Hazard, KY – August 1, 2025 – More than 300 paraeducators representing 12 Eastern Kentucky counties came together at Perry County Central High School for the 5th Annual Paraeducator Conference, a day devoted to professional learning and collaboration.
The conference, hosted by KVEC Special Education Regional Technical Assistance Center (SERTAC), has steadily grown in attendance and popularity each year since its inception by offering unique and personalized professional development opportunities for our region’s educational support staff.
Attendees had the freedom to tailor their learning experience, choosing from a wide variety of sessions covering topics such as reading, math, confidentiality, behavior management, Artificial Intelligence, writing, higher education pathways, social studies, and autism support.
Presenters from across Kentucky—including experts with the Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative (KVEC), Regional Training Centers (RTC), and the Kentucky Academic & Behavioral Response to Intervention (KYABRI) network—led the sessions. Their goal was to provide paraeducators with research-based strategies, practical tools, and the latest insights to take back to classrooms across the region.
KVEC SERTAC organizers emphasized that paraeducators play a vital role in student success, often providing direct instructional support, behavior interventions, and individualized assistance that helps bridge learning gaps. “This conference is about giving paraeducators a voice in their own professional growth,” Doug Smith, Behavior Achievement Gap Specialist with KVEC SERTAC noted. “They are critical partners in our schools, and investing in their training directly benefits students.”
With its growing attendance and expanding program offerings, the Paraeducator Conference has quickly become a cornerstone event for school support staff across eastern Kentucky.
