De La Rosa details low pay, thousands of vacancies, and $1.5B in contracting costs
De La Rosa notes entry-level paras earn as low as $32,000 and many experienced paras make under $50,000. She cites thousands of paraprofessional vacancies, resulting in lawsuits and a revolving door of outside contracting that cost the city and state over $1.5 billion in the last year.
The reality is that the people doing the essential work are among the lowest paid employees in our school system.
Entry-level paraprofessionals can earn as low as $32,000 a year, and many experienced paraprofessionals still make under $50,000 annually in one of the most expensive cities in the country.
With large gaps in our paraprofessional workforce, the consequences continue to grow in our schools.
New York City has faced thousands of paraprofessional vacancies in recent years, leaving classrooms without the support students are legally entitled to and putting additional strain on teachers and school staff.
These gaps also translate into lawsuits.
And a revolving door of outside contracting that cost the city and the state over $1.5 billion in taxpayer money just in the last year.