Educators wear many hats and fill many roles in our student’s lives! Today, whether you have kids of your own or not, we wish you a very Happy Mother’s Day!
Happy Mother’s Day
Author: ieaesp
I am a proud education support professional and pro-education advocate!
IMRF Webinar Series
COMING IN JULY FOR IMRF RETIREES: Join IMRF and the University of Illinois Extension for a three-part webinar series on resilience, motivation and managing stress. The workshops are free of charge but registration is required. 
Register today: https://www.imrf.org/2021-retiree-webinar#TheIMRF#retirement#retiree#UIExtension
Student Debt Advocacy
| Hello, No matter who we are or how much we make, we should all have the opportunity to learn without limits. But the astronomical cost of higher education—even public higher education—forces many students to either forego their dreams or be trapped in a lifetime of debt. The student debt crisis is not accidental—it is working exactly as lawmakers, banks, and loan servicers intended.  Immediate and broad cancellation of federal student loan debt is a necessary step to ensure we all can thrive—no exceptions. We’re coming together—educators, activists, and students—for an important briefing on how we can win student debt cancellation. Sign up to join us Thursday, May 13 at 7:00 p.m. ET!Hear about the actions the Biden Administration has taken so far to address education debt with fairness and justice at the forefront—and the road ahead. Learn how by choosing education debt cancellation, policymakers can undo years of bad decisions that have denied opportunities to Black, brown, and Indigenous students for far too long. Find ways that educators, students, advocates, and allies are joining together to access new tools and raise our voices to rewrite the rules so all of us can thrive.  RSVP here to attend this important briefing on Thursday, May 13. See you on Thursday!  The NEA EdJustice Team  Sign up to join us › |
Thank you for all you do!!
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Reminder…not all “teachers” teach in classrooms!
We Made It!
Bargaining and Advocacy in the Face of Crisis
The May webinar offers a learning opportunity for those who engage for ESP in bargaining or meet and confer. As we deal with the COVID crisis and its aftermath on the livelihood of our ESP, you will find this webinar useful. This webinar may be shared with general membership.
Bargaining and Advocacy in the Face of Crisis
May 13, 2021
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. EST 6:00-7:30 p.m. CT
The COVID-19 pandemic has quickly become the worst crisis we have ever faced in our lifetime. ESPs, students, and communities have been hit with staggering issues, many that were unthinkable before. Now, more than ever, ESPs have been forced to bargain and advocate as if their lives, and those of which they care for, depend on it, because it literally may.
This webinar will focus on becoming better prepared as a union to tackle issues brought upon through crisis, such as protecting ESP careers and advocating for health and safety issues, as well as providing practical skills and resources that can make the union more effective advocates. This session was offered at the 2021 NEA ESP National Conference.
Act Now! DEMAND ILLINOIS LAWMAKERS PASS HB 2789
Please sign the petition to help support educators in Illinois and the students in their classrooms, on their buses, in their cafeterias and elsewhere in keeping them safe by finally putting enforcement measures in place.
Unfortunate Update from Legal Services and Government Relations:
A number of local leaders and field staff have asked IEA Legal Services and IEA Government Relations whether the expansion in unemployment benefit eligibility, which allowed many ESPs to qualify for IDES benefits during summer 2020, will be in place for summer 2021. The answer, unfortunately, is “no”. The change in unemployment benefit eligibility was temporary in nature and expired on December 31, 2020.  Should the Illinois General Assembly take any action that impacts unemployment benefit eligibility for summer 2021, we will provide notice of the changes in a subsequent update.
If this information changes we will notify you ASAP.
Elections for IEA ESP Council and other statewide positions
The election closes at 4 p.m. TODAY, April 28! If you did not receive your online voting information or have questions, contact IEA Governance Elections Paraprofessional Kim Trader by email or phone at 217-321-2250. PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE – YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT!
IEA Education Support Professional Council 