Following some nasty labor relations in Albuquerque a few years back, administrators and local union leaders got together to talk about how to improve the situation. Kathy Chavez, president of the AFT-affiliated Albuquerque Educational Assistants Association, says her top priority for members was more professional development. It took another year of joint meetings to accomplish that goal, but Chavez's members now have in place an organized program--paid for by the school district--that can lead to certification at the end of two years.

"It's still a work in progress, but it's finally off the ground," says Chavez, who also hopes to negotiate higher pay for her members as the result of their upgraded skills.

One great part of the program is that educational assistants themselves will be doing some of the training. "In the past, they never had anywhere to go, and there was never any kind of professional development" during in-service days, Chavez says. Most schools have four such days a year.

Paraprofessionals who are especially motivated can opt to earn a two-year degree from the city's Technical Vocational Institute. And with new Title I regulations calling for more education for paras, that's a natural fit for staff who work in the program. Others who aren't interested in a degree will still take classes, which Chavez says draw from the AFT's Educational Research and Dissemination (ER&D) program and other high-quality training programs.

"We have a lot of people with 20-plus years who are getting close to retirement," Chavez points out. "We need to have everyone involved so the district can see [that] this is valid and makes a difference." Even for veteran staff, she explains, the training can improve conceptual understanding of why things do and don't work in the classroom with students.

Aside from the education benefits, the program also has helped attract new members, Chavez reports. With the state facing budget problems, there won't be a lot of extra money for salaries, but training can help "validate people for the work they do."