The Delegate Assembly on Feb. 3 passed a resolution to support state legislation mandating the enrollment of full-time paraprofessionals in the pension system when they are hired by the New York City Department of Education.

“It’s time for our members to be on board,” said Paraprofessionals Chapter Leader Shelvy Young-Abrams, who motivated the resolution. “It is very emotional and very hurtful to have a member work in a school and when they decide they want to retire and come to us for help, we have to say to them, ‘I’m sorry, but you’re not in the pension system.’”

In contrast to teachers, who are automatically enrolled in the Teachers’ Retirement System, paras are not. Since 1983, paraprofessionals have had the right to “opt in” to the retirement system and have payroll deductions made. Gov. George Pataki in 2000 vetoed a similar bill to mandate enrollment after both houses of the state Legislature, with the union’s strong support, passed it.

The delegates also approved a resolution calling for a decrease in the size of Special Education Teacher Support Services (SETSS) and related-service groups.

The delegates called on the state Legislature to re-establish five as the maximum number of students in a SETSS or related-service group. The maximum was increased to eight students in 1995 to allow New York City to save money during an economic downturn.

The delegates, in that same resolution, also called for a maximum caseload for SETSS of 20 students (down from the current 30) at the elementary level and 25 (down from 38) at the middle or high school levels.

Read the full resolutions »