April

22nd, 2019

Dr. Lewis and Members of the Board,

My name is Denise Fish, I am an ISA at Prairie Park Elementary School and a 21 year
veteran of Lawrence Public Schools. I am here on behalf of the Paraeducator
Association of Lawrence. I want to thank you for your time this evening and the
willingness to listen to some concerns that face our paraeducators in the district.

The Paraeducator Association of Lawrence has a clear mission to promote standards
and practices that most effectively empower paraeducators to do the tasks assigned
to them to the utmost quality for the benefit of our students in the USD 497 School
District. We believe that those standards and practices include (but are not limited
to):

• A concerted effort to find and institute adequate professional development
specifically designed to increase job knowledge and skillsets for
paraeducators in various programs at all levels of education;
• Increased communication from building staff and administration as well as
district leadership for paraeducators that often is reserved only for certified
employees at this time, and;
• Dedication by building staff and administration as well as district leadership
to promote a culture of equity, respect, and inclusion for all paraeducators in
all buildings and in every program.

In a recent poll put out by our association to all paraeducators in the district, we
found that if payroll deduction were an option, our organization could gain as many
as 121 more members, as this option was a financial necessity for them to join. To
further the progress made for paraeducators this year (often supported by efforts at
the district level,) it is an urgent necessity that members be granted the ability to
have membership fees automatically deducted from their paycheck.

The Paraeducator Association of Lawrence is registered at the federal and state level
as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We have written bylaws and a constitution
approved by our attorney; and we have an established bank account with Truity
Credit Union. All known necessary steps have been taken to ensure we are eligible
for consideration for payroll deduction.

During the first semester our leadership met with Dr. Lewis and other key district
administrators to ask them to consider our request. We were told that it was an
item they would like to discuss with the board privately. We have followed up on
these items throughout the year and have received no response to indicate any
progress. For all of the positive dialogue conferred at the district level in the first
semester, we feel as though that goodwill might have lost its steam in the second
semester of this year. We thank the district for their efforts, but we urge them to
seriously consider and approve our request for this option.

For paraeducators, payroll deduction is not just a nice option. It is the most
economically feasible manner in which our fees can be taken out for a population
whose pay inhibits them from ever having the bulk membership fee to pay at once
and who oft fear that a debit may come through on their account when the bills
were simply too much for their pocketbook that month.

The sincerest ambition of our association is to be positive advocates for the USD
497. The district has perpetual difficulty filling these vital paraeducator positions.
We desire to promote Lawrence Public Schools as the gold standard for
communication, equity, respect, inclusion, professional development, and a living
wage, in order to assist in recruitment and retention of quality paraeducators. We
want the profession of a paraeducator to be a highly sought after career in Lawrence
and surrounding cities and counties. Lawrence has historically been a
groundbreaking and progressive community. We ask you, by this small step, to start
the journey to setting the benchmark for all paraeducators.

We ask that you deliberate regarding this request and get back to us in the timeliest
fashion possible. Thank you for your consideration on this matter.

Striving with You, as One Team, For All Students,







The Paraeducator Association of Lawrence