Category: Uncategorized

The National Education Association recognizes the vital role Education Support Professionals (ESPs) play in ensuring a great public school for 

every student and that’s why we’ve been working with affiliates to build ESP peer mentoring programs. Formal programs of ESP peer 

mentoring support ESPs at all stages of their career and at all education levels, with the specialized, targeted workplace preparation and 

support that is crucial for empowering ESPs and advancing their professional excellence. Mentoring can be a powerful catalyst for creating 

opportunities that can be transformative for both ESPs and the Association. Through strong mentoring programs, the Association can develop deeper, 

less transactional relationships with ESP members and build collaborative partnerships with school districts and universities focused on building 

the education systems that all our students and members deserve. 

Do you have local Associations that are seeking peer mentoring opportunities for ESPs?  

If yes, they are now invited to apply to ESPs: Supporting Our Own Through Peer Mentoring.   

• Application Deadline: Monday, June 7, 2021 (10:00 AM EDT) 
• Application Selection: Applicants will be notified no later than June 21, 2021 

ESPs: Supporting our Own Through Peer Mentoring is an NEA-offered online blended learning course, organized around 5 modules 

of bi-weekly learning that include these formats: 

• Self-study: Individual work completed at each team member’s own pace. 
• Team assignments: Collaborative work completed together as a local Association team. 
• Webinars: Group learning with all participating local Association teams. 
   

Over 9+weeks, local Association team members will work together to develop an ESP mentoring program that will create 

opportunities for continuous professional improvement for their members (responsive to their local context), amplify the voice of ESPs 

in their workplace, and elevate ESPs as respected educators.   
 

Course facilitators are ESP members and leaders who have built and established their own ESP mentoring programs. 

For additional course information, including the course schedule and application form, visit: ESPs: Supporting Our Own Through Peer Mentoring

Need more information about ESP mentoring? Learn more at NEA ESP Peer Mentorship  

If you are interested in the course but are not yet ready to start, please send an email to ESPMentoring@nea.org.  

We will keep you informed of all future learning opportunities. 

IN CLOSING, we want to share a few WHY statements from local Associations (previous course participants) that are currently developing 

or managing ESP mentoring programs.  These statements tell us why they were inspired to do this work and the values that they lead with.  

“To empower, educate and equip staff so that they are confident, prepared and supported while educating the whole child.” 

-Troy Education Association, Illinois 

 “To empower others so we can stand together. To help others find their voice so they know how to advocate for themselves and as a group. 

To protect the rights of members. Planning for the future. Making a difference.” 
-Michigan State University Administrative Professional Association, Michigan

“To create a sustainable and equitable peer mentoring system for all job families so that all PXU ESPs will be knowledgeable, 

proficient, supported and valued, creating a positive working and learning environment for ALL!” 

-Phoenix Union High School Classified Employees Association, Arizona 

HB12 – Family Leave Eligibility-passed the Senate by a vote of 47-3. It will now go to the Governor’s desk. Woohoo!!!!

Great news from the Illinois General Assembly today! HB12, the bill that provides FMLA to education support professionals, just passed the Senate and now heads to Governor JB Pritzker‘s desk for his signature. This is a huge victory for our members and educators everywhere!

Upon the bill’s passage, IEA President Kathi Griffin said: “When this bill becomes law, it will be a huge victory for our education support professionals. They’ll know they have access FMLA without the risk of losing their job and health insurance. This is something our members have fought for years, and that hard work is paying off. This is a huge victory for our working families and our talented support staff. We believe this law will help address the shortage of education support professionals in our schools. This a big step in the right direction. It will help us attract new hires to the profession and keep the talented professionals we already have on staff.”

Time: May 25, 2021 7:00 – 8:00 pm, Central Time (US and Canada)

Attention all Education Support Professionals (“ESP”):

You are invited to attend the IEA ESP Council’s May roundtable. We will celebrate our 2020 IEA ESP of the Year, Debbie Ciciora (Region 28, Local 218) and our 2021 IEA ESP of the Year, Debra Ward-Mitchell (Region 27, Union of Support Staff District 205) and all the great work of Education Support Professionals across the state! There will be giveaways for attending the celebrations. By joining, you will be entered to win prizes!

Please join us as we celebrate all we’ve learned, discovered, and advocated 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 http://www.ieaespcouncil.com.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82336240581?pwd=SkFxNnRrQVN3TDc1V0FOYUtqNElKZz09

Meeting ID: 823 3624 0581 Passcode: 742172 One tap mobile +13126266799,,82336240581#,,,,*742172# US (Chicago)

National Education Association’s Education Support Professionals Quality (ESPQ) Department & The Human and Civil Rights Department a Center for Great Public Schools Webinar

Juneteenth: Taking Time to Unravel Unconscious Biases, A Case Study from Washington State

Thursday, June 17, 2021

7:00 PM – 8:30 PM EST

Register at

https://nea-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Aiwbg_NhRWOrVQVucXTzBA

Join this webinar to learn the history of Juneteenth, a celebration that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and its relevance to ESPs on the job and in our communities today.  We will explore the impact of the racial and social justice reckoning and awakening seen across the country over the last year and its impact on the Washington Education Association (WEA).  Participants will learn about the steps WEA is taking to unravel unconscious biases, develop awareness of micro-aggressions and eliminate discriminatory behaviors through a long term investment in professional development for all members

PRESENTERS:
David S. Coleman M.B.A., Esq., NEA Human and Civil Rights, Center for Social Justice

Aneeka Ferrell, M.B.A./P.A., B.A., Substitute Coordinator for the Renton School District, WA

Shantika O’Pharrow, Substitute Specialist for the Renton School District, WA

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.

FACILITATORS:

Please read the information below about the new FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. The application process opened on May 12, 2021. Please share widely and share with the families on your school communities.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced the availability of the FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program, which provides a temporary discount on monthly broadband bills for qualifying low-income consumers. Eligible households can enroll through an approved broadband service provider or by visiting the GetEmergencyBroadband.org site. The application process opened on May 12, 2021, and eligible households can receive:

·         Up to a $50-per-month discount on your broadband service and associated equipment rentals

·         A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50).

Only one monthly service discount and one device discount are allowed per household. Program rules acknowledge that there may be more than one eligible household residing at the same address.

Additional information about the EBB Program is available in this Overview Module. Help in applying for the program is available from the Emergency Broadband Support Center by emailing EBBHelp@usac.org or calling (833) 511-0311.

Apply Early! The EBB Program will end when funds are exhausted or 6 months after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declares an end to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) health emergency, whichever is sooner.

Webinar with sign language:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga9a2E77Rog

Sample Awareness Campaign Content

• Infographic (PDF; Hi-res PNG | Spanish: PDF; Hi-res PNG)
• Newsletter Blurb (Word | Spanish)
• Press Release (Word)
• Twitter and Facebook Posts (Word | Spanish)
• Fact Sheet (8 1/2″ x 11″ Word; PDF | Spanish: Word; PDF)
• Slide Presentation (PowerPoint | PDF)
• Flyer I (8 1/2″ x 11″ PDF; Hi-res PNG | Spanish: PDF; Hi-res PNG)
• Flyer II (8 1/2″ x 11″ PDF; Hi-res PNG | Spanish: PDF; Hi-res PNG)
• Poster (8 1/2″ x 11″ PDF; Hi-res PNG | Spanish: PDF; Hi-res PNG)
• Consumer Handout (9″ x 5″ PDF | Spanish)
• Consumer Handout (4″ x 5″ two-sided PDF | Spanish)
• Consumer Handout (4″ x 5″ one-sided PDF | Spanish)
• Audio PSA (MP3; Script in Word | Spanish; Texto)
• Tribal Benefit PSA (MP3)
• Overview Videos (English | Spanish | ASL)

Consumer handouts and the fact sheet are also available in Arabic, Amharic, Burmese, Chinese (Traditional), French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

Time: May 25, 2021 7:00 – 8:00 pm, Central Time (US and Canada)

Attention all Education Support Professionals (“ESP”):

You are invited to attend the IEA ESP Council’s May roundtable. We will celebrate our 2020 IEA ESP of the Year, Debbie Ciciora (Region 28, Local 218) and our 2021 IEA ESP of the Year, Debra Ward-Mitchell (Region 27, Union of Support Staff District 205) and all the great work of Education Support Professionals across the state! There will be giveaways for attending the celebrations. By joining, you will be entered to win prizes!

Please join us as we celebrate all we’ve learned, discovered, and advocated 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 http://www.ieaespcouncil.com.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82336240581?pwd=SkFxNnRrQVN3TDc1V0FOYUtqNElKZz09

Meeting ID: 823 3624 0581 Passcode: 742172 One tap mobile +13126266799,,82336240581#,,,,*742172# US (Chicago)

Today is World ESP Day! Thank you to all of the education support professionals who continue to contribute so much to our school communities across the globe.