Sara started at CES in 2011 as an Instructional Aide and became an EI two years later. Her desire to teach and work with disabled students started when she was a camp counselor in 2005 and summers she worked as a paraprofessional for a young girl. Those experiences led her to apply for her first position at CES.

 

“Sara is a positive force in TDP. Her energy level is unmatched and her kind interactions are appreciated by staff and students alike,” Special Education Director Dr. Michael McGrath said. “There is none more deserving to be Paraeducator of the Year than Sara.”

 

Sara is from Milford and is working on her degree in Education, with a concentration in Mathematics, at Central Connecticut State University. She hopes to become a teacher at CES after completing her studies.

 

“I love and truly believe in our philosophy at CES,” Sara said. “My love for the students and the amazing staff I work with are all reasons for why I continue to work in this program.”

 

This honor makes Sara eligible for the state Department of Education's Anne Marie Murphy Paraeducator of the Year award, which was created to recognize the important role of the paraeducator in supporting student achievement. The winner will be announced later this fall. The award was renamed in 2013 to honor the memory of Murphy, a special education paraeducator who was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting.

 

Criteria for the award are outlined by six standards identified from the National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals Model and include assisting teachers with: building and maintaining effective instructional teams, maintaining learner-centered supportive environments, planning and organizing learning experiences, engaging students in learning, instruction, assessing learner needs, progress, and achievement, as well as meeting standards of professional and ethical conduct.