It's a Rap

What if the next generation of teachers is already in our classrooms? Across New York State, paraprofessionals, aides, and teacher assistants support students every day. They work alongside teachers, build relationships with students, navigate the realities of school communities, and often become some of the most familiar and trusted adults in a child’s school experience. In New York City alone, there are more than 25,000 paraprofessionals working in schools. That’s not just a statistic – it’s an incredible opportunity.

We recently spoke with Priscilla Castro, Chapter Chairperson for Paraprofessionals with the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), who helped us better understand the vital role paraprofessionals play in NYC public schools and why investing in their pathways to become teachers matters.

Many paraprofessionals, teaching assistants, and aides have spent years, sometimes a decade or more, working with students and becoming part of the school communities. Through that experience, they learn what motivates students, where they need extra support, and how to build the trust that helps them learn. They often work one-on-one with students, support learning throughout the classroom, and help teachers keep the school day running smoothly. Their experience and relationships provide a strong foundation on which to build as they grow professionally into teaching roles. Priscilla said it best,

“When you think about Paras, they will hands down make the best teachers, and there’s no real supported way or program as it stands to get them into teaching positions.”

For some paraprofessionals and teaching assistants, becoming a teacher may be a natural next step. Yet there hasn’t been an accessible path. The substantial and required cost of higher education to complete a degree, the need to keep working, and the balancing of other obligations can make the move feel out of reach. Until now. New models, such as apprenticeship and residency, are changing that story – creating supported, sustainable pathways through paid employment that honor experience and open doors to teaching careers. As Priscilla explained, the current career training support that covers six credits, or roughly two courses, is a meaningful start. Yet when a master’s degree remains the ultimate requirement, a significant gap still exists between the initial boost and the full preparation an aspiring teacher requires.

At the same time, Priscilla made an important point: “The goal of creating pathways is not to tell every para that they should become a teacher.”

Being a paraprofessional is a profession in its own right. Some may want to stay in that role and continue building their expertise. Others may want to move into teaching. Both choices deserve support, and those who want to take the next step should have that opportunity through an accessible pathway.

Investing in the people already working in schools is also an investment in building a teacher workforce that truly reflects the communities being served. A Learning Policy Institute review highlighted several career pathway programs associated with recruiting and retaining diverse teachers.

One example is the national Pathways to Teaching Careers Program, which provided scholarships and other support to paraprofessionals, Peace Corps members, and noncertified public school teachers working toward certification. Among the results:

• 74% of the paraprofessionals recruited were from minority backgrounds.
• 75% of participants completed the program, compared with a national completion rate of 60% for traditional teacher education students at the time.
• 91% of paraprofessionals went on to teach in high-need schools in the targeted districts.

This shows what’s possible when we combine the experience and dedication of current school staff with the necessary support to take the next step. For those aspiring to become teachers, accessible pathways don’t just open doors, they create opportunity, stability, and a sustainable way for schools to grow and retain a natural and experienced workforce.

When schools invest in their existing employees, they are investing in more than an individual career. They are investing in their school culture. People who have already spent years in a school community understand its students, families, routines, and challenges. They have built relationships, earned trust, and proven their commitment to the work that keeps schools thriving.

Creating opportunities for current employees to learn, grow, and advance not only fosters economic mobility, it strengthens the workforce schools-and students-rely on every day. And for school systems facing persistent teacher shortages, that makes a measurable difference.