Having U . S . Rep . Joe Courtney ( D , 2 nd District ) working on a problem with him in his Mansfield Middle School computer lab was “ pretty cool , ” said eighthgrader Kyle Smith .

Courtney was at the school on Thursday , March 20 , at the invitation of the school’s 86 instructional assistants , or para-educators , to spend the morning with them and their students in what was dubbed “ Walk a Day in a Para’s Shoes . ”

The event was sponsored by the Connecticut State Employees Association as a part of its continuing efforts to raise the awareness of public officials as to the vital yetunsung and under-funded work the assistants perform . Currently , there are more than 2 , 100 para-educators employed in 35 districts across the state .

“ We play a critical role in the lives of the students we serve , ” said Carlos Figueroa , an instructional assistant who has worked at the school for four years. “ We provide academic and social education , we assist in traditional classroom instruction , and that’s why it’s important for elected officials to see the impact we have . ”

Union Chapter President Janette Smith put it this way : “ If our elected officials are expected to make responsible decisions about our future , we are partially responsible for providing them with the information they need to make informed decisions . ”

Courtney was escorted to various classrooms during his tour . In a fifthgrade social studies class , student Jon Halle greeted him with a computer presentation in which he used skis , ski boots and poles as a metaphor for the interaction of the legislative , executive and judicial branches of government .

When prompted by a teacher to tell the congressman what they might like to see by way of legislation , one of the students piped up with , “ There ought to be a law against homework !”

Courtney thanked the CSEA members for inviting him to experience first-hand the difficult but rewarding work of paraeducators . “ All students have unique needs , which our schools are better equipped than ever to address , but we have a long way to go to provide them with all the tools and resources they need to perform even better , ” Courtney said . He underscored that last remark by saying that the No Child Left Behind program is currently under-funded by $ 85 billion .