An Open Letter To Parents From Your Child's Paraeducators

Dear parents whose children have a para, this one is for you.

Parents,

The first thing, on behalf of all paras, I want to thank you. Thank you for bringing your child into this world. Thank you for doing your best at teaching your child what's right and what's wrong. Thank you for teaching your child respect, what a good work ethic looks like, and how to solve their problems and conflicts. Your hard work at home doesn't go unnoticed in the classroom. We see the things you teach your child very clearly every day. We see your hard work and effort and we appreciate it.

We thank you for raising your child uniquely and for doing your best. We thank you for bringing your child to school, for feeding them, for keeping them safe. We thank you for letting us love your children. We are grateful beyond words for your child and the spunk (and stress) they bring to our classrooms. We all know that without your child, our classroom wouldn't be the same. Our classroom is unique because of your child. It is vibrant, diverse, and hysterical because of your child's contribution to being present in our classroom.

We want you to know that in our rooms your child is protected. Your child is loved, cared for, thought about on weekends, cherished, and is amazing. In our classrooms, all of our children are equal. All of our students are loved the same, treated the same, looked at the same, and graded the same. We don't pick favorites, we don't humiliate, we don't tear apart or crush dreams. We inspire, build up, and support every child and human that enters our classroom.

We ask you to trust us. Trust our instincts as well as your own, trust our intuition, decision making, and plans. Trust that we are doing what we believe is best for your child and our student because like you, we know them. Just in a different way. Trust that we are keeping your child safe, we are teaching them all we can, and we are helping them to the best of our abilities. Trust that while you, a first-time parent are just like me, a first-time teacher- confused, scared, confident, and full of joy.

Parents, we value and respect you but we ask that you value and respect us as all. That you hear us and see us. That you appreciate and collaborate with us.

After all, aren't we all trying to do our best?

Sincerely,

Your child's para