The Washoe County School District is struggling to hire and retain paraprofessionals and special education teachers. Brianna Harrower, a dedicated educator in the district, has been a paraprofessional for nearly 20 years. Her passion for teaching special education began during her time at Brown Elementary School.

“I just worked my way up and started teaching in 2005 as a CLS teacher at Lemon Valley and then Van Gorder in 2010,” said Harrower, who is currently a strategies teacher at Van Gorder Elementary School.

The strategies program at Van Gorder focuses on systematic instruction in academics and social-emotional learning for students who may or may not be on the autism spectrum.

“I think strategy teachers, like all special education teachers, use a lot of different sources to tap into what their students need. Students with autism have very unique needs and everyone is very different,” Harrower said.

Harrower highlighted the ongoing challenges of his role, including lesson planning, staff training and case management. Personnel remains an important issue.

“It’s very hard to get good support staff for a number of reasons. There are a lot of different jobs out there. I don’t think paraprofessionals are paid as much as they should be. They are asked to do a very big job,” she. said.

Sean Whistler, principal at Van Gorder Elementary School, expressed his gratitude for Harrower’s contributions, noting her impact on the school’s special needs programs.

“I think not having her would be a huge hole in our program. She certainly has the knowledge and expertise to help us all at any time. I also rely on her many times to make sure we are doing what is right. for our students,” Whistler said.

Harrower remains committed to her role for the benefit of students.

“They’re special thinkers. They’re so much fun and they’re so capable and so smart. I keep coming back because every day is different. There’s never a dull day. The good, the bad, the ugly, it’s wonderful,” she said.

The Washoe County School District and Van Gorder staff hope to attract more teachers like Harrower who are dedicated to working with students who need extra support.