Chants of “Para power!” and “Para strong all day long!” could be heard from blocks away as more than 1,600 paraprofessionals and fellow UFT members came together from across the city on April 2 to call on the New York City Council to pass legislation to give paraprofessionals an annual “RESPECT check” of $10,000. “It is time to fix this injustice,” UFT President Michael Mulgrew told the spirited crowd that snaked up Broadway from the tip of City Hall Park to City Hall. “Enough is enough. We are done. Our voice will be heard.” Paraprofessionals Chapter Chairperson Priscilla Castro said money equals respect. “The check is the real deal,” she said. “The check says RESPECT.” Over the decades, paraprofessional pay has fallen further and further behind with New York City’s use of pattern bargaining, which provides the same percentage increase for city workers in all job titles. A 3% raise for a new paraprofessional translates to $954, compared to $6,500 for the highest-paid school principal. Low pay has made it difficult to hire and retain paraprofessionals, who provide essential services to students with disabilities. The city started the school year with more than 1,600 vacant paraprofessional positions, according to the union’s survey. More than 82,000 people have signed the UFT’s online petition for the “RESPECT check” legislation, and the union launched an ad campaign on April 1 calling on the City Council to support paraprofessionals by passing the bill. The City Hall rally capped the union’s citywide Day of Action on April 2, which was national Paraprofessional Appreciation Day. Read more at the link in comments. (fb)

Ten high school interns from schools across the boroughs are the show’s hosts, producers, and sound engineers. Their one-on-one conversations with students, educators, and experts will illuminate how the biggest news stories of the day intersect with the lives of teens in the nation’s largest school system. (fb)