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.
Remember when you were so busy to take time for yourself? Remember when you wished you could read a book or get to that project? Now is the time for you to do the things you’ve wanted to get done. You don’t have to have a spotless house….no one is coming over. You don’t have that long commute, most of us are already at work. Now is the time to take a few minutes to breathe and remember you are Amazing, you are Smart, what you do everyday matters! Especially taking care of yourself.
“I became an NEA member for one simple reason: someone at my local took the time to ask! With their mentorship, I jumped into union activism and became very involved. After serving on several committees and received scholarships to attend national and state association conferences – and going to the NEA Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly as a paraprofessional representative delegate, I was eager to become even more involved.
I successfully ran for president of my local, Maple Organization Support Team, in Maple Heights, Ohio, and immediately began to work to eliminate the sense of hopelessness many of the ESP members felt. As president, I worked hard to build relationships with my members. I wanted to cultivate an environment of solidarity and build member’s confidence. My members are now activists who have confidence and will stand up for their rights.
One of my proudest accomplishments was working to bring union solidarity and protections to our district’s food service workers. They were a classification excluded from our bargaining unit. These educators had not received a raise in eight years, their salary scale had only three steps, and they had no longevity pay or bereavement days. After having one-to-one conversations, followed by formal group discussions, we obtained authorization cards for 90 percent of the cafeteria staff and they are now members.
“Today, I’m prouder than ever to be an ESP member of NEA. As COVID-19 closes schools and grips the nation, our members have stepped up to serve our students in all capacities, doing so with courage and grace. As the 2020 ESP of the Year, it is my mission to advocate for our ESPs and give them the respect and recognition every educator deserves.”
Andrea Beeman, ESP of the Year, Special Education Paraprofessional, Maple Heights, OH
As you advocate for our nutrition members and help districts to continue serving school meals during this time of crisis, you might find useful the following guidance and recommendations from Education Policy and Practice of the NEA.
COVID-19 and School Meals
The National Education Association recognizes the vital role that public schools and child care centers play in providing healthy and nutritious meals to children throughout the school and program year. Some 30 million children across the country participate in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded school meal programs every year. A large majority of our children rely heavily on these programs because they are in low-income households: According to USDA data, nearly three-quarters of school lunches nationwide are provided for free or at a reduced price. The free lunch participation rate has gone up every year since 2001, and was 20.2 million in 2018. The CDC estimates that children consume as many as half of their daily calories at school, with kids from food-insecure households getting a larger proportion of their daily food and nutrition intake from school meals.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to necessitate school closures, NEA is here to provide guidance to our Affiliates on how to continue providing meals to students in need.
Continue Meal Service
The USDA has authorized School Food Authorities (SFAs) and other eligible community organizations to continue serving meals to students affected by school or child care closures.
Apply for the Area Eligibility Waiver
The USDA recently granted a nationwide waiver that will allow program operators to serve meals in a non-congregate setting, provides flexibility to the meal service time requirement, allows operators to forgo the educational/enrichment activity requirement, and permits caregivers to pick up school meals without the presence of a child. Unfortunately, these waivers do not go far enough. In this time, when we are expecting the virus to spread and more families to lose jobs and teeter on the edge of food insecurity, it is critical that states provide additional meal sites and apply for the area eligibility waiver.
Do More
Due to a number of challenges, only one in every six eligible students utilizes the summer meals program. States can do more to ensure students and families do not go hungry during this time. The recent COVID-19 federal relief legislation enables states to provide emergency allotments (supplements) to SNAP households and give income-eligible families with children in closed schools Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to use at food stores and farmer’s markets. States will need to inform the USDA of their plans to take part in these programs.
Best Practices
Continuation of school meal programs is an important part of maintaining the health and well-being of students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Communities that have closed schools have relied on a variety of approaches to distribute meals. Some best practices include:
Other Considerations
During this frightening time, students in need of meals may also need other support such as health care, mental health services, and social services. Be sure to virtually convene your specialized instructional support personnel, such as social workers and counselors, as well as local service providers to discuss addressing the entire range of student needs while schools are closed. Some districts have staffed their meal delivery buses with school nurses and/or social workers.
Resources
Every IEA member should have or will receive voting instructions in the mail very shortly. Once you receive the envelope please follow the voting instructions to vote in IEA’s spring elections. Elections are a perfect time to let your voice heard. You can help choose who will represent you and other members at the State level.
You’ve had questions about your rights and benefits as we fight the spread of COVID-19; Alice O’Brien has answers. Browse the album below for a quick summary of your options, and get even more details from NEA’s General Counsel here: https://bit.ly/2xoWSYV
