Ronda Smith offers tips on management and engagement to regional paraprofessional staff during the Classified Connection event Nov. 13, 2024, in Pendleton.

PENDLETON — In an effort to provide professional development opportunities to paraprofessionals, the InterMountain Education Service District is offering four trainings during the 2024-25 school year.

The program, Classified Connection, is provided by IMESD’s Oregon Trail Regional Educator Network and in partnership with the Pendleton Early Learning Center. Gatherings are held at regional restaurants from 5-7 p.m. and are open to all classified and support staff in the 21-district region.

So far this school year, two Classified Connection events have taken place, one on Sept. 24 in La Grande, discussing the impacts of trauma in early life, and another on Nov. 13 in Pendleton that focused on effective small group instruction.

The next installment of Classified Connection will be Jan. 15, 2025, at Prodigal Son in Pendleton, from 5-7 p.m. The final gathering of the school year will be April 16, 2025, at OMG Burgers and Brew in Hermiston.

Program impact

According to a press release from IMESD, paraprofessionals don’t often “have access to professional learning that is tailored to their roles.” What paraprofessionals do in a classroom requires skills such as facilitating small groups, providing individual learning support and classroom management. The Classified Connection program is hoping to help build their skills.

“Paraprofessionals are the backbone of our schools,” said Angela Lattin, principal of Pendleton Early Learning Center. “We rely on this group to work with some of our most challenging students.”

Lattin manages 12 paraprofessionals and support staff, the release said, and reached out to the regional educator network to provide this programming. The 2024-25 school year is the second time Classified Connection has been offered. September’s event in La Grande had six participants from three districts in Union County.

The Nov. 13 event had 18 paraeducators from Milton-Freewater, Umatilla, North Powder and Pendleton in attendance at Prodigal Son Brewery and Pub. Ronda Smith, an administrative coach for the IMESD, instructional coach for Pendleton School District, and former principal, elementary teacher, and counselor, offered insight to participants about content designed to help streamline small group instruction to emphasize engagement and structure.

Roy Elia, a longtime paraprofessional in the Milton-Freewater School District, who now works at McLoughlin High School, said the training was useful as well as a good experience.

“I relish anytime I get a chance to hook up with classified staff from other areas,” Elia said. “The training provided us with resources and tools that will help us be successful in the future in terms of student engagement.”