The proposed upcoming school budget cuts are seriously threatening the quality of education our children deserve. In addition to a proposed increase in class sizes, some cuts also propose to eliminate many of the elementary paraeducators positions. The combined effect of larger classes with no classroom support for teachers would drastically hinder the quality of education that Springfield students require and we, the parents and other concerned adults, expect. A paraeducator's role in the classroom exceeds her/his basic job description. Paraeducators assist their teachers with ANY and All needs, including behavioral and instructional support. Their presence in the classroom provides another capable adult available to assist in any capacity, whether it's helping a struggling child or managing a child with a behavioral situation. A paraeducator can perform these tasks enabling the teacher to continue teaching the rest of the class. The federal educational expectations of our schools remains demanding, more so now, than ever. Without the assistance of the paraeducator, the teacher will have no choice but to manage any and all behavioral and emotional issues, consequently affecting their priority, educating our students. Our students should benefit from the knowledge our teachers can share, and our teachers deserve to maintain their role with as few distractions as possible. This petition will be presented at the next budget meeting. If you support our efforts to keep our paraeducators in the classroom, please add your signature below.