Paraprofessional urges higher pay, better training and staffing during public comment

At the June 22 meeting of the East Longmeadow Public School Committee, paraprofessional and parent Addie Carabetta told the committee that low pay, poor job clarity and inadequate training have left paraprofessionals overstretched and undermined services for students with IEPs and 504 plans.

"Myself personally, after paying out my taxes, union dues, insurance for my family, and a small portion into my 403b, I take home $100 a paycheck," Carabetta said. She described weekly incidents of students hitting, kicking and spitting at staff and said paraprofessionals are often reassigned to cover other duties, which reduces support for their assigned students.

Carabetta urged the committee to address compensation and hiring language in job postings so new hires understand duties and remain in their roles. She said turnover among paraprofessionals both compromises compliance with legal special-education requirements and forces existing staff to fill gaps.

The committee acknowledged the remarks and heard the group's collective concerns; no formal response or action plan was adopted during the meeting. Committee members later discussed recruitment and staffing in the context of end-of-year staffing changes and upcoming transitions.