Preparing And Retaining All (PARA) Educators Act

This bill creates a federal grant program to help schools recruit and retain paraprofessionals - school support staff like teaching assistants - who work directly with students but lack full teaching credentials. It allocates funds to states based on prior Title I education funding, requiring states to prioritize schools serving high numbers of low-income students or designated "high-need" schools. Funds can be used for mentoring programs, professional development, credentialing (like special education or English learner certificates), and wage increases or bonuses for paraprofessionals. The program mandates annual reporting on wage baselines, paraprofessional numbers, and how funds were used to address shortages.