Thank you for everything you do for our students, schools/universities, and communities!!

About this event – Virtual

In this session, you will learn how to build a budget that works, strategies for goal setting and eliminating debt, how to improve your credit score, and manage risk. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to maximize the value of your membership and take control of your personal finances.

Presenter: Steve Eugene, NEA Member Benefits

Time

Thursday, May 23 – 7pm Central time

Support staff are typically the first to arrive at school as they unlock doors and turn on lights. They are some of the first people to greet students when they arrive at school in the morning, who give students the academic support they need to become successful scholars, who carefully assist with their health, safety, and nutritional needs, and are the last people who see students safely home at the end of the day. The value of their work is priceless.

So it’s time we start treating them that way!

Join us as we advocate to improve wages, benefits and working conditions for education support professionals (ESPs) throughout Illinois.

Please RSVP to receive the Zoom link for our RESPECT meeting.

*The RESPECT Campaign is led by education support professionals (bus drivers, librarians, paraprofessionals, secretaries, security, nurses, cafeteria workers and more) and supported by IEA staff.

Thursday – May 9th 5:30-7:00pm

Support staff are typically the first to arrive at school as they unlock doors and turn on lights. They are some of the first people to greet students when they arrive at school in the morning, who give students the academic support they need to become successful scholars, who carefully assist with their health, safety, and nutritional needs, and are the last people who see students safely home at the end of the day. The value of their work is priceless.

So it’s time we start treating them that way!

Early bird registration for the 2024 Summer Leadership Academy is $45 and open. On Wednesday, May 1, registration will go up to $90.00 per registrant.

To guarantee your early bird pricing, please register with the – SLA Early Bird Registration link.  Once the schedule is complete, you will receive an email to select sessions and submit your payment.

The Recognizing Inspirational School Employees (RISE) Award is to recognize and promote the commitment and excellence exhibited by classified school employees who provide exemplary service to students in pre-kindergarten through high school and to inspire innovation and excellence among all classified school employees.

Congratulations to:

Mario Diaz Albarran 2024 RISE Honoree

Head Custodian
Lincoln Elementary School, Palatine, Illinois
Governor J.B. Pritzker

U.S. Department of Education

Thank you to all of the amazing drivers and monitors who safely transport our students. You deserve rESPect!!

RESPECT is a coordinated campaign lead by education support professionals, assisted by IEA staff and supported by ESP allies. 

When: The Second Thursday of each month​​

What to expect: Attendees collaborate in breakout rooms where all voices are essential and valued as we work to achieve the goals of RESPECT.

RESPECT is a coordinated campaign lead by education support professionals, assisted by IEA staff and supported by ESP allies. ​

When: The Second Thursday of each month​

What to expect: Attendees collaborate in breakout rooms where all voices are essential and valued as we work to achieve the goals of RESPECT.

Time

Thursday, April 25

6 – 7pm CDT

About this virtual event

Communication skills are often the foundation for implementing student behavior supports. How educators communicate with students during times of crisis or challenging behaviors can impact students’ level of de-escalation. This webinar will provide foundational information on verbal intervention, phases of de-escalation, and positive communication skills. The presenter will share effective verbal de-escalation strategies that ESPs can use to help support students across school environments. Participants will also learn how verbal intervention strategies aid in creating a positive school culture that promotes student safety and inclusivity.

Presenter: Mr. Jason Fletcher

Join us in 2024 for a two-day event offering a variety of elective sessions for Education Support Professionals, Higher Education, and IEA Retired members

Professional Development Request for Proposal

The 2024 IEA One Conference will be held on October 18 & 19 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Chicago-Oakbrook.  We are seeking proposals for presentations for the conference.  The One Conference is an opportunity for IEA Education Support Professionals, Higher Education, and IEA Retired Members to develop professional skills, earn professional development credit, and network with colleagues from around the state.  The deadline for RFPS is May 10, 2024 so please submit session proposals as soon as possible.

I received this in my email and wanted to share it with you. Hello IEA Member! The Illinois Education Association has received a generous grant from the NEA to start IEA Educator Voice Academies across the state. The goal of the EVAs is to identify, elevate and implement effective educational policies that can positively impact our students, our schools and our profession. The statewide EVA steering committee will be selecting and supporting Educator Voice Fellows in every IEA office across the state. Every EVA Fellow will receive an organizing stipend and a micro-credential that could qualify them for local salary advancement based on their local collective bargaining agreement. We are excited to announce that we are accepting applications for Educator Voice Academy Fellows for the 2024-25 school year. Applications will be accepted through May 31, but take a moment to apply now, as we will be starting to reach out to applicants about next steps. Thanks for all you do!

APPLY NOW!

A note from the Regional Office of Education!

As we approach licensure renewal season starting April 1st, please remind your Professional Educators, ELS-CTE, Substitutes, and Paraprofessionals to check their license expiration date. 

Renewal season begins April 1, 2024, for those with an expiration date of 6/30/2024.

Professional Educator License

ELS-CTE

SUB License

PARA License

For Professional Educator License (PEL) holders, ensure:

• Professional Development requirements are up to date.
• Employment status is verified and updated.

Thank you!

Join us to help bring rESPect to education support professionals!

Register: APRIL https://www.mobilize.us/ieanea/event/592189
 Location: Zoom – Date: April 11th, 2024 – Time: 5:30-7:00

ONE Conference- Request for Proposals Now Open!

The 2024 IEA One Conference will be held on October 18 & 19 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Chicago-Oakbrook.  We are seeking proposals for presentations for the conference.  The One Conference is an opportunity for IEA Education Support Professionals, Higher Education, and IEA Retired Members to develop professional skills, earn professional development credit, and network with colleagues from around the state.  The deadline for RFPS is May 10, 2024 so please submit session proposals as soon as possible.

Whether your spring break is just beginning or coming to an end, take time to enjoy.

Enjoy Your Spring Break

• Smile because the world is better because you are in it!
• Play a game with friends. Playdates aren’t just for kids.
• Rest, you deserve it!
• Ignore your emails….Ignite a new passion
• Notice the beauty of nature. Go for a walk; look and listen for the beauty of spring.
• Give yourself grace to not be perfect. No one is and who wants that pressure!

• Breathe in your blessings. They are all around us!
• Recharge your mind, soul, and body.
• Erase your worries. Prepared how you can, do what you can, then let go and let God.
• Accentuate the positives. Bad things will happen…it’s inevitable, look for the helpers.
• Keep heart and know that you are essential in the lives of those around you!

Education Support Professionals we need your voice to join an IEA governance committee and/or Board subcommittee. It is important that we have more of an ESP presence and voice at every table where decisions are being made. Interested education support professionals please apply today using the link below.  DEADLINE:  April 1

Opportunities to serve – IEA is seeking interested members for Committee and board subcommittee appointment procedures.  Electronic applications are available on the IEA website until April 1.

All applicants are required to enter their Members Only login information. Any questions, please direct them to Courtney Gillespie

If you are an education employee hired after Jan. 1, 2011, you are enrolled in Tier Two of either the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS), the State Universities Retirement System (SURS) or the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF). Tier two pensions are unfair and inequitable. That is why our union is fighting to Undo Tier 2, and we have filed legislation (Senate Bill 2024) to do so. Graphics and fact sheets available at UndoTier2.org

What a fantastic time at the National Education Association’s Education Support Professional Conference in Las Vegas! So much learning, growing, and opportunities to make new friends and reconnect with old union family! Okay, how many of you like public speaking? Um, my fabulous friend Debra Ward-Mitchell and myself are definitely not fans, but we had several amazing opportunities to present and help facilitate multiple sessions. It was phenomenal!!

I want to encourage each of you to take a step out of your comfort zone. We truly can’t grow if we don’t push ourselves to get a little uncomfortable. You all have a power in side of you that is just waiting for you to release. Join us at our next rESPect meeting in April
https://www.mobilize.us/ieanea/event/592189/ The RESPECT Teams need you and your leadership to help us make the changes we need and deserve.

Amazing work is being accomplished at this year’s Representative Assembly. Many items are being brought to the floor…debated…and completed. It is important to have a voice in the direction our union will take over this next year. I encourage everyone to take an active role in your union because WE are IEA.

The IEA-NEA LOVEWORKS — Joy and Justice: Abolitionist Teaching in the Classroom has incorporated the goals of Read Across America and wants to provide funds to purchase diverse books for your classroom/school!

Your Education Support Professional Council and IEA staff have been working overtime planning and preparing for the representative assembly! The representative assembly is where elected IEA members come together to submit New Business Items, Resolutions, and Legislative Platform amendments that will set the direction of our union for the upcoming year.

I am so excited to share all of the RESPECT updates. If you are an ESP delegate don’t miss the ESP Open Hearing Thursday morning at 10:00am, on March 14th.

All delegates are invited to stop by the ESP Council and RESPECT tables for important information. We will have tons of resources, opportunities to take action to help move RESPECT, and yes…tons of prizes.

 

Flowers and candy are nice, but RESPECT is a necessity!

Education Support Professionals are essential to a high quality public education. ESPs are often the first to arrive and last to leave while supporting students health, safety, and academic success.

Learn how NEA members, staff, and leaders have partnered to build a strategic campaign to increase ESP visibility, rights, and respect.

Hear from three state affiliates—Massachusetts, Maryland, and Illinois—on how they built their campaign from the ground up, what successes and challenges they faced, and what resources and strategies they have for affiliates seeking to engage in their own campaign.

Thank you to everyone who joined us tonight for the February rESPect steering meeting. This meetings focus was to finalize our plan on organizing around rESPect at the Illinois Education Association Representative Assembly in March. It is our goal to grow this campaign into a powerful force to achieve our goals.

To learn more about rESPEct and to join go to: https://ieanea.org/members/esp/respect/

Your voice is important!!

We still have not received nominations for the following ESP Council positions for this springs election.

• Educational Support Professional Southern/Central Sectional Representative/NEA RA Delegate. South Central Regions: 1-14, 45, 47, 48, and 62
• Educational Support Professional Southern/Central Sectional Alternate/NEA RA Successor Delegate. South Central Regions: 1-14, 45, 47, 48, and 62
• Educational Support Professional Northern/Central Sectional Alternate/NEA RA Successor Delegate (remainder of term to 2025) North Central Regions: 15-25, 37, 38, 40, 44, 49, 51, 53, 54, 60, 61, 63, 65 and 66

Nomination window closes on February 14th at 4:00pm

Congratulations to our 2024 IEA ESP of the Year and nominees!

Wow! The Education Support Professional Council received 5 unbelievable nominees this year and were extremely impressed with each of the applications. This award is meant to further emphasize the contributions of Education Support Professionals to their association, their schools, and their communities and these nominees did not disappoint and did just that!

Congratulations to:

• Winner: Amy Evans – Region 13
• Teresa Borass – Region 17
• Yvonne Glodz – Region 59
• Eboni Rucker – Region 27
• Kathy Zoppa – Region 53

The 2024 Education Support Professional of the Year is……

Amy Evans!

Amy is a Reading Aide. She Introduced “Know Me Know My Name” to her building. A program to help identify and make contact with students who are in danger of falling through the cracks. That program is now part of the school improvement plan. She has received several grants. They are, IEA SCORE Grant for a snack cabinet, multicultural\SEL library, and district mini grants. One of the grants was a community service project for the crisis center and another for materials to provide enrichment services to her students. She is a 2023 ISBE Those Who Excel Award Recipient. Amy integrates culturally responsive teaching into all her learning spaces. She values the assets that each of her students brings into the learning space. As a member of the SEL and PBIS committee, she understands the importance of building strong and positive relationships with students, families and other stakeholders of the school community. She works toward removing social economic barriers, especially of education. This is just a glimpse into the amazing accomplishments that Amy does for her students, colleagues, and community.

A response from Amy:

I am beyond grateful! Thank you to the Education Support Professionals Council of the Illinois Education Association for honoring me as the 2024 Illinois Education Support Professional of the Year today. It is my pleasure to advocate for our students and members of our local, state, and national union. I look forward to representing the Illinois Education Association in Louisville, KY, March 2025 as a nominee for National Education Association- Education Support Professional of the Year.

Education, Democracy, Freedom: Our Right. Our Responsibility.

NEA is now accepting registrations for the 2024 NEA Education Support Professionals (ESPs) National Conference, scheduled for March 22-24 in Las Vegas, NV. The ESP Conference is certain to be a special event. With 65+ sessions led by ESPs, NEA partners and NEA staff, this conference is a premier opportunity for professional leadership, development, and community. During the conference, we will also honor ESP of the Year nominees from across the country and announce this year’s NEA ESP of the Year awardee.

As we continue moving forward with NEA’s commitment to be inclusive of all members, we are proud to announce that registration for the ESP Conference is now available in Spanish. Members can switch to Spanish by navigating to the upper right corner of the conference registration page and selecting Español in the drop-down language section.

Funding to attend: Check with your IEA Region office (regions should have funds for ESPs to attend conferences) and your local union.

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Education Policy For ESPs

Join Dr. Diana Zaleski, IEA’s Education Policy and Agency Relations Director, in
a discussion about the association’s education policy work. Learn about her role, the role of association members in education policy, and the education policy resources available to members including upcoming trainings, book clubs, and guidance documents on pressing issues such as student discipline and workplace violence.

Facilitator: Dr. Diana Zaleski, IEA Education Policy and Agency Relations
Director
Location:  Webinar
Date:  Feb. 21, 6 – 6:30 p.m.
Register Here

Four Keys to Building Strong ESP Locals

Are you a local leader, building representative, committee chair or member looking for ways to build membership and increase local engagement? This four- part webinar course will provide you with the tools necessary to build local capacity. Topics covered include the role leadership style and local structure plays when developing strong locals, how to increase membership growth, engagement, development, recruitment, and retention, and how to create value for your members. All participants will develop a year-round organizing plan designed to fit your local, building or committee needs. We will also look at creative strategies for increasing membership participation. The sessions will be held on the fourth Thursday of each month from 6:00 PM- 7:30 PM.  The session dates are February 29, March 28, April 25, and May 30. Once you register for the first session, you will automatically be registered for the entire course.  If you have any questions, please reach out to unioned@ieanea.org

Facilitator: Crystal Bush, Uniserv Director – Coordinator of Support & Services
for ESPs
Location:  Webinar

Date:  Monthly on Thursdays – Feb. 29, March 28, April 25, and May 30 from 6 –
8 p.m.
Register Here

ESP rESPect CampaignRESPECT | Raising Education Support Professionals by Elevating Careers

JOIN TODAY

Happy New Year from your ESP Council Join us for an ESP Council Meet & Greet Saturday | Feb. 24 | 9-10 a.m. LOCATION/TIME CHANGE 1555 Bond St # 121, Naperville, IL 60563 The Council meeting will follow from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All Education Support Professionals are welcome! RSVP to Arlene Criglar.

As we head back into our schools and universities, please remember some of our students missed us more than you realize as home can be difficult. Never forget what you do matters to so many!