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The IEA ESP Council is looking for ESP members interested in filling the open Ethnic Minority representative position through the spring of 2021 (when the next election is held).

If you are interested in representing and advocating for ESPs throughout Illinois, please type or print your candidate statement. Candidate statements are limited to no more than 100 characters. SPACES AND PUNCTUATION COUNT AS CHARACTERS. Your statement must not include pressure to vote for the candidate and must be non-promotional, factual and objective. 

Candidate statements must be emailed to ESP Council Chair Jill Scarcelli. Deadline to submit a candidate statement is Oct. 23. An election will be held to fill the position at the ESP Council meeting on Nov. 14.

National Education Association

Education Support Professionals Quality (ESPQ) Department

Center for Great Public Schools Webinar

Grief and Self-Care during the COVID 19 Pandemic

Thursday, October 8, 2020

7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST

Register at:

https://nea-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7oAJGFNDTrir_B3jPFtLyg

Stress experienced during the COVID 19 pandemic has changed our way of life and forced many to face new challenges. This webinar will provide an overview of the impact that profound personal losses suffered during the COVID 19 pandemic has had on many and suggest strategies that can be utilized to facilitate mourning as well as promote self-care, wellness and resiliency.

Topics Covered

• Understanding Personal Grief & Loss
• COVID 19 & Loss Experiences
• Coping with Grief and Loss
• Grief Complications  
• Self-Care, Wellness & Resiliency Strategies                                                                                                               

All registrants will be asked to take a short, confidential survey before the webinar.  This survey will help us understand and respond to participants’ experiences with loss during these challenging times.  The link to the survey will be sent by separate email at the end of September.

PRESENTER:
Thomas Demaria, Ph.D., Psychologist, National Center for School Crisis & Bereavement, Coalition to Support Grieving Students

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:

Kimberly Bertocci, NEA Sr. Program/Policy Analyst

Jessica Brinkley, NEA Sr. Program/Policy Analyst

ESPs have always been essential! All across Illinois and the country they are stepping up and making the difference in the lives of their students and communities. The ESP Council created the ESP STAR program to allow IEA local leaders, members and board of directors to recognize and publicize the good work of their ESP members across the state. Use the online nomination form to nominate a special ESP.

ESP Jobs and Duties, the New Normal

SEPTEMBER 19, 2020

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Attention all Education Support Professionals (“ESP”):

You are invited to attend the IEA ESP Council’s September roundtable where the discussion will include the successes and challenges ESPs are currently facing. Many ESPs jobs and duties have changed due to the Covid-19 virus. Come join us as we support each other during this time. We will discuss different ideas and techniques that ESPs can use to support students, teachers, and schools during remote learning. Participants can share their best practice and gather new ideas to enhance their job duties. IEA Computer Specialist, Tom Kulmacz, will also be available for a short question and answer session regarding tech issues.

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 www.ieaespcouncil.com.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82876053052?pwd=czhlbjIzTWNHOUZIUlkvMWQ1eU9jQT09

Meeting ID: 828 7605 3052
Passcode: 395276
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Meeting ID: 828 7605 3052
Passcode: 395276
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/klomvUrky

We need your help circulating nominating petitions for IEA member Hugh Cunningham to represent our education support professionals (ESPs) – bus drivers, cafeteria workers, paraprofessionals, school secretaries – on the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Board of Trustees. The IMRF is the pension system for school support staff. It is important that an ESP serves on this board so the voice of the ESPs can be heard. Cunningham cannot do that unless he receives enough signatures. Your help is greatly appreciated. The petition packet includes circulation instructions and a pre-filled petition. Please review the circulation instructions carefully. Only active ESPs who participate in IMRF may sign the nominating petition. Petitions are due on or before Tues., Sept. 15.

Every Name Is Important. Even If You Just Send One Signature!!

Please print, fill out the form, take a picture and email it to IMRFTrusteeElection@imrf.org

Click for Petition Packet

If you have questions regarding the petition packet or the nomination process, please contact IEA Political Consultant Will Lovett.

ESPs all around the country are making a difference every day in the lives of their students. Illinois has a special award to honor ESPs. The purpose of this award is to recognize an individual who has shown outstanding accomplishments in the following areas:

• involvement in their local, state, and/or national association
• achievements in his/her professional classification
• achievements in promoting public education in the community
• enhancement of the image of Education Support Professional in the Association, the work site or the community

Nominate an ESP you feel deserves this award. The deadline to submit a nomination is December 18th.

ESP members educate and support our students every day and make sure they have the tools they need to succeed in our schools and classrooms. Lets face it, in most cases ESPs are the first faces students see each morning and the last faces they see when they go home. What you do each day matters and makes a difference in the lives of our students.

About this event

“Back to school” looks a lot different this year. The coronavirus pandemic has changed education dramatically, raising important questions about how to keep students and educators safe and healthy while ensuring continued, quality academic and social-emotional learning.

Join a conversation with NEA President-elect Becky Pringle and Dr. Nathaniel Beers, a pediatrician and a member of the AAP Council of School Health. We’ll discuss:

• what we know and don’t know about COVID-19,
• the implications of the disease for children and adolescents,
• the unique concerns of vulnerable populations including students of color and students with disabilities, and
• what the science tells us about balancing the sometimes-contradictory requirements for fostering the overall health of children, adolescents, educators, staff, and communities.

WHEN: Wednesday, September 9 at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT

Note: There will be plenty of time for educators’ questions, but please submit them when you register.