Para-Professional

Placement Policies Specifically Related to Para-Professionals

1. Para-professionals, like all teacher candidates, are required to have diversity of placement in both grade clusters and in school assignment. Para-professionals should be prepared to make any necessary arrangements to accommodate personal work needs and field experience requirements regarding diversity.
2. Para-professionals must abide by the county/school system policy in regard to working as a para-professional while completing requirements for field experiences. The Tift College of Education honors the policy established by the county/school system. Again, para-professionals should be prepared to make necessary arrangements to meet field experience requirements.
3. Time on the job /fulfilling the contractual responsibilities of the job may not be counted as fulfilling the requirements of the field experience.
4. A paraprofessional in the undergraduate program may request waiver of FWI provided:
   
   
   • The request for waiver is submitted in writing by the posted deadline.
   • The request is accompanied by documentation of work experience at the grade level appropriate to the certification level being sought by the teacher candidate. The documentation must include the school system, the school name, the Principal's name, the classroom teacher's name, the grade level, a description of work responsibilities, a description/outline of the time frame of employment and appropriate signatures (Principal and Classroom Teacher) to validate the documentation that will be submitted.
   • This FW I waiver for work experience as a para-professional is available to degree-seeking teacher education students at the undergraduate level.
   • The request for waiver should be submitted to the Office of Field Placement on or before the date established as the deadline for submitting the FWI application. A FWI application should be submitted via the online application system in the event the request for a wavier is not approved.
   • If the request for a waiver is not approved, the teacher candidate will be expected to register for and complete requirements for the FW I experience.
5. Para-professionals are expected to participate in all other field experiences, i.e., FW II or IFE, Practicum, Student Teaching, and to adhere to the policies and procedures established for each. Planning ahead is vital in order to meet the diversity of placement requirements.