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After seeing the applicant pool for special education teachers slowly dwindle, LPS decided to partner with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in an effort to create a pipeline of new teachers in that department.

In order to do so, they chose to offer up a new opportunity to paraeducators in the district, a group that already has experience working with special education students.

The Para Pathway pilot program kicked off at the start of UNL’s fall semester after over a year of planning. In order to enroll in the program, paras had to meet a few major requirements, including already having a bachelor's degree, continuing to work for LPS throughout the process and signing a three-year contract with the district at completion of the program.

A cohort of 14 paraeducators from throughout LPS was selected from a pool of an estimated 25 applicants, said Vann Price, associate superintendent for human resources at LPS.

“It's a wonderful thing, to be able to invest in people who have shown their commitment to Lincoln public Schools,� Price said. “Creating this program is a way to invest in our own.�

The group will take two or three classes each semester for seven semesters in a row -- including taking summer classes -- in order to earn an endorsement in special education in roughly two years. Classes take place during late afternoons or evenings to allow cohort members to work during the school day.

The program is primarily funded through LPS, and UNL waived some fees for those in the program. The students are only required to pay for any necessary coursework materials.

It was important to make the program as close to free as possible, because the salary for paras can often be too low to afford further education, said Sue Kemp, a professor of practice at UNL’s Department of Special Education.

“A lot of them that I've talked to wanted to do this, but they didn't have the means to do it,� Kemp said of cohort members. “They love working with kids, their passion is being in the classroom, but without the endorsement in teaching, they weren't able to really fully realize their dream of teaching.�

The shortage of special education teachers, and teachers in general, is something Kemp has noticed at the collegiate level, too. She noted that numbers of people looking to enter the field at UNL have started to decrease since the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, she said she’s hopeful that programs like this one will reverse the trend.

“We've got 14 students that in two years will be able to be teachers at LPS, which is going to really help that shortage,� Kemp said. “I think it's a win-win all the way around.�

For Derek Zabel, the timing of this program couldn’t have been better.

Zabel, 23, has spent the last two years working as a paraeducator at Mickle Middle School in northeast Lincoln. He graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan in 2022 and knew he wanted to pursue a graduate degree in either school psychology or special education.

“I figured regardless of which one of those two I picked, being a para would be a good way to transition into learning about what those jobs are like and just getting myself familiar with the special education students,� Zabel said. “I definitely enjoyed my work as a para last year a lot, and I think that's what made me really feel comfortable going with the route that I did.�

Last spring, Zabel decided to take a leap and apply for the special education master’s program at UNL. He was set to start during the summer semester, but then Kemp told him about this opportunity.

“It was very exciting,� Zabel said. “I feel very fortunate to have applied when I did.�

At the completion of the program, Zabel will only be about two or three classes away from receiving a master’s degree rather than only an endorsement. While he’ll have to pay for the extra courses himself, he plans to complete the full degree.

But, free tuition wasn’t the only thing that attracted him to the program.

“The security of knowing that I have a guaranteed position with LPS upon finishing, that's very nice,� he said. “To know that I will be able to immediately get started doing the work that I want to do, and that I’m not gonna have any trouble finding a place to work.�

Zabel is excited to finally get started training for his next step, and Kemp is excited to play a role in helping him and the other cohort members achieve their goals.

“Being a paraeducator is a hard job and getting this as a benefit and adding to really highly qualified special education teachers is really great,� Kemp said.