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Yesterday I was blessed to spend my morning…early afternoon with amazing ESP advocates! The ESP Council had our April meeting where we organized and planned for ESPs around the state.

Topics discussed:

• One Conference Planning-we are still looking for presenters/topics. October 1-2nd virtual conference. Please fill out an RFP to present at this years virtual conference. The deadline to submit is April 30th. Click here for more information.
• ESP Resolution -HR77-Sponsored by Rep Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz passed unanimously out of committee. Waiting for vote on the house floor. Resolution seeking to find solutions to salary parity, quality professional development and access to health benefits for ESP members
• ESP FMLA-Has moved out of the House, and will head to the Illinois Senate.
• ESP Dues Discussion-IEA executive board has created a new sub-committee, Bylaw Article 3 Section 3. Myself and Tammy F also on the ESP Council, has applied and have great hopes to be on this committee to advocate for a by-laws change on how ESP dues are calculated.
• Star Award-We have had 11 fabulous ESPs nominated since February. Nominate a deserving ESP in your local. Click here for more information.
• Future ESP Council dates are set. August 21t 2021, November 13th 2021, February 26th 2022, April 23rd 2022, June 11th 2022
• Don’t miss our next Roundtable discussion April 24th 10-11:30am. Topic-IEA RA, NEA ESP Conference, NEA Leadership Summit Wrap up.
• Planning ahead to our May Roundtable celebration

Click to download for information on how to join our next roundtable discussion.

I’m sure you all are pretty much in the same situation. It seems like everyday is a new challenge….I mean opportunity. Every year we have challenges, students who struggle academically or emotionally. Families struggling to provide a safe and secure home environment. This year with Covid-19, I’ve seen more challenges and yet more opportunities than ever for educators to make a difference in the lives of our school community. ESPs are doing what we have always done, stepping up, reaching out, and filling the needs that are all around us.

It would be very easy for me to be pulled in to a mindset of bitterness and frustration! Today and everyday I choose my mindset. Like we teach our students, mindset is key to success.

Thank you for what you do everyday in the lives of your students, members, and communities!

Jill Scarcelli IEA ESP Council Chair

The One Conference is a fabulous IEA conference that is planned with ESPs in mind, to enhance leadership skills and designed to provide professional and personal growth. IEA and your ESP leadership work together to plan this high quality conference. Many of the trainers are ESP leaders who have a passion and talent to support their students and fellow ESPs. Maybe you could be one of our next trainers at this years One Conference. 

Time: April 24, 2021 10:00 – 11:30 am, Central Time (US and Canada)

Attention all Education Support Professionals (“ESP”):

You are invited to attend the IEA ESP Council’s April roundtable where the discussion will be facilitated by the IEA ESP Council. The discussion will be regarding the IEA Representative Assembly and NEA ESP Conference – what we learned, what we know, and where do we go from here?

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 http://www.ieaespcouncil.com.

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86524880743?pwd=L09ndjRYaTB1d3FsL05JMHZMTks3UT09

Meeting ID: 865 2488 0743 Passcode: 492551 One tap mobile +13126266799,,86524880743#,,,,*492551# US (Chicago) +16465588656,,86524880743#,,,,*492551# US (New York)

Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) Meeting ID: 865 2488 0743 Passcode: 492551 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbkoEdS0qN

NEA President Becky Pringle will sit down (virtually) with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to discuss his experience in public schools, his vision for learning, and the Biden-Harris Administration’s priorities for our public schools and institutions of higher learning.

You are invited hear directly from President Joe Biden’s new secretary of education about the important issues facing students and educators coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What: A Conversation with Miguel Cardona
When: Wednesday, April 21 at 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT

Also when things get out of focus… stop and re-adjust your lens.

April 15, 2021
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. EST

Education Support Professionals (ESPs) are an integral part of the education team that supports student learning. When ESPs are hired, they are often left alone to “figure out” what their job entails. This leads to poor job satisfaction, high turnover, and weaker performance. When ESP mentoring is done right, it can lead to improved outcomes for students, greater retention of ESPs, higher job satisfaction, greater confidence, and leadership development.

This session will explore ESP mentoring and how to justify the importance of mentoring to the district, build the program from the bottom up, and document the success of the program through data collection and analysis. Participants will receive information and materials they can bring back to their locals that can be customized to meet their needs. ESP mentoring uses the ESP Professional Growth Continuum (PGC) as its foundation, providing a vision for each ESP career family as ESPs develop their professional learning goals.

Presenters:
Tara Gauding, Vermont-NEA
Stephanie Dupras, Vermont-NEA
Gloria Mantagaris, Vermont-NEA

Register >

IEA GR Director Sean Denney provided updates on two IEA backed bills in this week’s legislative update:

 House Bill 2789 passed out of committee. This is the COVID safety bill.

 House Resolution 77 passed unanimously out of committee. This calls for equity for ESPs.