Mary Ann Rivera has been a paraeducator at LT for 11 years. To be a paraeducator, Rivera has to be willing to do anything. From taking struggling students for a walk, to helping a student use the restroom, she does much more than many people realize.

“We’re unsung heroes,” Rivera said. “I don’t think that we get the recognition we should. When people think of education, they think of just teachers, but we are also a part of that educational puzzle too. Imagine a day without paras. It would be a very difficult day because they rely on us for a lot of things. Just being there with the students is incredibly important.”

LT’s 110 paraeducators assist both teachers and students. Their job is to help teachers reach their goals in terms of meeting the needs of students, both intellectually and emotionally. While helping students, paraeducators might do anything from leading a student through one-on-one support, to interpreting a lesson in American sign language (ASL).

“I think that we are that connection that gives the students that we work with the reassurance that there is someone there for them through good and bad times,” Rivera said. The most important thing about that connection is that they feel they are part of the learning process. There is no doubt that there is a bond there, most definitely.”

In addition to assisting students, the presence of paraeducators in a classroom can allow the teacher to focus on the lesson, Rivera said. Paraeducators have the flexibility to work with students with specific needs, whether it be intellectually or behaviorally, and therefore, the teacher can feel more comfortable focusing on the goals of their lesson.

“Paraeducators help so much in so many ways,” said Colleen Gibbons, who has spent the last eight years teaching special education classes, but has taken on teaching the new ASL class this year. “They make our days run smoother, they make our kids happier. Their job is such a hard job, and they are underrecognized and underappreciated. Teachers, administrators, and everybody should see paraeducators as a part of their team, because that is how we function best.”