Paraeducators provide over 62 percent of instructional time to Washington’s opportunity gap students, including students with disabilities. However, paraeducators receive minimal training (0.05 percent of statewide instructional professional development hours) and there are no professional qualifications or standards. (ParaeducatorOnePage Fact Sheet)
ACT NOW to support these professionals who spend considerable time assisting students with special needs. SB 5070 / HB 1115, CONCERNING PARAEDUCATORS 
has a House Committee hearing at 8:00 am, Thursday, January 26.
Ways to support this bill:
- Call members of the hearing committee (links below). Tell them why this matters to you. Be sure to note if you are a constituent from their district.
- Provide your comments via the leg.wa.gov website (this goes to your legislator):
- search for bill by entering bill number into "search" bar
- click "Comment on this bill" using the button in right column
- fill out form to comment on bill
- you can also select to follow this bill from this page - Email written testimony to your Representative/Senator, committee members, and CC their legislative aides. The standard email format is: FirstName.LastName@leg.wa.gov
- Attend and testify at the hearing or sign in in support
- Tell 10 people you know about the bill and urge them to support it (or share via social media)
- Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee
- House Education Committee
- Video of 1/19 Senate hearing HERE
Contact Susan Steckler, Susan@WashingtonAutismAdvocacy.org if you need support regarding this bill.