Association of Texas Professional Educators

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Para-educators’ Place

by Kris Childers, professional development coordinator

Take note of this para-educator in Ballinger ISD

No need to set the record straight on this: Darlene Kelly is one detail-oriented lady. Not only does Kelly manage mega amounts of data in her role as an administrative assistant for Ballinger ISD’s Co-op for Special Services, but she’s also actively involved in the day-to-day workings of many community groups.

An educator for 21 years, Kelly is responsible for the co-op’s Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) and Special Education Management System (SEMS) entries. Kelly has completed her Texas Association of School Business Officials (TASBO) certification and is secretary of TASBO’s Region 15 affiliate.

In 1996, she attended her first ATPE convention in Houston. “Wow, did that blow me away,” Kelly says. “From then I was sold on ATPE.” She began climbing the ATPE leadership ladder and currently serves as Ballinger ATPE president, Region 15 ATPE president and chairwoman of the ATPE Membership Committee.

Kelly’s community involvement doesn’t end with ATPE. She is serving her third term on the Ballinger City Council. In addition, she keeps tabs on the Ballinger Breakfast Lions Club and the Victory Assembly of God Church as the secretary/treasurer for both organizations.

School buses moonlight as mobile pitchmen

The sides of city buses have long been venues for advertising. Now a few Houston-area school districts are looking for their share of the profits.

Anahuac, Cypress-Fairbanks, Humble, Pasadena and Spring ISDs have each formed a partnership with Steep Creek Media to sell advertising space on the sides of their school buses. Together, the districts have more than 1,500 buses that can each carry three ads—one on each side of the bus and one on the back panel (locations that won’t obstruct a bus driver’s view). According to the Steep Creek Media Web site, one bus ad can potentially be seen more than 1 million times in a month.

The school districts, which approve the types of advertising displayed, hope the dollars earned from bus advertising will help make up for budget shortfalls.
 

You ask, ATPE answers

Q: I am a teacher’s aide who is interested in working overtime to supplement my income. What are the rules about overtime pay in Texas?

A: Teacher’s aides and most para-educators are covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which requires additional compensation for hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a given workweek. This act entitles most para-educators (those not categorized as an executive, administrator or professional employee as defined by FLSA—i.e., education aides, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, warehouse workers, custodial workers, secretarial support, and hall and lunchroom monitors) the right to compensation at the rate of time and a half for each hour of overtime worked. Time and a half is defined as your hourly wage plus an additional half of that hourly wage. If provided for in policy, the employer may provide “comp time,” or time off, instead of overtime compensation but also at the time-and-a-half rate.

Be aware that most districts require a supervisor’s preapproval of any overtime. If you work overtime without preapproval, the district would likely be required to pay the overtime, but it could also take negative employment action, up to termination, for violating its policy.

Photo courtesy of darlene Kelly, ©istockphoto.com/yinyang-school bus

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