H.R. 5476 — Preparing And Retaining All (PARA) Educators Act

This section establishes a program under which the Secretary of Education makes allotments to state educational agencies (SEAs), allocated pro rata based on each state's local educational agencies' share of prior fiscal year part A of title I (20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.) funding, to recruit and retain paraprofessionals (i.e., teacher aides) in public elementary schools, secondary schools, and preschool programs. SEAs may reserve up to 5% of funds for administration and statewide activities and must award the remainder as competitive subgrants to eligible entities (e.g., local educational agencies, educational service agencies) for activities including (1) evidence-based induction and mentoring to improve instruction and retention; (2) high-quality professional development; (3) credentials such as special education, English learner, advanced paraprofessional, or teaching certifications; and (4) wage increases or retention bonuses. SEAs must prioritize subgrants to entities serving greater numbers or percentages of low-income children (i.e., eligible for National School Lunch Act [42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.], community eligibility provision schools with high identified student percentages, TANF [42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.], or Medicaid [42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.] families), rural areas (locale codes 41-43), or comparable high-poverty schools. SEAs must apply to the Secretary with assurances on priorities and reporting, eligible entities must apply to SEAs, and SEAs must submit annual reports to the Secretary including statewide and subgrantee-specific paraprofessional pay baselines.