Paraeducators now have a clearer path to becoming teachers thanks to Highline College’s partnership with Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD).
PSESD recently awarded Highline funding from a $3 million grant provided by the Ballmer Group. The funds go to Highline’s paraeducator advancement program (ElevatED) designed for working paraeducators seeking a pathway to becoming certified teachers.
Highline has been allocated $150,000 for year one of the three-year grant. That number will grow through years two and three, offering much-needed tuition support.
According to Dr. Tanya Powers, Highline’s associate dean for Workforce Pathways, “Support for the cohort program means Highline is bringing in more paraeducator students and will have resources available to support them through tuition, test vouchers, Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) and teacher residency support.”
Patricia McDonald, a faculty member in Highline’s education department, described the pathway as a dream come true for some.
She noted that students who say “I think I might be a teacher someday” can turn that vision into a concrete plan, with a degree pathway, support along the way, and “a growing sense of themselves as future classroom teachers and advocates for their communities.”
For 23-year-old Gabe Rambayon, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, his “dream job is to work in Native Education, building the connection between education and culture.”
“As a Native American and Filipino male, there are not many people in education that look like me. I want to break that barrier and be a positive role model for students who share a similar background,” he said.
Rambayon, a Tacoma resident and paraeducator of four years, has been in an ElevatED cohort since fall 2025, which he praised for helping him organize his student teaching. “It has been supportive, flexible and understanding of my needs,” he said.
McDonald, who builds community within the program’s cohorts, said “The cohorts are beautifully diverse, and bring together people with many languages, faiths, home countries, and life experiences. That diversity is a strength — candidates bring different perspectives to their coursework and opportunities to learn from one another as they connect their studies to their daily work in schools.“
Powers said the recent funding will enable the college to hire a staff member to help students “navigate the barriers of enrolling in college.”
The program enables working paraeducators to earn an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree or Associate of Arts-Direct Transfer Agreement (AA-DTA). They can then transition into Highline’s Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree in the Elementary Education program and become eligible for teacher certification.
The first ElevatED cohort began at Highline College in fall 2025. The grant runs through February 2029.