By Tyler Dahlgren

Class is in session across Nebraska, and behind the scenes of every school day, the unsung heroes of education are doing what they do best—a little bit of everything.

Ask any principal, superintendent or teacher, and they’ll answer in agreement. Paraprofessionals are paramount to student success, swiss army knives whose obligations come without parameters nor much of the spotlight.

“They’re our first responders, and we couldn’t do it without them,” said ESU 16 school psychologist Catherine Ruhlman. “I’m fortunate to work directly with some wonderful paras. At the drop of a hat, they’re ready to go ahead and serve. Without any type of training, they’re pulled into some of the toughest situations, and they just don’t get enough credit.”

It was with this sentiment in mind that Ruhlman and a few of her ESU 16 colleagues came up with an idea for a regional conference geared towards paraprofessionals. Last summer, they held the first ever ESU 16 Para Impact Conference. It was met with rave reviews and filled a tremendous need, since the statewide conference was discontinued during the pandemic.

On August 6 at the NACO West Building on the northern edge of Ogallala, ESU 16 held the second (and even bigger and better) Para Impact Conference, drawing 85 paras from more than a dozen school districts to the home of Lake Mac.

“We just want to spoil them today, and throughout the school year, because we think they’re pretty special,” Ruhlman added.

The conference, sponsored by the John Russell Applegate Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation Grant, included a morning keynote from ESU 16 administrator James McGown and ESU 15 administrator Phillip Picquet. McGown and Picquet’s perspective as former principals and superintendents punctuated the importance of paras in the school setting.

“They mean everything,” Picquet said. “They fill that void that maybe teachers can’t always be there to fill. They build relationships with kids and they're there as a support. Without them, we couldn’t carry forward with learning, calming a kid down and providing additional assistance when they need it.”

When McGown began his career as a teacher in the 1990s, it was a paraprofessional who took him under his wing. That was before mentorship programs became common, and he’s not sure what he would have done without her guidance. 

The Para Impact Conference, he explained, is both a tremendous professional development opportunity, and a way to simply say thanks.

“Everybody needs to feel appreciated,” McGown continued. “Their role is vital to the success of a district, and they need to hear that from other educators. Their role has so much value.”

The conference spanned the entire day, and included three rounds of select-a-sessions, an additional keynote from ESU 16 director of special services Jennifer Pohlson and a presentation on the OWLS program (which NPSA featured in 2021) from Laurie Vak. In between everything, the paras in attendance networked and had some fun, too.

“Once they get in school, they’re sort of siloed,” said ESU 16 network operations coordinator and conference organizer Melissa Engel. “You’re in a room with the kid, but you’re often out of the classroom. This gives them a chance to meet people, network with each other and with our service unit staff. That’s important.”

Attendees began their day in the NACO parking lot, where the AK Adventures Drinks & Food truck served up complimentary coffee and lattes. There was a “Make & Take” makerspace set up in the lobby, where the paras were able to actually construct resources and different items to take back to their districts. Ruhlman said that was one the goals, for the paras to leave with actual tools in the bag.

“It felt like it was a little parade,” she said. “We wanted it to be fun and we wanted to send them into the school year energized and thinking, ‘I can do this.’ We want to be their cheerleaders.”

Picquet, who met with new teachers and paras at his service unit the previous Monday, said the conference was a great way to send the paras into the school year invigorated. He also gave kudos to the ESU 16 team for their initiative.

“It’s nice to know that people do think about the paras and are invested in the training that we receive,” said Kayli Lewis, who has served as a para in Maxwell for 12 years. “Sometimes as a para, you just get thrown into a job with little explanation or time to prepare, so it’s nice to get caught up on things and to understand what it’s going to take to be successful.”

Jocelyn Cheek is a first-year para in Maxwell, with plans to become a kindergarten teacher eventually. She was excited for the first day of school, excited to meet the students and build relationships, and feels the conference was a great springboard into the year.

“It was nice to meet other paras, and I enjoyed seeing other people my age doing it,” Cheek said. “I thought I was going to be the only one my age, but I’ve seen a few others, so that was nice.”

Most of what a para is tasked with, be it deescalating behavior, cleaning a spilled tray in the cafeteria or doing a student’s hair on the bus ride, happens behind the scenes. They’re tough, Ruhlman said, and they don’t ask for attention. That’s what makes days like this special.

“We are needed in the classroom, that’s what I would hope for everyone to understand,” said Thedford para Mary Vogt. “We’re not just in there, sitting in the back. We’re in there helping the students.”

If there’s a hole to be filled, added Vogt’s fellow Thedford para Gemma Denayaer, they’re the ones who are called on to fill it.

“We have to wear a lot of hats,” Lewis said. “I wish everyone understood. Sometimes it’s a little hard, because we are asked to go in so many directions. We do it because we love working with the kids. That’s the best part of what we do.”

Paras are there for the trials, and they’re there for the triumphs, too.

“I love when you have an ‘Aha!’ moment,” said Vogt. “That’s my favorite thing, when you’ve been beating your head against a wall and suddenly experience one of those breakthrough moments. It makes it all worth it.”

It sounds simple, said Maxwell’s Cassi Brewer, but a para’s satisfaction often comes from something going according to plan.

“When a student is successful, there’s no better feeling for us,” Brewer said. 

Ruhlman and the ESU 16 team have big plans for next year’s Para Impact Conference. Planning started as soon as this year’s event came to a close, she laughed. The effort is more than worth it, after all. 

“We want them to leave knowing how valuable they are and how appreciative we are,” Rhulman said. “We want them to feel very special and just know that they are so worth it.”