{"id":35167,"date":"2025-11-10T19:19:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T19:19:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/35167\/"},"modified":"2025-11-10T19:19:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T19:19:10","slug":"op-ed-new-york-city-could-become-more-affordable-right-now-by-passing-paraprofessional-respect-check-legislation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/35167\/","title":{"rendered":"Op-Ed | New York City could become more affordable right now by passing paraprofessional \u2018respect check\u2019 legislation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\tThis week (11\/13), the New York City Council will hold a hearing on proposed legislation known as the Paraprofessional \u2018Respect Check\u2019<\/a>, a historic bill that would provide all New York City public school paraprofessionals with an annual $10,000 payment, outside and in addition to the traditional salary schedule and labor contract.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The RESPECT check is necessary because paraprofessionals don\u2019t earn enough. The result is that there are thousands of vacant paraprofessional positions, and so thousands of students who are going without the educational support they need. The RESPECT check would address this hiring and retention crisis.<\/p>\n

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The RESPECT check would also mean validation \u2013 that the time, energy, and care I pour into my students every day truly matter. As a full-time paraprofessional at Sunset Park High School, I work closely with students who need guidance, encouragement, and consistency to reach their full potential. I take pride in being that steady support system \u2013 the one who shows up, listens, and helps them believe in themselves.<\/p>\n

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But the truth is, the love we have for this work doesn\u2019t always match the compensation we receive. The RESPECT check would ease financial burdens for me and my family, but more importantly, it would send a clear message that the city values the vital role paraprofessionals play in education.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s not just about money \u2013 it\u2019s about fairness, recognition, and dignity. It\u2019s about acknowledging that paraprofessionals are educators too. This check would remind us that our commitment to our students and schools is finally being respected and appreciated the way it should be.<\/p>\n

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The part of my work I\u2019m most proud of is the connection I build with students \u2013 especially those who need a little extra patience, understanding, and encouragement to see their own potential. Every breakthrough moment, whether it\u2019s a student finally grasping a lesson or simply choosing to stay in class instead of giving up, reminds me why I do this job.<\/p>\n

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As paraprofessionals, we often work quietly behind the scenes, but our impact is anything but small. We help create safe spaces for students to learn, grow, and believe in themselves again. I take pride in knowing that the time I invest \u2013 listening, guiding, and showing up consistently \u2013 helps shape lives in a positive way.<\/p>\n

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What I\u2019m most proud of isn\u2019t a single accomplishment; it\u2019s the everyday moments when my students succeed, smile, or start to believe they can achieve something greater. That\u2019s the kind of success that keeps me coming back with the same energy and heart every day.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Moses Gonzalez is a Paraprofessional for New York City Public Schools at Sunset Park High School, Brooklyn.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This week (11\/13), the New York City Council will hold a hearing on proposed legislation known as the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":35168,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[67,9,24,55,54,56,2584,299,20771,20772],"class_list":["post-35167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york-city","tag-education","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-new-york-city-headlines","tag-new-york-city-news","tag-ny","tag-op-ed","tag-opinion","tag-paraprofessional","tag-paraprofessionals"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35167"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35167\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}