Not long after Kevin Nolasco was hired as a special education paraprofessional at Parkview High School, the buzz started.
Reports about the new hire quickly made their way to Parkview Principal Megan Brown.
“Immediately, we saw he was a leader in many ways. He’s positive, he has great energy and he’s a kid magnet,” Brown said. “I had multiple teachers…tell me how beneficial it was to have Mr. Nolasco in the classroom, how he just jumped in.”
Nolasco, 33, grew up in New Jersey but followed his wife from Texas to Springfield, where she found a job, in summer 2024.
His background was in mental health, not education, but he had a lot of experience working with children who had challenging backgrounds and behaviors.
“The thing I loved most about the job was being able to make an impact on the students,” he said.
Brown recognized Nolasco’s potential and encouraged the paraprofessional to think about teaching. She urged him to explore Missouri State University’s Pathways for Paras program.
The registered apprenticeship program, a partnership between the MSU College of Education and a growing number of Missouri districts including Springfield Public Schools, helps working paras with at least 60 hours of college credit finish the coursework and training needed to become a special education teacher.
Special education is an area with critical and chronic staff shortages in Missouri. At the start of the school year, SPS was lacking nine special education teachers and 20 paraprofessionals.
The affordable, flexibility option was a good fit. Nolasco has a bachelor’s degree in psychology but not a teaching certificate. He signed up.
“I have always wanted to continue my education, and I feel like I am being called to,” he said.
Through the program, Nolasco can work full-time as a special education teacher while completing coursework needed to get the required certification.
SPS has 10 paraprofessionals enrolled in the program, which has filled four vacant special education positions. Five additional paras are slated to join this fall.
Nolasco said Parkview teachers and staff work closely with students to reach their potential, even if the teenagers “didn’t always have the best start in life.”
“Seeing that, and being around that, attracted me to want to do more,” he said.
He admitted the workload for a special education teacher is often “heavy” but mentors, school support and the insight provided as part of the Pathways program have helped.
“It’s a learning curve. You have to have a mastery of what you are teaching,” he said. “I’ve asked a lot of questions.”
Nolasco encourages other paras to look into the option. “If they are passionate about what they are doing every day and want to be a teacher, I’d say why not.”
Brown said the program is beneficial because paras can continue to work while they’re going through the program, which typically takes two years. “It truly does knock down barriers.”
Crystal Magers, executive director of academics, said some coursework is taught by the district officials and some by MSU professors.
For example, an SPS employee who enters the program will typically be expected to take 36 credit hours through Missouri State plus 24 credit hours by SPS, which will be provided at no charge.
“This semester, they have a lab so they’re getting to really apply all of their learning to their job because they are working with special education students in a special education classroom,” Magers said. “That is the requirement.”
Magers, who is teaching courses, said interest in the program is high with new emails and calls coming in frequently.
SPS cover the cost of books for its coursework and allows paras to check out a laptop for the duration of the program.
“There are a lot of grants that MSU has available and they offer to Zoom with our paraprofessionals and really walk them through the process of applying for grants,” Magers said. “Some of them can really do the program at zero cost.”
Magers said of the strengths of the program is that it opens doors for paras who have spent time in special education classrooms and want to advance their careers.
“The paras that enter the program, they are entering it for all the right reasons…They’ve become passionate about working with our students in SPS who have special needs,” she said. “That is the really cool part.”
Want to know more?
Missouri State University’s Pathways for Paras program helps guide paraprofessionals through the process of becoming a certified special education teacher.
There are tracks to obtain a bachelor’s degree or master’s degrees, scholarship money available, and flexible scheduling. For more information, go to missouristate.edu.
