Mom Disappointed In Lack Of Paraprofessionals At Tulsa Public Schools

Laura Robinson and her husband have seven adult children and enjoyed being empty nesters, until Joshua came into their lives when he was just four months old.

"Josh changed all that and we wouldn't change that for the world,” Robinson said.

Joshua is now nine and has Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy. He is unable to walk and communicates through a language program on his iPad.

After attending the Little Light House, Joshua started school at Carnegie Elementary back in 2019. He needs the help of a paraprofessional in the classroom, and their experience started off great.

"When you have a one-on-one para you develop that relationship and that trust,” Robinson said.

After working together for three years, Joshua’s para retired. When school started again in August, Josh had a temporary para for the first two weeks, but after that, he went weeks without the individualized care he needs.

“I understand there's a hiring crisis going on. People don't want to work or whatever's going on, I'm not sure, but TPS and the para-department is no exception,” Robinson said.

Tulsa Public Schools says they believe paras play a critical role in ensuring that the most vulnerable students have the support they need to be successful.

Tulsa Public Schools issued the following statement:

“While we cannot address situations involving specific students, we can share that any time we face staff shortages in 1:1 paraprofessional roles, our school and special education teams work diligently to ensure coverage for any students requiring 1:1 support.”

Robinson appreciates Joshua's teachers for picking up the slack while the district searches for a replacement, but says she wants better for kids like her son.

"I don't feel like parents are considered and children are considered first and foremost as they should be,” Robinson said.

TPS encourages anyone who is interested in helping with special needs students apply online at TulsaSchools.org