To her students, this paraprofessional is their ‘safe place’

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – What’s not to love about Gail Detty?

She works as a paraprofessional at Zanesville Community High School, which educates students who struggle in traditional classrooms. But Detty, a member of OAPSE, does much more than support and help her students with their classwork — she creates a “safe place” for them to thrive.

Her love for her students shines through in the things she says about them. Her dedication to the students inspires her colleagues, and that’s clear in the way they talk about Detty.

“These students are smart, kind, and wonderful individuals who simply need a different environment to learn and grow,” says Detty, the latest winner of AFSCME’s Never Quit Service Award. "We believe there are many components to education, and academics is certainly one of them. … We are a big family here. We'll clothe you, feed you, and do whatever we have to do to make your life easier.”

People may think paraprofessionals have an easy job — go to a school, sit with a student, help them with school work. But they would be wrong.

“They don't know the emotional impact, how much those kids start to depend on you, because you're their safe place,” Detty says. “I love the kids. I hope they know that I genuinely care and mean everything I tell them because I do. When I say, 'I love you,' I mean it."

One of Detty’s colleagues, Jenny Frey, views Detty as a guide.

"She taught me how to be a teacher. She never comes from a place of judgment. She's always ready to listen and love people for exactly who they are," said Frey, also a member of OAPSE and an intervention specialist at the school. "She always lets her light shine, and we just get to bask in it.”