Author: ieaesp

Your ESP Council tirelessly advocates for ESPs throughout Illinois. The ESP Council has brought the inequity of the current dues structure within the IEA bylaws to the IEA Board of Directors. Our IEA Executive Board has heard us; they agree and have created an IEA ESP Dues Structure Subcommittee to review the current bylaw, collect data and research, and submit a more equitable ESP dues structure bylaw that better supports our ESP members. This proposed bylaw will be voted on at next years IEA RA in April.

There are amazing educators on this committee, including 3 ESPs currently on your ESP Council.

Your Voice Matters! Join your ESP Council to support and advocate for members.

We have two vacancies on the ESP Council – An election notice mailer went out to ESPs regarding these vacancies:•

ESP Ethnic Minority member (Remainder of term to 2023)

Eligibility: All IEA-NEA members who are employed as Educational Support Professionals in a school district and/or combination of school districts are eligible to participate in the election.

ESP Suburban Alternate/NEA RA successor delegate (Remainder of term to 2023)

Eligibility: All IEA-NEA members in Regions 26-36, 39, 41-43, 46, 50, 52, 55-59, 64 and 67 are eligible to participate in the election.

Nominations are due Oct. 13. The fall election nomination form is available online at iea.org/about/elections.

Nomination form: https://nom.election-america.com/iea

You won’t want to miss this conference!! This no cost, amazing conference is planned by ESPs for ESPs!! Registration closes soon!

IEA Higher Education, Education Support Professionals, and IEA Retired members, please join us for the 2021 One Virtual Conference.

This year’s virtual conference will offer opportunities for professional development, informational sessions, and a keynote session featuring NEA ESP of the Year, Kimberly Scott-Hayden. We will also be recognizing IEA Retired Hauge Award winner, Gayla Dial, IEA ESP of the Year, Debra Ward-Mitchell, and IEA Higher Educator of the Year, Jim Grimes.

Elective sessions begin Friday, October 1 and will conclude with the keynote session on Saturday.

Registration is open to IEA members only. Please check elective descriptors for availability of Professional Development Hours (PD-Hr.)

REGISTRATION

Conference Overview | Elective Descriptors | Elective Schedule

I hope this day brings you a season of joy and blessings.

Our latest ESP Roundtable discussion from September 11th on Membership Engagement has been added to the Illinois Education Association’s Learning Portal. You will need your membership ID to login and access this resource. There are 121 ESP specific professional development course topics, plus many many more other topics to support you and your members.

As education support professionals often times we can be made to feel…well, less. Less important and less valued. I once had a superintendant say we (ESP) are a dime a dozen. Thankfully not my current superintendant, with whom I have a nice relationship. That earlier comment wasn’t to far off. We definitely are underpaid for the essential work we do for our students, schools, and communities and it doesn’t feel like we are paid much more than that.

Why should you be an ESP IEA member? Because your IEA President, Kathi Griffin and executive board values who we are and what we do!

I have had the pleasure of being the IEA ESP Council Chair for a little over a year. I have NEVER been made to feel less. On the contrary, I am encouraged and my voice and opinion is sought and truly valued.

Recent legislative accomplishments that support ESPs. This is not a complete list:

• Passage of HB 12-reduces the hours to qualify from 1250 to 1000 so more ESPs have access to this important benefit (years of lobbying and advocating to pass)
• Passage of HR 77-Resolution seeking to find solutions to salary parity, quality professional development and access to health benefits for ESP members
• Passage of HB3474-Protecting our seats on our IMRF retirement board. Ensures that those who are eligible to run as an executive trustee candidate (Employer) on the IMRF Board of Trustees can only run for the executive trustee position.

We have only just begun! Great things…Huge things are coming!!

Thank you to the Honorable Ram Villivalam for supporting public education and education support professionals by helping to pass HB12, so a greater number of ESPs have access to the Family Medical Leave Act, an important health benefit. Come celebrate educators and meet the Hon. Ram Villivalam at this event.

Hon. Ram Villivalam

Educator Appreciation Happy Hour

Tuesday September 21 * 4:00-6:00pm 4055 W. Peterson Ave, Alarmist Brewing Parking Lot

Questions Please contact Joey Slater at joeys@ramforsenate.com

Topic: Member Engagement

Time: September 11, 2021 10:00 – 11:30 am, Central Time (US and Canada)

Attention all Education Support Professionals (“ESP”):

Please join us for our first roundtable of the 2021-2022 school year! IEA UniServ Director, Laura Urso (Region 59, Lombard) who will lead a discussion on member engagement. This opportunity will provide strategies for promoting a local culture that appeals to different motivations of members while recognizing the contribution of all members of the local. If you have any questions or would like more information, please visit http://www.ieaespcouncil.com.

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86318897479?pwd=amZaUjdrbThwUC9VL1dCUXJmTnE0UT09

Meeting ID: 863 1889 7479 Passcode: 345672

Election Notice Nomination Form For:

Educational Support Professional Council:
Vacancy: Ethnic Minority Member (remainder of term to 2023)
Eligibility: All IEA-NEA members who are employed as Educational Support Professionals in a school district and/or combination of school districts are eligible to participate in the election for the above positions.

Educational Support Professional Suburban Alternate/NEA RA Successor Delegate (Remainder of term to 2023):
Eligibility: All IEA-NEA members in Regions 26-36, 39, 41-43, 46, 50, 52, 55-59, 64 and 67 are eligible to participate in the election for the above position.
Please use the nomination form in the link below and fill in all information. Online forms are available at ieanea.org/about/elections. You will need your member only login information to access the forms.

Click for more information