Children First: Helping students even without full staff

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- To the TK students at King Elementary School, Mr. K is another teacher who helps out in class.

But in reality, Mr. K isn't a teacher by title -- he's a paraprofessional.

He works closely alongside teacher Carlanda Miller. His role is considered vital for the Fresno Unified School District.

"Sometimes they are assigned to work one-on-one with some of our students," says Tamara Neely with Fresno Unified. "They also are able to take small groups and help with the learning in that way."

Since all students learn at different paces, Mr. K's extra support is used to ensure children don't fall behind in class.

Their critical role is one that's hard to keep filled.

"We don't often think about the fact that Fresno is a college town," Neely said.

Many of the paraprofessionals are college students studying child development.

Changing schedules or transitioning to full-time teaching can force them to leave.

Fresno Unified School District says the number of openings always fluctuates, but in mid-September, there were 600 open positions.

The district is using what they have to make sure the needs of students are met.

"On occasion, though, you'll notice that we have a para that might work in one class for a part of the day and another who may move over to another class for another portion of the day," Neely said.

The struggle to fill the position is not isolated to just FU-D.

Clovis Unified School District is facing the same challenge with its paraprofessionals -- known as instructional assistants.

The Clovis Adult School is one place that depends on the position.

"We need them just as much as we need our teachers, just as much as we need our administrative staff," says Monica Castillo with the Clovis Adult School.

The IAs are utilized to help special needs students succeed on campus and off campus.

"How to navigate the city bus, how to navigate walking around the campus, how to navigate the lunch room," Castillo said.

IA's for special needs students are especially hard to retain, but Clovis Unified says it offers extra training and support to make sure they're successful and has been working hard to get qualified candidates on the job.

In August, they had 70 applicants -- 68 were qualified and hired on.

They've also created full-time positions with benefits for those who are looking to make this a career.

In the meantime, it's all hands on deck to make sure students are successful.

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