This resolution conveys the sense of the House of Representatives that paraprofessionals and education support staff should receive fair compensation, benefits, and working conditions. It acknowledges these individuals, including education assistants, instructional assistants, and various support professionals, as frontline workers crucial to the functioning of schools, serving over 49 million students nationwide. The resolution highlights a significant decline in school staff employment since the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to increased responsibilities for these employees often without adequate compensation. The resolution identifies several systemic issues faced by these staff, such as being undercompensated , lacking a living wage, experiencing job insecurity due to annual layoffs, and often being denied access to high-quality, affordable healthcare because they are intentionally hired for insufficient hours. It also notes their frequent exclusion from school policy-making and professional development opportunities, despite often being the most diverse subset of school employees and trusted community members. The House believes these staff deserve a stable, safe environment, multi-year job security, and a meaningful voice in their workplaces. Specifically, the resolution calls for paraprofessionals and education support staff to receive livable, competitive wages , access to affordable healthcare , and eligibility for paid family and medical leave . It advocates for employment contracts with automatic renewal provisions and protection from termination without just cause, along with adequate notification regarding employment duration. Furthermore, the resolution stresses the importance of collective bargaining , urging employers to negotiate in good faith, reach timely and just contracts, and refrain from replacing or locking out striking workers, while ensuring that more beneficial terms from existing collective bargaining agreements are not superseded.