Education Support Professional Council consists of thirteen (13) members all of whom are ESP school employees and members of the Illinois Education Association. The ESP council's goal is to represent and support ESP's throughout Illinois.
Juneteenth – also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day – is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States. Wikipedia Observance Date: Saturday, June 19th 2021
A Case Study from Washington State. June 17, 7 p.m. EST. Info and Registration
Register today! 6 p.m. Central Time
Many education support professionals work during the summer. I wish you all summer blessings! Take time to be daring, to find an adventure, to experience life. This could be within the pages of a book, down the street, or around the world. You are amazing and need time to recharge and renew.
Summer Leadership Academy (Virtual – 2 weeks)
July 19-22, 2021
July 26-29, 2021
SLA registration is now open!
There are over 70 sessions planned for the 2-week conference (July 19-22 & July 26-29). Session offerings include trainings on equity, trauma responsiveness, restorative practices, communications, school finance, health insurance, organizing, and grievance to name a few. SLA will also contain additional sessions designed for local association presidents, association representatives, local treasurers, and those seeking a National Board Certification. Many sessions at SLA will also provide PD clock hours to attendees.
We will be limiting the number of attendees in each session to provide the best virtual training experience. In the event a session is full, we will have wait lists available & most sessions will be recorded and made available after SLA is over. Take a moment to review the Schedule At-A-Glance document for the session choices.
Register | Agenda | Schedule At-A Glance
Registration Deadline – July 9, 2021
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.
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:
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
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.
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:
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
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)
IEA Education Support Professional Council 