IEA Education Support Professional Council

Today I get to travel to New Orleans in preparations of attending the NEA ESP Conference. I am SO SO excited. Did you know that every IEA ESP member is eligable to attend both IEA and NEA conferences? Did you know that each local should and region does have funds in their budget to help cover costs of attending these amazing conferences specifically for ESPs? I am registered for some amazing learning opportunities. It was really tough to choose which ones to go to!!

Start planning now to attend.

Good Afternoon ESP Leaders and Advocates,

I encourage you to share with your colleagues and other ESP members, particularly food service members, these two opportunities for activism. The first is the looming expiration of the pandemic child nutrition waivers that would mean the end of free school meals for all kids, flexibility to serve in different learning modes, and the higher reimbursement rates that have helped schools deal with rising food prices – we need to keep pushing Congress to extend USDA’s authority to grant the waivers for longer as the pandemic is still ongoing: https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/action-center/take-action/continue-flexibility-free-school-meals

The other is commenting from their own experience on USDA’s new rule on the heathy guidelines for school meals – which is a bridge to take school meals from current partial implementation to more full implementation of the healthy guidelines: https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/action-center/take-action/support-healthy-school-meal-standards

The ESP Council is beginning preparations for the One Conference that will take place September 30-October 1st. Your ESP Council wants to offer professional development options that our ESP members want. Please give suggestions on PD topics and possible presenters you want to see.

2022 NEA ESP NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Education Support Professionals: Uniting for a better future for our students, our educators, and our communities.

March 25-27, 2022
New Orleans Marriott
555 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA, 70130

I am so excited for this conference! So many opportunities and intriguing sessons to attend.

What does RESPECT look like to an education support professional? Over the past almost two years as ESP Council chair I’ve heard from many ESPs from across the state and from what I’ve heard RESPECT means:

• Earning a livable wage where ESPs don’t have to work multiple jobs just to pay their bills
• Having good affordable health insurance
• Having a solid pension for when they retire
• Benefits that retain and recruit employees like quality job related professional development, tuition reimbursement, paid family leave and licensing fees relief
• Job duties that are relevant to their job description, having a voice at every table, and acknowledgement that what you do truly matters!

Get ready! RESPECT is coming!! Be on the lookout for more information coming soon!

Today I got to spend an amazing day with fabulous ESP advocates. The ESP Council met in the Naperville IEA office to continue our work. We are determined to fight for RESPECT!

Who are ESPs?

We are the…

• school bus driver who is the first person to greet students in the morning and delivers them safely to and from school
• cafeteria worker who supports students nutritional needs by providing a warm, healthy meal
• paraeducator who helps students become successful scholars with a little extra support
• school nurse who cares for the health and needs of all students
• office assistant who makes sure records are up to date and the school day runs smoothly
• technician who keeps our computers running and students and teachers connected
• custodian who works to keep the school environment safe and clean
• security professional who help keep students and school employees safe
• and many more essential ESP career families within our school community!

Without ESPs school buildings wouldn’t open, teachers wouldn’t have the resources they need to do the near-impossible jobs they are tasked to do, and students wouldn’t have the support they need to become successful scholars! We are ESP!! We deserve RESPECT !!

Be on the lookout for some very big news coming from the ESP Council and IEA very soon!!