Support Goes A Long Way

Paraprofessionals have one of the most challenging jobs in the education system. Not only is it a job of the heart but demanding of the mind and body. Paras help the students with the highest needs in the school to ensure that they are able to learn and take care of their physical needs. Unfortunately, that also means there is a high turnover rate for this occupation, especially during an already trying time in education. Though many do not stay long, Kiesha Baggett defies all odds. Baggett loved her job as a para so much that she decided to fully invest her life into working with students with special needs.

Baggett was hired as a para at Grand Avenue Elementary in Chickasha three years ago, and it changed her life. She would never have imagined that her previous jobs would have led her to this one. Ten years prior, she worked in food service in Texas Public schools and then moved to Florida. When she returned to Oklahoma, she worked as an Activity Director for a facility for adults with disabilities.  

“They told me, ‘Oh, you’re great with people with disabilities’,” Baggett shared. “I thought to myself, ‘I should apply to work at the local school because it worked with the kids’ schedule and gives me summers off.”  

When she first started at Grand Avenue, Baggett was not sure what she was getting herself into since she had previously worked with adults and older kids.  

“It’s a tough job, it really is,” Baggett said. “I work with a lady who has done it for 20 years and at first, I wondered how she did it, but I get it now, I really do.” 

Baggett had a unique experience at the school. Because she worked in the Life Skills Class, she was able to be with the same students from second through fourth grade. During this time, she developed bonds and truly got to see their growth over several years. 

“The first year we had a kid that was nonverbal,” Baggett shared. “Then one day I left the classroom for a bit and when I came back, one of the other aids said, ‘He wants to tell you something,’ and I just looked at her like she was kind of crazy. Then he looked at me and said my name and I just started bawling.” 

Moments like that meant the world to Baggett.  

“I thought to myself, ‘Why didn’t I do this years ago?’” Baggett added. “I tell people all the time, it’s the best job I’ve ever had.” 

Baggett grew up with many of the students’ parents, which allowed her to know their backgrounds and be even more invested in their lives. In turn, they even became a deeper part of hers. 

“One of my students is walking me down the aisle next year,” Baggett shared. “I went over to his house and took him some cookies and asked him if he’d walk me down the aisle. He was so excited. It’s moments like that.” 

Over time, she had become so bonded with the kids that some parents even begged her to move to the next school with them.  

“Whether they’re your friends or not, just having parents recognize how valuable you are to their kids and want you to be with them, I mean, that’s the highest compliment you can have, right? Especially a student with special needs, to have that trust with you and to go, ‘Yeah, like I would love for you to be with them forever.’” 

Although the tough days outnumbered the best days, Baggett believed it was all worth it. Many have asked her why she stays in a job that is so challenging and underpaid.  

“People think all we do is just go to school and we’re there to change and feed the kids and things like that. They think, ‘Oh, it’s kind of babysitting.’ And believe me, it is not.” Baggett began. “But when you’ve got kids that are nonverbal or have autism or something else, and they’ve never had people try to teach them, and then they finally get the concept of something, it makes it so much better.” 

It was the challenges and concerns that provoked Baggett not to run away from the job but instead invest even more of herself into it. She wanted to understand her students’ needs and how he could help them. Despite helping to raise three grandchildren and working full-time, Baggett decided to go back to school. At the end of the school year, Baggett earned an Associate of Arts in Psychology.  

“I wore my cap and gown to school and the kids were so excited to see me, it was so funny,” Bagged shared.  

In the summer she planned to pursue the next step of receiving a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education with plans to become a certified educator and eventually a Licensed Professional Counselor. 

“I grew up in a household of addiction, so I’d like to counsel kids that come from homes of addiction because I see a lot of that in the school,” Baggett shared. 

Although she had big plans, her heart remained in the same place.  

“I may even get my degree and stay a para,” Bagged added. “Who knows? I mean, I love the job that much.” 

The strong support and close-knit community she had at the school was a driving factor in these pursuits.  

“The principal, she keeps asking me, ‘When are you getting your teaching degree?’,” Baggett said. “They recognized how hard I work, and I’ve never had a job where they’ve actually thanked me and been so supportive.” 

This encouragement from her administrators and peers meant more to her than anything else.  

“That’s what we are always advocating for during this teacher shortage crisis,” Bagget said.  “Obviously, pay helps and benefits and things, but the bottom line is all we’re asking is for people to respect the profession and to understand all levels of the building.” 

Baggett recognized that support personnel do not always get as much of a spotlight since they work more in the background of the school. 

“We know and understand that support professionals, especially, are getting the least amount and doing so much more,” Baggett shared. “The school doesn’t function without you. So, it really helps warm my heart to know that people are showing that appreciation.” 

Baggett’s experience goes to show that just like with her students, encouragement, understanding and love can make a world of difference and make overcoming impossible challenges possible.