Building a para program? Get the system that gives every para the same professional foundation from day one.
Free Resource for District Leaders, School Site Leaders and Supervising Teachers

Your paras deserve a consistent system. Here is where to start.

Most para programs run on improvisation. Every para gets a different orientation depending on who they happen to work with. Expectations vary by classroom, by site, by supervisor. This free Quick-Start Kit gives you the tools to change that starting this week.

Three practical resources drawn directly from the Para Pro Handbook: a 6-week onboarding schedule, a para role clarity reference card, and a supervisor check-in template.

""We spent years patching together onboarding from whatever we could find. This was the first time we had one resource that actually covered the whole role."

Director of Special Education, large urban district
✓Free instant download ✓3 ready-to-use tools ✓No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
3
Ready-to-use tools in one kit
25+
Years of special education leadership
100's
Of paraprofessionals supervised in CA public schools
Free Download
The Para Program
Quick-Start Kit
3 tools to build a consistent para program · Instant PDF download
  • ✓6-Week Para Onboarding Schedule
  • ✓Para Role Clarity Reference Card
  • ✓Supervisor Check-In Template
  • ✓Page references from the Para Pro Handbook
  • ✓Aligned with CEC Paraeducator Standards
Send me the free Quick-Start Kit →
Free instant download Use with your team this week No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Written by 2 special education leaders and practitioners
with over 55 years of combined experience
Supervised 100's of paraprofessionals in California public schools
Aligned with CEC Paraeducator Standards
Four implementation models: onboarding, PD, coaching, self-study
Why This Matters

Most para programs run on improvisation. That is not good enough for the students who depend on them.

Every para getting a different orientation depending on who they happen to work with is not a training program. It is improvisation. And the students who need the most consistent support are the ones who feel it most when that consistency is missing.

This Quick-Start Kit gives you three tools to start building something better a structured onboarding path, a clear role definition your whole team can work from, and a check-in template that keeps paras supported past day one.

Consistency is not a luxury. When every para on your team starts with the same professional foundation, the results show up in the classroom. This kit is where that foundation begins.
What You're Getting

Three tools. One system. Use it with your team this week.

FREE DOWNLOAD
The Para Program Quick-Start Kit
Drawn from the Para Pro Handbook · CE Press
Tool 1 · 6-Week Onboarding Schedule
Week 1: The para role and building teacher partnerships
(Ch. 1-2, pp. 13-26)
Week 2: Behavior support and trauma-informed practice (Ch. 3-4)
Weeks 3-6: IEPs, ethics, independence, self-care, and more
Tool 2 · Role Clarity Reference Card
What paras do and what they do not do
IEP implementation, boundaries, behavior, family communication
Tool 3 · Supervisor Check-In Template
15-minute structured check-in for first 30 days and beyond
Goals, challenges, student progress, and professional development needs
Instant PDF download · Drawn from the Para Pro Handbook
📅
A structured onboarding path you can implement immediately
The 6-week schedule turns the Para Pro Handbook into a structured onboarding program. Assign two chapters per week with built-in reflection prompts and discussion questions. Works with or without a facilitator.
📋
Role clarity your whole team can work from
The role clarity reference card defines exactly what paras do and do not do. Print one for every para and teacher on your team. When roles are visible and shared, friction decreases and students benefit.
✅
A check-in structure that keeps paras supported past day one
The supervisor check-in template gives supervising teachers a 15-minute structure for their first 30 days and throughout the year. Covers goals, challenges, student progress, and what the para needs.
🎓
Aligned to the professional standards your paras are evaluated on
Every tool connects to the CEC Paraeducator Standards, so the foundation you're building is intentional, documented, and aligned to the professional framework that governs the role.
Who This Is For

If you are responsible for paraprofessionals and need a more consistent, structured system this was built for your team.

District and school site leaders building a para program

Use the 6-week onboarding schedule as your new standard. Give every new para the same professional foundation regardless of which school, teacher, or program they are assigned to.

Supervising teachers who need a shared framework

The role clarity card and check-in template give you and your paras a shared professional language from the start. Use them to anchor your weekly check-ins and reduce the friction that comes from unclear expectations.

HR and onboarding coordinators building better systems

Include the Quick-Start Kit in every new para's onboarding packet. Give them something professionally meaningful on day one instead of a packet of forms and a hope that things will work out.

What Leaders Are Saying

From the educators who put it to work with their teams.

★★★★★

"We finally had something we could put in every para's hands and say: this is what your role looks like. That clarity changed everything."

Director of Special Education, large urban district
★★★★★

"I gave it to all three paras on my team at the start of the year and used it as the basis for our monthly check-ins. My paras finally understand what they're actually responsible for."

Special education teacher, elementary inclusion program
★★★★★

"We have been looking for something like this for years. A resource we can actually put in a para's hands and say: this is your professional foundation. It does exactly that."

Assistant Principal, Title I school

Get the free Quick-Start Kit and build a better system for your team.

Three practical tools drawn directly from the Para Pro Handbook. Instant PDF download. Use it with your paras this week or include it in your next onboarding packet.

No spam. Just the kit. Unsubscribe anytime.
About the Authors

Created by educators with 100's of paraprofessionals supervised in California public schools.

Jeanine Leech
25+ Years in public education and special education leadership
100's Of paraprofessionals supervised in California public schools
Author The Para Pro Handbook and the Inclusive Learning Handbook
Jeanine Leech, M.A., M.S. · Special Education and Educational Leadership
Jeanine Leech
Former Director of Special Education · Founder, Collaborative Educational Press

Jeanine Leech spent 25 years working inside California public schools as a paraprofessional, special education teacher, program specialist, and Director of Special Education. She supervised paraprofessionals, directed IEP teams, and built para programs from the ground up.

She has seen exactly what happens when paras have a clear professional foundation and what happens when they do not. This Quick-Start Kit was built from that experience. It is the system she wished every program had before a single para walked into their first classroom.

Kamica Barnes
30+ Years in public education
100's Of teachers and paras supported
Author The Para Pro Handbook
Kamica Barnes, M.S. · Special Education
Kamica Barnes
Paraeducator Trainer and Inclusion Specialist

Kamica Barnes brings more than 30 years of experience in public education, paraeducator training, and professional development. She has worked alongside teachers and paras in inclusive settings and understands the day-to-day realities of this role from the inside.

She built the parts of this handbook that reflect what actually happens in the classroom: the behavior moments, the IEP questions, the teacher-para dynamics, and the decisions paras make every day that nobody ever trained them to make.

Want the Complete Resource?
The Para Pro Handbook: Skills, Strategies, and Superpowers
This Quick-Start Kit is drawn from the Para Pro Handbook a complete 12-chapter training resource your paras can read and your team can build a PD program around. Four implementation models included: 6-week onboarding, monthly PD, coaching cycles, and self-study. Available in digital, print, and bundle formats from $27.97. Bulk pricing available for schools and districts.
See the Full Handbook →
The Para Pro Handbook
From $27.97
Bulk pricing available · 30-day refund guarantee

Get your free Quick-Start Kit and give your paras the foundation they deserve.

Three practical tools. Instant PDF download. Use it with your team this week.

Instant download · No spam · Unsubscribe anytime