In the shoreline town of Stonington, a group of dedicated paraeducators is slowly building a movement for union power. The journey began in March 2022 when members of AFSCME Local 1996 decided to mobilize at Board of Education (BOE) meetings. Their mission: standing up for respect and the needs of their students, while also actively shaping the future of education in their community. 

With the rallying cry of "Paras Matter!", Stonington paras in AFSCME green shirts and “Paras matter” signs rallied through the halls of Stonington BOE. Their primary concern was wages – a struggle that resonated with at least 25 paras, teachers, and parents who spoke at a BOE meeting in November 2023. The stark wage disparity between Stonington and neighboring Westerly, where starting salaries were $5-6 more, became a rallying point. 

“I pointed out [to the BOE] that someone could start at Dominos and make a better starting pay than we do – without any responsibilities for children, like running active shooting drills,” said Michelle Mania, President of Stonington Paraeducators Union (AFSCME Local 1996). 

Pictured: Stonington Paraeducators at their first Board of Education meeting in March 2022.

Local 1996 has mobilized for every BOE meeting except one since March 2022. Mania has been a driving force behind this movement. After a year as union vice president, she stepped up in January 2022 when her predecessor was elected to the BOE in November 2021.

Recognizing the importance of unity and engagement, she initiated a contest to encourage Local 1996 members who hadn't attended BOE meetings to participate. This innovation involved a lottery for gift certificates for those attending meetings. This effort saw a surge of paras attending meetings, marking a collective step toward building a stronger and more united front. It made such a difference that the BOE chair acknowledged the value of paraeducators to Stonington students and that their consistent presence and advocacy was impactful.

Stonington paras are not just seeking better contracts for themselves; they are fighting for the students they serve.

“We are the ones making the accommodations for students to be successful… and we don’t want a student to have a para throughout their career,” Mania said. “We are a behavioral intervention. Our goal is to get that foundation of trust, so we can get the student back on track.”

Pictured: Stonington Paraeducators at a Board of Education meeting in November 2023.

Short staffing is a major issue that Mania and Local 1996 is looking to take on that negatively affects the students who need the most support. 

“When we are short staffed, we don’t make suitable pay, we don’t have a healthy sick time package, and paras get shipped around [to fill in the gaps],” she said. “Students who have developed a rapport with a specific para suddenly lose that person and that relationship of trust. All of us – teachers, paras, students, and parents – deserve better than that.”

Short staffing has also forced paras to play multifaceted roles. One Local 1996 member with over a decade of service was told by a fifth-grader that she was "just a para." Heartbroken but unbowed, she gave testimony to the BOE that listed all her wide-ranging responsibilities that ended with a blunt, “but I’m just a para.” Stonington paras started bringing signs saying “I’m not just a para” to future BOE meetings, highlighting roles paras play as behaviorists, interventionists, and countless more.

Last year, Stonington paras made their voices heard for Para Lobby Day at the state capital in Hartford. They met with their State Representative Greg Howard who pledged support for a bill to improve wages, health care, and retirement security for paras. Their collective advocacy efforts, combined with those of Council 4’s Legislative team and Staff Representative Tricia Santos, helped secure a “game-changing” Paras Healthcare Subsidy Program: a one-time $5 million stipend that will pay up to 74 percent of out-of-pocket-health care costs.

Howver, the struggle for paraeducator living wages persists — both in Stonington and on the state level through the General Assembly. Local 1996 has built undeniable momentum to keep the fight going. As contract negotiations began in January 2024, Mania and Local 1996 leaders are committed to boosting membership participation, strengthening unity, and demonstrating to the board, state leaders, and district that paraeducators are an essential and united force for positive change.

Pictured: Stonington Paraeducators with State Senator Jorge Cabrera at the Capitol for Para Lobby Day in 2023.