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.
You are invited to the 2020 ESP Day of Empowerment on October 3, 2020.
Event Agenda: 9:00 – 9:30 – Whole Group Welcome from the ESP Council and Keynote – 2020 ESPOTY Debra Ciciora 9:45 – 11:15 – ESPs: Being Relevant in a Remote Learning Environment presented by Debra Ward-Mitchell 11:30 – 1:00 – Change Your Mindset: An Introduction to Cultural Competency and Implicit Bias presented by Ann Bachman-McIntosh 1:15 – 2:45 – Equity and Social Justice for All presented by Gina Harris
This virtual event will be recorded and made available after the event for those who are unable to attend live. Register by midnight October 1st!
Bargaining is always a very stressful time in any organization. It is very important to do research and be prepared so your team can represent your members to the best of your ability. Don’t miss the ESP Bargaining Resources on our ESP Member Resource page. Click the bullet point under the IEA ESP MEMBER RESOURCES link toward the top of the page.
2020-2021 Student-Centered Bargaining and Advocacy Grant Opportunity
NEA is pleased to announce the Collective Bargaining and Member Advocacy Department (CBMA) is now accepting applications for its 2020-2021 Student-Centered Bargaining and Advocacy Grants.
The grant award range is up to $50,000. The online application form, application template, FAQs, grant terms and conditions, and student-centered advocacy attributes document can be found at http://www.nea.org/grants/63562.htm. There is no deadline for submitting grant applications. Applications may be submitted throughout the year or until all grant funds have been committed.
Are you an ESP who is ready to grow your leadership skills or do you know of an ESP who is ready to take the next step in their leadership journey?
There are a few openings spots for ESP members for the IEA-NEA ESP EMERGING LEADERS ACADEMY (ESP-ELA). This program trains current and future leaders on the leadership attitudes, skills, and knowledge needed to enhance your ability to be a visible and vocal advocate at the local, region, state, and national level. Topics covered include what makes an effective leader, how to organize, build and maintain membership, how to work with difficult members and how to create an effective local organization. Participants will also learn more about the IEA, NEA, Unions and Unionism. This is a nine month (currently remote) learning program that starts in early October. For additional information please contact Crystal Bush at crystal.bush@ieanea.org
You are invited to the 2020 ESP Day of Empowerment on October 3, 2020.
Event Agenda: 9:00 – 9:30 – Whole Group Welcome from the ESP Council and Keynote – 2020 ESPOTY Debra Ciciora 9:45 – 11:15 – Session 1 – ESPs: Being Relevant in a Remote Learning Environment presented by Debra Ward-Mitchell 11:30 – 1:00 – Session 2 – Change Your Mindset: An Introduction to Cultural Competency and Implicit Bias presented by Ann Bachman-McIntosh 1:15 – 2:45 – Session 3 – Equity and Social Justice for All presented by Gina Harris
This virtual event will be recorded and made available after the event for those who are unable to attend live. Register by midnight October 1st!
Please respond by clicking Yes or No. We look forward to your response.
Discounts and Deals Program This program combines the power of more than 500 world-class brands with the advantage of local merchants in communities throughout Illinois and the USA. Learn more.
The IEA ESP Council is looking for ESP members interested in filling the open Ethnic Minority representative position through the spring of 2021 (when the next election is held).
If you are interested in representing and advocating for ESPs throughout Illinois, please type or print your candidate statement. Candidate statements are limited to no more than 100 characters. SPACES AND PUNCTUATION COUNT AS CHARACTERS. Your statement must not include pressure to vote for the candidate and must be non-promotional, factual and objective.
Candidate statements must be emailed to ESP Council Chair Jill Scarcelli. Deadline to submit a candidate statement is Oct. 23. An election will be held to fill the position at the ESP Council meeting on Nov. 14.
Stress experienced during the COVID 19 pandemic has changed our way of life and forced many to face new challenges. This webinar will provide an overview of the impact that profound personal losses suffered during the COVID 19 pandemic has had on many and suggest strategies that can be utilized to facilitate mourning as well as promote self-care, wellness and resiliency.
Topics Covered
Understanding Personal Grief & Loss
COVID 19 & Loss Experiences
Coping with Grief and Loss
Grief Complications
Self-Care, Wellness & Resiliency Strategies
All registrants will be asked to take a short, confidential survey before the webinar. This survey will help us understand and respond to participants’ experiences with loss during these challenging times. The link to the survey will be sent by separate email at the end of September.
PRESENTER: Thomas Demaria, Ph.D., Psychologist, National Center for School Crisis & Bereavement, Coalition to Support Grieving Students
INTENDED AUDIENCE:
NEA affiliate leaders, staff, members and partners. All interested parties are welcome. You are encouraged to forward this invite to your partners, leaders and other team members.
ESPs have always been essential! All across Illinois and the country they are stepping up and making the difference in the lives of their students and communities. 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.
Attention all Education Support Professionals (“ESP”):
You are invited to attend the IEA ESP Council’s September roundtable where the discussion will include the successes and challenges ESPs are currently facing. Many ESPs jobs and duties have changed due to the Covid-19 virus. Come join us as we support each other during this time. We will discuss different ideas and techniques that ESPs can use to support students, teachers, and schools during remote learning. Participants can share their best practice and gather new ideas to enhance their job duties. IEA Computer Specialist, Tom Kulmacz, will also be available for a short question and answer session regarding tech issues.
Please join us as we learn, discover, and advocate for ESP throughout Illinois. Your ESP Council is here to support you during this trying time and beyond. If you have any questions or would like more information, please visit www.ieaespcouncil.com.
Meeting ID: 828 7605 3052 Passcode: 395276 One tap mobile +13126266799,,82876053052#,,,,,,0#,,395276# US (Chicago) +13017158592,,82876053052#,,,,,,0#,,395276# US (Germantown)
Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown) +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) Meeting ID: 828 7605 3052 Passcode: 395276 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/klomvUrky
We need your help circulating nominating petitions for IEA member Hugh Cunningham to represent our education support professionals (ESPs) – bus drivers, cafeteria workers, paraprofessionals, school secretaries – on the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Board of Trustees.
The IMRF is the pension system for school support staff. It is important that an ESP serves on this board so the voice of the ESPs can be heard. Cunningham cannot do that unless he receives enough signatures. Your help is greatly appreciated.
The petition packet includes circulation instructions and a pre-filled petition. Please review the circulation instructions carefully. Only active ESPs who participate in IMRF may sign the nominating petition. Petitions are due on or before Tues., Sept. 15.
Every Name Is Important. Even If You Just Send One Signature!!
Please print, fill out the form, take a picture and email it to IMRFTrusteeElection@imrf.org
ESPs all around the country are making a difference every day in the lives of their students. Illinois has a special award to honor ESPs. The purpose of this award is to recognize an individual who has shown outstanding accomplishments in the following areas:
involvement in their local, state, and/or national association
achievements in his/her professional classification
achievements in promoting public education in the community
enhancement of the image of Education Support Professional in the Association, the work site or the community
Nominate an ESP you feel deserves this award. The deadline to submit a nomination is December 18th.
ESP members educate and support our students every day and make sure they have the tools they need to succeed in our schools and classrooms. Lets face it, in most cases ESPs are the first faces students see each morning and the last faces they see when they go home. What you do each day matters and makes a difference in the lives of our students.
“Back to school” looks a lot different this year. The coronavirus pandemic has changed education dramatically, raising important questions about how to keep students and educators safe and healthy while ensuring continued, quality academic and social-emotional learning.
Join a conversation with NEA President-elect Becky Pringle and Dr. Nathaniel Beers, a pediatrician and a member of the AAP Council of School Health. We’ll discuss:
what we know and don’t know about COVID-19,
the implications of the disease for children and adolescents,
the unique concerns of vulnerable populations including students of color and students with disabilities, and
what the science tells us about balancing the sometimes-contradictory requirements for fostering the overall health of children, adolescents, educators, staff, and communities.
WHEN: Wednesday, September 9 at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT
Note: There will be plenty of time for educators’ questions, but please submit them when you register.
Government Relations (Important – signatures needed)September 15th deadline
IMRF Trustee Election – Petition Circulation. We need your help circulating nominating petitions for IEA member Hugh Cunningham to represent our Education Support Professionals (ESPs) on the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Board of Trustees. Please review the circulation instructions. Only ACTIVE ESPs may sign the nominating petition. (Share with leaders and members)
“Back to school” looks a lot different this year. The coronavirus pandemic has changed education dramatically, raising important questions about how to keep students and educators safe and healthy while ensuring continued, quality academic and social-emotional learning.
Join a conversation with NEA President-elect Becky Pringle and Dr. Nathaniel Beers, a pediatrician and a member of the AAP Council of School Health. We’ll discuss:
what we know and don’t know about COVID-19,
the implications of the disease for children and adolescents,
the unique concerns of vulnerable populations including students of color and students with disabilities, and
what the science tells us about balancing the sometimes-contradictory requirements for fostering the overall health of children, adolescents, educators, staff, and communities.
WHEN: Wednesday, September 9 at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT
Note: There will be plenty of time for educators’ questions, but please submit them when you register.
Students and teachers need more support during remote learning not less. Please come and show your support for our BIESPA #430 paraprofessionals at District 130, on Monday, August 31.
The District notified 49 paraprofessionals that they would be laid-off. Please show up early with signs of support to ensure that the Board votes no to these reductions.
Where: Veterans Memorial Middle School 12320 S. Greenwood Avenue Blue Island, Il
When: 6:30 p.m. (Board meeting starts at that time but we will be there early at 6:15).
IEA is an association of more than 135,000 members composed of Illinois elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty and staff, educational support professionals, retired educators and college students preparing to become teachers. The IEA was founded in 1853 to serve the interest of public education in Illinois. The IEA became an affiliate of the National Education Association in 1857, an organization currently totaling 3.2 million teachers and school employees working to make our good public schools even better for all students.
Members will complete the online enrollment application.
An email will be sent to local leaders, letting them know an individual has submitted an enrollment application for verification of membership eligibility and membership type for dues deduction.
If the individual is not a member of the bargaining unit, the local leader should contact their region office and request to have the individual cancelled from the local’s roster.
If the individual’s membership type category is not correct, they are instructed to reach out to the region office to have the membership type changed.
The new member receives a confirmation email once their application is complete and receives a welcome email once their application is processed.
Thursday, September 10, 2020 | 7:00pm – 8:00pm EST
This training will offer simple healing skills for self-care and for promoting health and wellbeing for Educational Support Professionals (ESPs). The program was developed by Capacitar International for work with schools and educators in the U.S. and in other countries around the world. Based on popular education and energy-based methods, the Capacitar practices empower people to deal with traumatic stress, to stabilize and balance strong emotions and to awaken their own healing process. This workshop will include opportunities to practice and apply various healing methods. These methods can be used by all educators, families, and others in the community.
By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:
Recognize signs of trauma and stress in students, colleagues, family members and oneself;
Demonstrate eight basic Capacitar practices for self-care and for alleviating stress and the symptoms of trauma;
Apply methods of protection with oneself/others;
Understand Capacitar’s popular education and holistic approach for healing trauma and stress; and
U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, D-Barrington, has introduced legislation which would modify the Family Medical Leave Act to create a new hours of service threshold, specifically for ESPs, comparable to the provision enacted for airline crews.
An ESP would qualify for FMLA benefits if – during the previous school year – they worked more than 60 percent of the total monthly hours expected for their specific role, as defined by their employer. Under this bill, ESPs would have greater access to unpaid FMLA benefits without the risk of losing their job. Read the press release from Rep. Casten’s office.
If Hugh Cunningham is not elected to the IMRF Board of Trustees we will loose a seat and an important voice on the Board!
IEA is supporting Hugh Cunningham, TRIAD Custodial Maintenance Association president, for the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Board of Trustees to represent education support professionals (ESPs).
This year, circulating petitions will be extremely difficult and we will need to work very hard to get 350 valid IMRF active participant signatures turned in to IMRF to place Hugh Cunningham on the fall ballot.
·The NEA Auto & Home Insurance Program by California Casualty saves members an average of $423/yr. Each policy includes Educator specific benefits, free ID Theft Protection, Pet Injury Coverage and Exclusive member-only rates. For a limited time, they are offering a $25 gift card for completing an auto quote. Click here to Get your quote today!
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Education Secretary Betsy Devos attends a signing ceremony for the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, U.S., July 9, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
This training will offer simple healing skills for self-care and for promoting health and wellbeing for Educational Support Professionals (ESPs). The program was developed by Capacitar International for work with schools and educators in the U.S. and in other countries around the world. Based on popular education and energy-based methods, the Capacitar practices empower people to deal with traumatic stress, to stabilize and balance strong emotions and to awaken their own healing process. This workshop will include opportunities to practice and apply various healing methods. These methods can be used by all educators, families, and others in the community.
By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:
Recognize signs of trauma and stress in students, colleagues, family members and oneself;
Demonstrate eight basic Capacitar practices for self-care and for alleviating stress and the symptoms of trauma;
Apply methods of protection with oneself/others;
Understand Capacitar’s popular education and holistic approach for healing trauma and stress; and
NEA affiliate leaders, staff, members and partners. All interested parties are welcome. You are encouraged to forward this invite to your partners, leaders and other team members.
This short video shows how the Fair Tax amendment will fix Illinois’ broken tax system, ensuring that 97% of Illinoisans—those who make $250,000 a year or less—get a tax cut or pay no more than they do now. Working people need relief now more than ever, and that’s exactly what Fair Tax reform will provide.
Education support professionals are essential front line workers. During spring ESPs have provided a wide variety of services from child care to children of essential workers to supporting students through virtual platforms. Education support professionals have been and will continue to be an intricate piece to the success of distance learning.
Many districts will be returning remotely this fall and within these districts ESPs job expectations vary greatly. What are some duties ESPs in your districts are doing? Please share in the comments below or send to Jill.scarcelli@ieanea.org
You know what they say about the best laid plans!! I want to apologize about the technical difficulties with yesterdays IEA ESP Roundtable! We will work on the issues for next months Roundtable on September 19th. For those who were able to attend, we did have a fabulous discussion with Dr. Stacy Young about ESP Health and Safety As We Return To School. Once the audio is ready it will be uploaded to IEA’s Members Only site.
SPRINGFIELD – Today, the Illinois Education Association (IEA) and the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP) announced a medical review panel that will determine if school district re-opening plans are safe for students, staff and communities.
The panel, which will consist of more than a dozen doctors, will review district plans that educators fear may not be safe under public health guidelines. The panel will then determine whether the plans meet a list of commonly agreed upon protocols.
“We will be watching to make sure our students’ and educators’ health and safety is being protected. And if the panel finds a district is operating in a way that puts lives at risk, we will do everything in our power to keep people safe,” IEA President Kathi Griffin said.
