A Montville paraeducator was named Connecticut's 2027 Paraeducator of the Year
Lisa Atkinson has spent 21 years helping Montville students communicate and get around school, and she helps run a buddy program pairing students with and without disabilities.
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Lisa Atkinson, a paraeducator at Leonard J. Tyl Middle School, was named Connecticut's 2027 Paraeducator of the Year, NBC Connecticut reported on October 20, 2026. Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker announced the award on Tuesday.
Atkinson has worked for Montville Public Schools for 21 years. She started in 2005 at Mohegan Elementary, later worked at Oakdale Elementary, and moved to Tyl in 2015. There she works with speech-language pathologists and physical therapists so students can communicate and get around the building. She also takes part in Tyl Buddies, which pairs students with and without disabilities. Gov. Ned Lamont's statement praised two decades of helping Montville students feel included and able to succeed. The recognition is for that daily work: communication, mobility, and friendships that the buddy program is built to start.
For the classroom
Lisa Atkinson helps students at a middle school in Montville, Connecticut. She is a paraeducator, which means she works alongside teachers to support students one by one. This week she was named the state's Paraeducator of the Year for 2027. She has worked in Montville schools for 21 years and has been at Leonard J. Tyl Middle School since 2015. There she helps students communicate and move around the building, working with speech teachers and physical therapists. She also helps with Tyl Buddies, which pairs students who have disabilities with students who do not, so they can be friends.
- What does a paraeducator do that a classroom teacher might not have time to do?
- How could a buddy program change the school day for both students?
- Who is an adult at your school you would want to thank, and for what?
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