CHANCE FOR RAIN COMING UP IN A FEW MINUTES. JARVIS SOME OF ALABAMA’S TEACHING AIDES ARE FACING AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE THIS WEEKEND AFTER THE STATE HANDED DOWN NEW REQUIREMENTS. WVTM 13 CHIP SCARBOROUGH IS HERE TO EXPLAIN THE CONCERNS AND WHY SOME FEEL THE REQUIREMENTS ARE UNNECESSARY. CHIP WHILE JARVIS, THE PRESIDENT OF THE CENTRAL ALABAMA AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, A LOCAL TEACHERS UNION, TELLS ME TEACHER AIDES ACROSS THE STATE ARE BEING CALLED IN AND TOLD THEY EITHER HAVE TO OBTAIN 48 HOURS OF COLLEGE CREDIT OR TAKE THREE DIFFERENT ASSESSMENTS AND MAKE A CERTAIN SCORE. TEACHING AIDES ARE NOW REFERRED TO AS PARAPROFESSIONALS. THE PRESIDENT OF THE TEACHERS UNION SAYS SHE’S CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THESE NEW REQUIREMENTS ACTUALLY RELATE TO THE EVERYDAY JOB FOR TEACHING AIDES. SHE SAYS PARAPROFESSIONAL ROLES ARE USUALLY MORE FOCUSED ON HELPING STUDENTS MASTER LIFE SKILLS AND NOT ACADEMICS. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT. SO THAT YOU WITH THE MATH ASSESSMENT THAT YOU’RE GOING TO BE PROVIDED WITH AN ENTIRE FOUR PAGE DOCUMENT OF MATHEMATICS FORMULAS THAT THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE TO USE TO TAKE THE MATHEMATICS SECTION OF THIS ASSESSMENT? WHY ARE WE TESTING THEM ON THIS? THEY’RE NOT THE TEACHER. AND HE SAYS THE STATE SHOULD ONLY PUT THESE NEW REQUIREMENTS IN PLACE FOR NEW PARAPROFESSIONALS AND NOT ONES ALREADY IN THE SYSTEM. I HAVE REACHED OUT TO STATE SUPERINTENDENT DR. ERIC MACKEY FOR A RESPONSE TO THESE CONCERNS.