Paraprofessionals, teacher's aides, educational assistants, instructional assistants, para-educators - these different job titles (and there are more) reflect the variety of roles and responsibilities of this key member of the special education team. Today's para-educator may be found in a pre-kindergarten class for children with special needs, out in the community, serving as a job coach for a student with developmental disabilities, in a resource room for adolescents with learning disabilities, or in a 4th-grade classroom that contains some students with and without special needs. In short, para-educators are present in most educational settings under the supervision of the teacher, and they have skills and contributions that make them highly valued and sought after in education. ((