With less than a week before school begins in Midland, paraprofessionals working for the district say there is still uncertainty over pay, access to PPE, and COVID days for those exposed while on the job.
A union representing roughly 170 paraprofessionals at Midland Public Schools said the group wants hazard pay and more than 15-total days off to quarantine.
Tanya Ross is with the Midland Federation of Paraprofessionals.
“If we’re around a child or staff member that has a positive result we have to quarantine for 10 days,” she said. “That could happen multiple times because we’re in and out of multiple rooms.”
Ross said paras shouldn’t have to use sick leave to quarantine. And she said new hires don’t get any sick leave at all.
“They are telling paras that they need to take out a short term liability policy if they get sick and have to be at home or god forbid in the hospital for an extended amount of time due to COVID.”
Ross said the schools flatly denied their requests for additional pay.
She said paras have not talked strike but they are discouraged by the school’s response.
The Midland Public Schools did not respond to our request for comment.