Information for Paraprofessionals (Unit E)
Master Teacher
CPS has partnered with Master Teacher, which offers a range of self-guided online professional learning modules for paraprofessionals. These modules can be applied towards satisfying your 10-hour "choice course" requirement and/or towards an educational stipend.
Please click here to learn more about how to access the Master Teacher platform.
Educational Stipends & Increment Credits
The CPS Paraprofessionals Contract offers financial incentives to instructional aides who wish to continue their professional learning. Paraprofessionals who complete CPS or outside coursework beyond their contractually-required 10-hour choice course may apply the credits they accrue towards salary-lane advancement or an educational stipend.
More about Educational Stipends
Overview of the Unit E Educational Stipend
Unit E members are eligible to receive an educational stipend of one hundred twenty-five ($125.00) for each successfully completed unit of staff training which has been approved by the Principal or supervisor prior to the unit member starting the course, up to a maximum stipend of six hundred twenty-five dollars ($625.00).
The stipend shall be paid annually in December of each year based on documentation of successfully completed staff units of training as of October 31st of the same year.
Courses to be Applied Towards an Educational Stipend
A staff unit of training is defined as meeting one of the following criteria:
One (1) university, college, junior college or community college level course of three (3) credit hours.
Two internal courses or workshops of at least ten (10) hours each [20 total hours], offered by the school department for Paraprofessional Increment Credit, and taken after regular working hours and outside of the pool of 35 professional development hours required by Article 6, subsection B (2) of the collective bargaining agreement between the parties.
An accumulation of workshops or trainings offered by an approved an outside provider equalling 20 or more clock hours.
Eligibility
In order to qualify for the educational stipend, the Unit E member must first have:
Satisfied their 10-hour "choice course" requirement for the school year in which the coursework being claimed for an educational stipend was completed.
Received approval from their principal or supervisor prior to starting any coursework being applied towards an educational stipend.
To request an educational stipend, please click here.
More about salary-lane advancement through Increment Credits
Overview of Unit E Increment Credits
Unit E members are eligible to receive Increment Credits, which can be applied to a paraprofessional's salary lane in the following increments beyond the high school diploma (or equivalent):
HS Diploma + 15
HS Diploma + 30
HS Diploma + 45
HS Diploma + 60
HS Diploma + 75
HS Diploma + 90
Once you have received 15 units of training you can submit an application to shift into the next salary lane.
What is a "Unit of Training?"
A single staff unit of training is defined as meeting one of the following criteria:
One (1) university, college, junior college or community college level course of three (3) credit hours.
Two internal courses or workshops of at least ten (10) hours each [20 total hours], offered by the school department for Paraprofessional Increment Credit, and taken after regular working hours and outside of the pool of 35 professional development hours required by Article 6, subsection B (2) of the collective bargaining agreement between the parties.
An accumulation of workshops or trainings offered by an approved an outside provider equalling 20 or more clock hours.
Eligibility
In order to qualify for Increment Credit, the Unit E member must first have satisfied their 10-hour "choice course" requirement for the school year in which the coursework being claimed for an educational stipend was completed.
To request Increment Credit, please click here (Under Construction).