Paraprofessionals & School-Related Personnel (PSRP)

Note - updates on the impact of the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) outbreak on non-certified education staff and members of PSRP local unions will be linked here.
 
Click here for results of our board of education (BOE) union coalition return to school survey (Jan 11, 2022).
 
Click here for Department of Public Health (DPH) guidance on mandatory school employee vaccinations (Jan. 4, 2022).
 
Click here for the state Department of Education (SDE)'s COVID-19 self-test kits distribution plan (Jan. 3, 2022).
 
Click here for the federal education department website's COVID-19 resources for schools (Dec. 30, 2021).
 
Click here for our national union's COVID-19 resources for education support staff (Aug. 14, 2021).
 
Click here to access SDE's “Special Education” portal (Apr. 21, 2021). 
 
Click here for the executive order requiring paid leave for school employees quarantined due to COVID-19 exposure (Feb. 4, 2021).
 
Click here for our legal counsel's memo on COVID-19 and employment rights (Jul. 27, 2020).
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AFT Connecticut represents thousands of school-related personnel (PSRP) in local and regional districts across the state. PSRPs work as paraprofessionals, teaching assistants, tutors, secretaries, school nurses, custodians and others who provide critical services that support student learning. From contract negotiations to professional development, AFT Connecticut works to secure the pay, benefits, conditions and respect they deserve as both professionals and “the engine that keeps their schools running.”
 
Click here to follow our national union’s PSRP Twitter feed.
 
Click here for the state education department website's School Paraprofessional Advisory Council page.
 

Making Gains "at Every Step of the Salary Scale"

Mon, 01/31/2022 - 6:30pm
The recent pattern begun last year of affiliated local unions negotiating contracts with solid pay increases has over the past 90 days continued to be repeated. Our latest collective bargaining report features one such affiliate whose leadership overcame historic inequities to win a ground-breaking new agreement in negotiations with their employer. Members' personal progress will additionally benefit the community they serve as the provisions promise to stabilize the workforce for years to come.
 

Urging Action for a "Safe, Healthy Return to the Classroom"

Fri, 12/31/2021 - 12:30pm
Leaders representing over 60,000 public education employees across Connecticut are urging immediate implementation of new, strict, consistent protocols and safety standards in our schools. Our Board of Education (BOE) Union Coalition is calling on state and district officials to take specific additional steps ahead of students’ return from winter break. Action is needed now as the COVID-19 omicron variant continues transmitting at the highest levels since the start of the pandemic.
 
Click here for the coalition's updated core principles.
 

Winning a Contract that Shows "What is Possible"

Fri, 10/29/2021 - 12:30pm
Reflecting Connecticut's improved fiscal health, union members have over the past three months made solid progress in negotiations with their employers. A local affiliate whose leadership overcame their community's slow economic recovery to secure significant monetary improvements is being spotlighted in our latest collective bargaining report. By demonstrating a shared commitment to vital and valued health services, they moved their administrators to invest in both the current and future workforce.
 

Resisting a Right-Wing Take-Over of Public Ed

Tue, 08/31/2021 - 5:30pm
Municipal elections provide union households the opportunity to impact employment and educational policies in their community’s schools. This basic civic responsibility in 2021 takes on added urgency; deep-pocketed special interests are funding local candidates to carry out extremist agendas. Members stepping up to demonstrate that “labor is your neighbor” provide a path forward this fall for defending educators' hard-fought gains and children’s future learning opportunities.
 
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