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The contracts that emerged after educators in Andover and Newton went on strike shined a light on the outlandishly low wages paid to paraeducators and to the vital services they provide school districts.

The fact that Andover and Newton, two wealthy communities, had been offering paraeducators starting salaries of $24,500 and $27,000 respectively shocked many when they heard those figures.

The Andover Education Association voted to go on strike on Nov. 9 and reached an agreement with the Andover School Committee on Nov. 14. In Newton, the city’s school committee and the Newton Teachers Association bargained for more than 16 months before the union took a strike vote. The action lasted for two weeks, concluding with a contract agreement on Feb. 2.

Throughout their unions’ respective job actions, the Instructional Assistants, or IAs, in Andover, and the behavioral therapists and teaching aides, known as "Unit C" in Newton, shared stories about the challenges they faced on the job, the necessity to have multiple jobs to make ends meet and the difficulty districts had in filling the positions because of the low pay being offered.

Throughout the state, contracts being settled increasingly address the issue of whether Education Support Professionals are earning a living wage.

"Over the years, the role has changed drastically," said Karen Torres, an IA in Andover for 17 years, who served on the AEA’s bargaining team.

When she started the job, the expectation was to help classroom teachers set up projects or grade tests, Torres said. But with students needing increased support for social and emotional needs, as well as help meeting academic expectations, the IAs became the frontline workers for delivering special education services.

"The responsibilities grew. The compensation did not. And the recognition did not," Torres said.

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This story ran in the winter 2024 edition of MTA Today.