kyra Bobak: Yeah. So, you know, as a district, we really have struggled for quite some time to fill these positions. Um, you heard the numbers that Dr. Roberts shared with you earlier and that's a quite lot that's significant. Um, we're 100 square miles. Um, you know, we have a large student population. And so we have, you know, intense needs and supports and we take pride in offering those resources. And so though we have many in the seats because of our growing need and adding new positions, you know, we continually seek out, um, individuals that want to kind of pursue this role within the building, and we struggle to find them. And I think sometimes people are, um, maybe unclear of what the role is. So hopefully this information will be helpful. Or, you know, they're a little bit nervous or they think they don't have the skills. And I think I go back to where I said, if you have a love for children, you're caring, you're kind, compassionate, you can work as a team member. You could do this job. So, when we were looking at the struggling, and even though we were trying to be creative in how we could seek out, you know, gain a larger pool of candidates, you know, whether that was through social media, um, job fairs, community events, even community posting boards. Um, and we went in as far as even having individuals come in and assist them with helping them with the application process. We still look at the need and the openings and we're just not filling them. So, I think when you ask, where does this where did this come from? Where did it stem? You know, the administration, the school board, the superintendent saw a need, um, to create and develop an incentive program and hoping that this will kind of fill the gaps and encourage people, um, gain their interest, get them more incentivized, and also let them know how much we value this position and how important it is to us to fill these roles.
00:11:21:16 - 00:12:39:21
Kyra Bobak: Um, and, and I want to mention, beyond the incentive, um, of hearing things that are offered that we will do and that's, you know, reimbursement for clearances. So those are required paperwork, documents for all school employees. So, if you get in the seat and you work for us, we'll reimburse you those fees. Um, if you work so many days, there's, you know, a work incentive, um, stipend. But beyond all those things that are noted. Um, I will share that I think there's other benefits. You know, there's flexible hours. Um, you can have weekends off. Holidays off? Um, you have summers off. And, um, if you have school aged children, you know, it's great to be able to say, okay, I could see my child off and in the morning, get them on the school bus, and in the afternoon I could be there to greet them. So, you know, and we have offered that professional development piece. Um, in addition, if you're a full time, we have excellent medical benefits. And there's also paid time off. So, you get an allotment of paid days for sick and personal. And so I think there's a lot of benefits that maybe people aren't aware of that are offered through this role, even beyond the incentive. But hopefully the incentive and learning about the role and these other offerings will encourage people to kind of pursue an interest in working in our learning environment.
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Jeff Krakoff: Right. So, you know, this is a fairly new program. Dr. Roberts, um, how do you envision this program helping you solve your, your goals of finding and keeping people?
00:12:56:18 - 00:14:55:10
Jeff Roberts: Well, we certainly hope the incentive is successful at keeping people. You know, there's a little bit of a bonus here for sticking with us and being loyal to our students and our and our schools. I also believe that the incentive program is going to bring in a wider range of folks. We talked a couple of times about parents, and I think that, uh, draws a lot of our students or, excuse me, a lot of our paraprofessionals, but I'm interested in grandparents as well, people that are semi-retired that, um, you know, see the value of giving back to their community. Maybe they've had a corporate job and, you know, they push papers, you know, this is everything but that, uh, this is very active, and you get to be with students all day long. And I think that there's a lot of rewards that, uh, Mr. Bobak already shared related to that. So, it's a great opportunity for anybody, you know, perhaps it's somebody that's a little bit interested in the education field. Yeah. You know, they have an associate's degree. Maybe it's in a different field and they want to, you know, try out what it's like to be in a school and see if they can envision themselves perhaps progressing to get a teaching degree. Um, I'm hopeful that some folks that have recently graduated from college, um, try this out. Maybe it's a couple of months, um, as a job that they're, you know, getting their feet wet in the, in the job market. Um, we've got room for all of those folks, but what I'm really looking for, uh, as I interview candidates, is somebody that cares about kids. Uh, that's the common denominator among our paraprofessionals. Um, and that's what we're looking for. Um, we will work with anybody. You know, perhaps they have limited transportation, and they need to work at the school that's close by. Perhaps. You know, they have English as a second language. We can work with folks, um, in all of those settings to be able to support kids. So, it's open to a lot more people than perhaps what people first think when they think of a paraprofessional.
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Jeff Krakoff: Okay. Uh, we mentioned a couple of components of incentives. Are there are other incentives you'd like to mention.
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Jeff Roberts: So, there's different incentive areas. One of them is specifically to specific for our multiple sports classrooms. So, if we have paraprofessionals that really like working in a special education environment. It's fast paced. Some of the students in those multiple sports classrooms have more significant disabilities. They may have trouble speaking and need to use we call it AAC augmentative communication devices. Uh, perhaps, uh, that's an environment that you want to be involved in. And there's an additional incentive for folks that work in that environment. Um, there's an incentive running right now also for folks with a bachelor's degree. So, I mentioned a little bit ago, you know, if you've graduated and you're looking for that first job, um, this is something that maybe is appealing to you to get that additional bonus as you get going.
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Jeff Krakoff: Okay. Yeah. It sounds wonderful. So, Kiara, how does anybody interested in becoming a paraprofessional and incentives? Where do they go? Who do they talk to. They go to the website.
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Kyra Bobak: Yeah. The website would be a great start. In fact, we have yard signs outside of our buildings that have a QR code. So, if you're walking by and you're close and you're picking up or you have to be visiting, um, you just pull out your phone and that will take you directly to the information, which is on our website. Um, I'm pleased to also share that we just have we have a feature video of Dr. Roberts currently posted, um, that tells a lot about the program and actually features one of our paraprofessionals and her experience in serving in that role. So that's a great, um, short, brief video that you could kind of take a look at and view and learn more about it. In addition to what we shared here today. Um, on our hiring link that will take you directly, which will outline in writing what the incentive entails. Um, we've mentioned and highlight some of the, um, program points, but you could see them in writing there. Um, and I also want to share feel free to reach out to the Human Resource department. I am happy to talk to anybody directly if they have any questions further about the role itself. Um, you know what a typical day looks like? Um, and even the application process, you know, I could, I realize and compared to, you know, the public sector, you know, school employees are required to produce, um, you know, a high volume of paperwork, uh, which includes those clearances that can seem very overwhelming. And so we want to work with people. I am happy to set up appointments. I have a team here. I'm happy to meet with them individually. So either by phone, in person, we even could go to the building that they live closest to if they are part of our community.
00:17:47:07 - 00:18:37:22
Kyra Bobak: Um, we could even do virtual, so whatever works for them. I just don't want people to be overwhelmed by the amount of paperwork, because once you get through that, the job is so rewarding. Yeah. Um, and like I mentioned, you know, beyond the incentives, there's so many other factors about being professional that, you know, internally give you kind of warm your heart and your soul of working with children. But even the relationships you build within our administrators, our teachers, the other support staff, the parents, and of course, the child. So, you know, the website is the first, but we definitely have all other connections that we could do beyond that to support and address any questions that need to be answered. Um, I'm hoping that this information puts people's minds at ease and they realize that they are truly qualified, um, and capable of doing this role and making a difference in the life of a child.
00:18:38:04 - 00:18:53:10
Jeff Krakoff: So, you have current openings right now for paraprofessionals. Is there any type of a deadline? Should somebody get in touch and apply sooner rather than later or than later? Or is it pretty much any time during the school year?
00:18:55:05 - 00:19:41:15
Kyra Bobak: I would say, you know, sooner rather than later because we have high need and, you know, we want to fill the seats and make sure, you know, we're establishing and fostering that learning environment that supports all. Um, however, it is ongoing, you know, so that that post is on our hiring portal. Uh, you click the link, it takes you to the directly to the application. So, at any time, you know, you could take it if you're going out of town and or things are personal right now and you, you have a lot on your plate and you feel like, well, maybe in a month I'm more interested. There will obviously still be opportunities to pursue, you know, these positions, but we encourage that once you learn more about this and if you need the assistance, the sooner the better. We'd like to get the interview process started and get you in here to kind of learn more about these openings.
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Jeff Krakoff: All right. Is there any additional information that either of you would like to share before we let you go?
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Jeff Roberts: I would just share that. Um, this is a great opportunity for anybody that loves kids. Um, to be able to, uh, contribute to the school and to contribute to their community. So I highly encourage folks that hear this to, uh, consider applying themselves or perhaps share this podcast with somebody else that, um, might be a good candidate for us.
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Jeff Krakoff: All right. Well, thank you both so much. That was Dr. Jeff Roberts, Director of Student Services, and Kyra Bobak, Director of Human Resources. Have a great day.
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Jeff Roberts: Thank you.
