Connecticut: Govt launches six-week training for SPED paras; over 900 unfilled positions
- Jul 27
- 1 min read
Connecticut has launched the Paraeducator Preparation Academy to address a workforce gap in schools. As of February 2026, there were 909 unfilled paraeducator...
Registration has officially opened for an initiative state officials hope will close a major workforce gap for Connecticut schools: paraeducators.
As of Feb. 2026, there were 909 unfilled paraeducator positions across Connecticut public schools, according to data on EdSight. Of those, 772 were for special education roles, while 137 were listed as “all other areas.”
To close that gap, Gov. Ned Lamont and the State Department of Education have debuted the Paraeducator Preparation Academy, a six-week training course that will provide instruction and mentorship free of charge to aspiring paras. The program aims to train 200 to 250 new paras in the first year.
“Paraeducators are essential members of our school communities, and Connecticut needs more talented people answering the call,” Lamont said in a press release. . . .
Advocates have warned that a lack of these one-to-one paras can have a profoundly detrimental impact on students with disabilities.
Until now, becoming a para was a largely self-directed and self-financed exercise, a CSDE spokesperson said. The Academy aims to change that. . . .
A pilot course for the program will run through August and September in East Hartford. According to CSDE, the course will have 25 participants and already has a waitlist.
From there, the department plans to partner with schools and community organizations to expand the initiative across the state.
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