Good-bye, parapros, Hello, Volunteers

The Clarke County School Board has voted not to fund 32 paraprofessionals in the system's first grade classrooms for the coming school year.

Superintendent Phil Lanoue has said that funding them this coming year, as a board member suggested, would be just delaying the inevitable. Axing these jobs saves the system $736,000 annually.

So how will first grade teachers cope?

Some in the community had wondered if University of Georgia student teachers would be assigned to these classrooms to help first grade teachers handle their  students. That's not going to happen.

Volunteers. Community volunteers, says CCSD spokesperson Anisa Sullivan Jimenez, will take the place of parapros.

"We're going to reach out to retirees and work with other local groups," she says.

Hundreds of public school children in Athens are waiting for mentors, say those involved in the Clarke County Mentor Program. Other non-profits that depend on volunteers are also constantly recruiting.

Jimenez remains postiive about the prospect of creating an cadre of committed volunteers.

"We do think our community wants to give back to our schools," she says. "We want them to get involved."

To that end, next month school district officials will launch a campaign to recruit volunteers. On the district's website, Jimenez said, will be a button that will connect potential voluntees with local schools. In July, there will be more personnel back in the public schools who will work with volunteers. Each school has a designated person who will be a contact for volunteers.

Those who volunteer will receive on-site training. They will also be subjected to a background check, with its cost covered by the school district.

"There are lots of University of Georgia retirees," Jimenez said. "We want to tape into the expertise of that group."

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