Education Support Professional Council consists of thirteen (13) members all of whom are ESP school employees and members of the Illinois Education Association. The ESP council's goal is to represent and support ESP's throughout Illinois.
Thursday, February 16, 2023 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM ET
To ensure a great public education for every student, education support professionals (ESPs) want and deserve access to high-quality professional development and support at every stage of their careers. Join us for a 1.5-hour virtual networking session that will connect you with fellow NEA ESP members across the country to discuss your professional development experiences and the resources and support you need for professional growth.
Good news! NEA is now accepting registrations for the 2023 NEA Education Support
Professionals (ESPs) National Conference, scheduled for March 24-26, in Seattle, Washington. Funding may be available at your Illinois Education Region office and union local to help cover expenses.
The ESP Conference is certain to be a special event. With 70+ 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.
Complete ESP Conference information – including the agenda, workshops, link to registration
for self-funded (by self, state, local) attendees, link to reserve a hotel room, health and safety
updates, and more – can be found at www.nea.org/espconference.
Please reach out to Amber Parker (aparker@nea.org) or Jessica Brinkley (jdbrinkley@nea.org) if
you have any questions.
Social Emotional Skills for ESPs with 321 Insight: This Social Emotional Skills for ESPs session will be held virtually on Thursday, Feb. 23 from 5-6 p.m. Presenter Sue Lyons from 321 Insight will host. During this session, IEA ESP members will focus on the five CASEL SEL competencies. ESPs will understand SEL and learn how and why these skills benefit educators and students. Providing ESPs five practical and applicable ways they can support the development of SEL skills in students.
Register here! Please contact Mary Jane Morris with any questions.
Do you have ideas for advancing ESP leadership and professional excellence?
NEA is offering a special workshop to build strong peer mentoring pilot programs for ESPs. Selected teams of 3-5 ESPs will be funded by NEA to convene in Salt Lake City, Utah!
Over one and a half days, teams will work together to build their own unique programs that empower ESPs in the workplace and Association.
#IEANEA#StrongerUnited#WeLoveOurESPs
IEA-NEA Spring Election Information
Nominations are now open for the NEA RA State, Retired and Aspiring Educator Delegate elections as well as for sectional representative positions on the IEA Board of Directors and the ESP, Higher Ed and Retired Councils. Hard copy nominations should be arriving in member mailboxes the first week in January and a link to online nominations is on the IEA website.
Online nominations close at 4 pm on February 15, 2023 and hard copy nominations must also be received by this date. If you have any questions, contact the Governance Elections/Fair Share Paraprofessional, Kim Trader at kim.trader@ieanea.org.
The 2023 NEA Representative Assembly will be held July 2-6, 2023 in Orlando, Florida.
The NEA Representative Assembly is the largest democratic deliberative assembly in the world. During this annual meeting, our members help set policy and chart the direction of NEA business through participation on various committees, constituencies, caucuses, and leadership groups.
Join the ESP Council for a virtual roundtable on Jan. 11. New faces welcome! This is a great opportunity to meet IEA executive and NEA director candidates in the upcoming spring election.
This will be a meet and greet format.
Happy Holidays and warm wishes for the New Year
I wanted to share the upcoming Virtual Budget Engagement on January 5, 2023, at 8:30pm EST.
Attached, please find the 2022-2024 Strategic Framework. The QR code at the bottom will direct you to the NEA Strategic Framework and Budget site<https://www.nea.org/…/nea-strategic-framework-budget>, where you and your members can view video descriptions of each objective prior to the budget engagement, resulting in more time to collaborate, answer questions, and address concerns.
NEA Budget Engagement
Date: January 5, 2023
Time: 8:30pm ET
Zoom: Please Register
https://nea-org.zoom.us/…/tJMrcOyoqzkuE9G3l6ITDYoLmhuWs…
Strategic Questions:
1. If we are wildly successful, what outcomes might we expect to see nationally from NEA pursuing these Objectives?
2. What might progress on these Objectives look like for you, your colleagues, and your students in your local or your worksite?
3. Is there anything else you’d like us to know?
In the near future, you will receive a template of the meeting flow.
If you have any members who unfortunately cannot make the date, please remind them that they can always provide input at www.nea.org/budget
We are so excited about this opportunity to engage with our members!
As I sit here and reflect on this past year, I am proud of how I’ve grown, stretched, and have done things I never thought I was capable of doing, but I also realize that I have much to improve. Yes, I want to eat healthier, lose some weight, and exercise more, but I also want to be a better me. I feel best when I’m helping or doing something that helps others. So my goal is to continue to be stretched, to continue to seek situations that may be uncomfortable but will help me grow emotionally, spiritually, and as a leader and advocate.
You all are amazing, and I’m proud to represent so many talented and dedicated people. It’s okay to brag about yourself a little…Tell me somethings you accomplished during this past year that makes you proud…and one goal you have for this next year.
Comment below
The Education Support Professional Council and Illinois Education Association collaboratively wrote the language for House Resolution 0077. This resolution called to find solutions to salary parity, quality professional development and access to health benefits for ESP members. In April 2021 the resolution was unanimously passed by the Illinois General Assembly. This laid the foundation on which we are building the rESPect Campaign!
We hope you enjoyed our #12DaysOfUnionism series 
!
At 135,000+ members strong, we are the largest union in Illinois. We harness the collective power of teachers, ESPs, higher education faculty and staff, students and retirees to advocate for strong public schools– because every student deserves a high quality public education no matter where they live.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! Enjoy this time with your loved ones.
Every year, the IEA advocates for more state funding for higher education, P-12 education and early childhood education.
Your union helped pass the historic evidence-based funding model for our P-12 schools, helping to make our schools more equitably funded instead of relying so heavily on local property taxes. Over the last several years, the Illinois budget has included additional monies for education, totaling over $1.5 billion.
With adequate funding, our schools, colleges and universities can make sure they are providing the best possible public education to all of our students.
Safe travels to those visiting family and loved ones this weekend. Stay warm!
The Education Support Professional currently has openings in the following positions.
If you are interested in filling one of these positions on an interim basis until the spring election please reach out to your region chair and have them nominate you at the next IEA Board of Director’s meeting.
Please review the current ESP Council roster to see the upcoming openings in this spring election. It is extremely important that we have a full roster so ESPs have the representation they deserve at the table. For information, please contact Arlene Criglar at arlene.criglar@ieanea.org .
It pays to be an IEA member.
Benefits include: free term life insurance, additional insurance for disability, long-term care, pet and home, low interest and reward credit cards, NEA auto buying and car rental program as well as hundreds of discounts and coupons on the My Deals app.
IEA’s Opportunity Coalition works to reduce the impact of the opportunity gaps facing students in our community.
We offer leadership development as well as financial & technical support to educators interested in racial, social and educational justice.
As we have been getting closer to the holiday season it’s been extremely busy and stressful. I know you all can relate!! The truth is I just haven’t been able to keep up with the daily posts, but I don’t want to miss sharing these important reminders so here we are…catching up with days 1-8.
We have more work to do…please go to www.iearespect.org to see how we can advocate and bring the change we need so members can get the compensation and rESPect they deserve.
Unionized workers make 20 percent more than nonunion workers. And unions significantly reduce the wage gap for women, people of color and other minority groups.
In 1983, the IEA worked with the General Assembly to pass the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act (IELRA) which gives Illinois educators the right to organize and collectively bargain.
Prior to the IELRA, it was ILLEGAL for educators to go on strike. Members would often end up in jail – just for using their voice to advocate for a fair contract.
Your personal information is protected by law, thanks to the IEA. It is illegal for school districts to provide your private information, even when someone files a FOIA to get it.
In 2019, the IEA helped pass Senate Bill 1794 into law. The law prohibits employers from disclosing the following information of any employee: home address, DOB, personal phone number and email, union membership status and communications with labor organizations.
IEA launched the rESPect campaign to improve the economic conditions for Education Support Professionals (ESPs) – nurses, secretaries, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, mechanics, cooks, custodians, library aides and others.
We are advocating for higher wages, affordable health insurance, a Tier 2 pension fix, and opportunities for growth.
Have you taken the pledge? Voice your support: bit.ly/IEArespect
The IEA worked to make sure the right to collectively bargain was added to the Illinois Constitution. Voters passed the Workers’ Rights Amendment this November. It means our right to collectively bargain our wages, pensions, hours, working conditions and so much more are now protected and enshrined in the Illinois Constitution.
IEA looks out for your quality of life, ensuring your contract provides for work/life balance and good, affordable healthcare.
In 2022, the IEA passed a law to help support staff and teachers/professors who had exhausted their sick and personal time because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The law provided COVID administrative days for all employees to use for any COVID-19 related reason and also offered paycheck protection to hourly employees in the event their school should close.
Education is the only profession that received COVID administrative days.
Due to efforts by the NEA, over 360,000 educators and public service workers have received $24 billion in student loan forgiveness through the Limited PSLF Waiver. Working to cancel student debt not only provides relief to current educators, but also makes higher education more accessible for aspiring educators.
Drafted by the IEA, HB 12 has expanded coverage of the Family and Medical Leave Act to thousands of education support professionals (ESPs) across the state.
Previously, to be eligible for FMLA an employee must have worked 1,250 hours during the previous year. This disqualified many ESPs due to the limited number of days they are able to work during a school year. HB 12 reduces the minimum threshold to 1,000 hours, so that more ESPs can qualify.
Date: January 12th, 2023 Webinar: Free to IEA Members
Presenter: Sue Lyons, 321 Insight Description: As we start the new year, we will continue to be managing some challenging behaviors!
This session will provide strategies for IEA ESP members allowing them to implement the strategies right away to address the challenging behaviors and often preventing them from happening. During this session IEA ESP Members will:
· Gain a deeper understanding of the root causes of many behavior challenges
· Understand the importance of educator mindset to have a positive impact on the overall effectiveness with students
· Learn proactive strategies you can implement right away to prevent many challenging behaviors
Register at: https://forms.gle/FQc79N8ptzdfRCNP9
For more information contact Mary Jane Morris at maryjane.morris@ieanea.org
| Don’t miss these great opportunities. |
| ESP STAR award: Nominate one or more special ESPs for a STAR award! Nominations accepted monthly. SCORE grants: Grants for up to $1,000 are available for IEA members and their local associations to collaborate and create opportunities for community service or school projects. Apply for a SCORE grant by Jan. 15. Please watch and share SCORE grant recipient Jennifer Finley’s video about her project that put books and comfort animals into emergency vehicles in her community for kids in traumatic situations. Athletic grants: California Casualty’s Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant program will award $1,000 grants to school athletics programs. Apply for an athletics grant by Jan. 15. $2,500 for college: The Burroughs Education Scholarship, sponsored by Woodruff Johnson & Evans Law Offices, will be awarded to a college-bound high school senior with at least one parent who is a school employee. Applications will be accepted through Jan. 31. NEA State and Local grants: Funded grant requests range from $3,000 to $25,000 and focus on building family/community partnerships or supporting educators across their career continuum to ensure student success. 2022-23 grant program information and application. |
The ESP Insider is a digital newsletter for Education Support Professional members of the Illinois Education Association. It has important updates, dates, and ESP Celebrations. We definitely deserve some celebrations. If you haven’t received your ESP Insider in your personal email contact IEA Connect at https://ieanea.org/ieaconnect/ for support.
You will need to log in to Members Only to view using your member ID. Contact IEA Connect for assistance.
RESPECT | Raising Education Support Professionals by Elevating Careers Together is a statewide effort by support staff in Illinois schools, Pre-K through college, with the support of IEA staff, to improve working conditions. This is a long-term campaign made up of short-term goals. In 2022-23, we hope to:
Whether you are a school secretary, paraprofessional, groundskeeper, bus driver, cafeteria worker, librarian, safety personnel, or you provide support to your school/campus in any other way, this campaign is for you.
Sign Up and Make Your Voice Heard!
Welcome!! IEA announced a new organizing victory in Lansing District 158 and welcomed LEFA (Lansing Education Foundation Association), a new ESP local, to the IEA-NEA family! 
Congratulations!! Membership increase in the Sycamore Education Support Staff Association (Region 22): Beginning last winter, more than 40 secretaries, nurses, receptionists, and security assistants campaigned to join their district’s existing support staff local. The local is now roughly 120 members strong and has grown by over 50% in this victorious campaign. *Congratulations, Sycamore Education Support Staff Association! *
The National Education Association is happy to announce that we are accepting applications from
NEA local and state association teams for the 2023 ESPs: Supporting Our Own Through Peer
Mentoring workshop.
Over one and a half days, teams will work together to build their own unique ESP mentoring pilot
programs that empower ESPs in the workplace and Association. Through peer mentoring, ESPs
can receive the specialized, targeted preparation and support that empower ESPs in the
workplace, advance ESP professional excellence, build ESP leader activists, and create the
education systems that all our students and members deserve.
Check out this opportunity.
Click: https://fb.watch/hio6gHIH82/
2022 NEA ESP of the Year
What an honor! Debra Ward-Mitchell, IEA member and 2022 NEA ESP of the Year, receives a standing ovation at the Illinois General Assembly last week. Congratulations Deb!!!
Debra is the epitome of excellence! Everything she does with her students, families, and union has her heart and her gift of service prominently displayed. Debra is the IEA Education Support Professional Council Vice-Chair, ESP Council Membership Engagement Committee leader, and Co-chair of the Organizing and Membership Leadership Development team for the RESPECT campaign. Debra is a key leader that is assisting in growing a strong campaign that will bring the change education support professionals need and deserve. She is a fabulous role model, union sister, and most importantly friend.
#ieaesp #NEAESPOTY #rESPect #essential #StrongerUnited
Please support the members of the Tuscola Paraprofessionals Union (TESPA)!
Tuscola School District 301 has lost more than 40% of its paraprofessionals to neighboring districts and businesses like McDonalds, Loves and Old Navy that pay more.
TESPA represents paraprofessionals or paras, who work with the most vulnerable students (those with IEPs, behavioral challenges and autism).
TESPA and the Tuscola BOE’s latest contract proposals are just 14 CENTS an hour apart.
Fair contract NOW!
Join the IEA President Support Team on Facebook. This is a private Facebook group where local leaders can ask questions, get answers and support from other IEA leaders from around the state. They also meet virtually as an added time to support each other. Search them on Facebook.
Request for funding applications are being accepted for the following conferences. IMPORTANT: Please remember that IEA region councils have funding available for education support professionals to attend IEA conferences and events. Not sure where your region council is, call your nearest Illinois Education Association office. https://ieanea.org/contact-us/offices/
Budget Open Hearings: Schedule for January 2023
NEA RA – July 2-6, 2023 – Orlando, FL
The 2023 NEA RA will be held in Orlando from July 2-6. Illinois will be housed at the Rosen Centre with more details to follow.
2023 Summer Leadership RFP- Due December 9, 2022
The 2023 Summer Leadership Retreat will be held July 24-27, 2023 at Illinois State University Bone Student Center in Normal, IL. We are looking for presenters who can deliver training sessions in the areas of bargaining, grievance, organizing, equity, political action and leadership development to assist our members in the upcoming school year. Please consider submitting sessions which will help our local leaders renew their hope for a return to some normalcy and offer experiences that help restore their power.
Sessions at ISU will include 1- or 2-hour electives held on Tuesday & Wednesday. Half day sessions will be held on Wednesday & Thursday and can be combined for a full-day session.
Anyone interested in submitting for a session should complete the Summer Leadership RFP by December 9, 2022.
IEA Awards nomination deadline is Dec. 15.
Online nomination forms can be found on the IEA website under Members/Benefits/Awards:
No one has advocated for IEA members especially education support professionals better and deserves this more than Debra Ward-Mitchell. Deb Ward-Mitchell, former Thornridge High School, District 205 graduate out of Region 27. Deb was honored yesterday on the floor of the General Assembly. Deb is the 2022 NEA ESP of the Year. Another Thornridge graduate State Representative Will Davis read a resolution from the State of Illinois honoring her. This is a prestigious occasion! Congratulations Debra Ward Mitchell, thank you for all you do!
LOL, today is also national Mason Jar day…but I figure this might be a little more relatable. We celebrate National Personal Space Day on November 30 to honor and respect the need for personal space. Established by Public Health Specialist Carol Winner in 2019, the day reminds us that boundaries are good and must be maintained in a civil society. Advocating for our boundaries is not easy, but it is an important factor that contributes to our healing.
Webinar Now Available on the IMRF Website to Watch Whenever it’s Convenient for You! IMRF’s Pre-Retirement Workshop webinar is for IMRF members who are within five years of retirement. It will address the steps you must take before and during the IMRF retirement application process.The Pre-Retirement Workshop webinar is now offered online, on-demand on the IMRF website. You can view this recently recorded webinar at any time, when it is convenient for you. To watch thePre-Retirement Workshop webinar, click here. |
I am extremely honord to be asked to present at the Year-Round Organizing Campaign Convening. Tomorrow I will be presenting on the amazing things that are happening in Illinois and the RESPECT Campaign.
This award is meant to emphasize the contributions of education support professionals to their association, their schools and their communities.
Deadline: Dec. 15, 2022.
ESP STARS Award (Nominated by any member)
The ESP Council created the ESP STAR program to allow IEA local leaders, members and board of directors to recognize and publicize the good work of their ESP members across the state. Use the online nomination form to nominate a special ESP. Nominations can be submitted monthly
An individual IEA-NEA member or an IEA-NEA group may be nominated for this award, which recognizes those who have performed an outstanding humanitarian/civil rights activity or community service above and beyond normal association endeavors.
Deadline: Dec. 15, 2022.
We hope you feel appreciated today and know that what you do matters! You are phenomenal, needed, and essential and you deserve RESPECT!! www.iearespect.org
RESPECT | Raising Education Support Professionals by Elevating Careers Together is a statewide effort by ESPs, with the support of IEA staff, to improve working conditions by focusing on four areas:
RESPECT | Raising Education Support Professionals by Elevating Careers Together
is a statewide effort by support staff in Illinois schools, Pre-K through college, with the
support of IEA staff, to improve working conditions. This is a long-term campaign made
up of short-term goals. In 2022-23, we hope to:
May we all remember that freedom isn’t free!
| Check out the ESP collection for rESPect apparel and the new Red for Ed collection for short and long-sleeved T-shirts and more at ShopIEA.org. Remember: On Wednesdays wear Red for Ed! |
Network with ESPs – and make community connections – November 15, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. cst. Join us for the first-ever ESP Community Conversation, a one-hour virtual networking session that will connect you with fellow ESP members to discuss the challenges and successes you have experienced while bargaining and advocating for your students and for your professions. Registration will close on 11/11 or when the attendee count reaches 70 people.
Register Now ><https://secure.ngpvan.com/dxsbVq7efkStt4Qic6Z56w2?utm_source=edpractice&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20221026edpractice&ms=edpractice>
Your voice is extremely important to help move our union forward. Deadlines are quickly approaching to submit your nomination form to attend as a delegate! For more information contact your building representative or local’s president.
If you would like more information about the RA or to attend as a RA Assistant click the link below.
Voting for public education means voting for candidates who will support our students, our public schools and our union.
Happy November! This month, our team at NEA is offering several exciting opportunities for ESPs to connect with one another, engage in professional learning, and share stories! Sign up for these opportunities below and spread the word to your colleagues and members.
We look forward to your participation in these upcoming opportunities!
I hope you have a SPOOKTACULAR day!
This past Friday evening and Saturday I had the privilege to travel to Springfield, Illinois to attend the October Illinois Education Association Board of Director’s meeting. A lot of great work was done. It’s always important to hear what our members are experiencing around the state and advocate for the support they need. We also had a very special guest stop by.
Don’t forget to vote! November 8th is election day. Make a plan…and plan to vote. Here is a link to IEA’s Voter Guide for pro-public education candidates.
The Illinois Education Association (IEA) and the University of Illinois Springfield invites you to participate in the Illinois Educator Well-Being Survey. The purpose of this survey is to examine how the climate and culture of your workplace impacts the quality of your life.
When considering how to improve the climate and culture of a school district, it is important to consider the impact of school climate and culture on educators who work both in and out of the classroom. This includes teachers, education support professionals, and other professional staff such as counselors, psychologists, social workers, and nurses.
IEA will use the results of this survey to support educator’s well-being in the workplace through improved programs and services.
This survey is voluntary and will take approximately ten minutes to complete. Data collected as part of this survey will remain confidential, see the informed consent document for additional information. Please use the below link to access the survey:
Take the Illinois Educator Well-Being Survey
The survey will close on December 1, 2022.
IEA Education Support Professional Council 